Ideas+Toolkit

= What are Ideas? = In the vocabulary of daily speech, the word **idea** is generally used to name the 'content' of our own minds -- things that each of us has in his or her own mind. It is never really some light bulb moment that occurs where one realises an insight that no one else has. In truth there are few of those ocurrences. Great actionable ideas are however a collection of much smaller ideas weaved together in such a way as to create something useful unique and compelling. There are generally termed “aha” moments. Conjuring up great ideas as aha moments certainly require lots of perspiration, iteration and ideation. = = = = = media type="youtube" key="_SnWpvF9Y6k" height="344" width="425" = =** What do Ideas and Creativity have in common? **=
 * Creativity** is a mental and social process involving the generation of new [|ideas] or [|concepts]. People differ greatly in their ability to think creatively. One type of creativity is the spontaneous generation of new ideas of which some people are capable; extreme examples of this type of creativity are people like Mozart and Edison. Another kind of creativity is the ability to discern connections and relationships between existing facts or phenomena. Some people are creative on their own; others thrive on interaction with others.

**Creativity = Ideas** ** but Innovation = Ideas + Action** **What Tools and Techniques might help inspire Creative Ideas? ** Here are a few descriptions of critical principles about being creative, courtesy of [|http://www.creativeminds.org]
 * [|Creative Problems]: Defining creative problems and solutions. [[image:http://www.ronnestam.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/creativity_routine1.jpg width="393" height="205" align="right"]]
 * [|Diffusion]: Spreading ideas through social networks.
 * [|Divergence and convergence]: Staying open and staying focused.
 * [|Exploration]: Going where no one has gone before.
 * [|Forced association]: Banging things together to create new things.
 * [|Ground Rules]: Shared rules that enable safe creativity.
 * [|Jumping]: Jumping to new idea domains.
 * [|Practice!]: Build you 'creative muscle' with regular practice.
 * [|Questioning]: Asking things to get the mind going.
 * [|TRIZ 40 Principles]: Principles that have been used to gain many patents.
 * [|Stimulation]: Prodding your subconscious into giving you new thoughts.
 * [|Use What Works]: There are many tools, so use what works for you.

Defining the problem is the first step of solving a creative problem. This is a very important stage, as changing the problem definition will change the solution. The following tools help look at a problem in different ways and hence consider alternatives for the problem definition.
 * [|Breakdown]: Decomposing to find the area of optimal focus.
 * [|CATWOE]: A checklist for thinking about problems and solutions.
 * [|Challenge]: Challenge any part of the problem.
 * [|Chunking]: Take a higher or more detailed view.
 * [|Context Map]: Mapping the overall problem domain.
 * [|A Day In The Life Of...]: Seeing things as they are experienced.
 * [|Is − Is not]: To scope out boundary of problems.
 * [|How to]: Frame statements as 'How to' to trigger focused thinking.
 * [|The Kipling method (5W1H)]: Ask simple questions for great answers.
 * [|Moment of Truth (MoT) Analysis]: Finding vulnerable customer moments.
 * [|Positives, Negatives]: Look at both problems and benefits.
 * [|Problem Statement]: Getting a clear statement of what you are trying to achieve.
 * [|Purposing]: Finding the real purpose of what you are doing.
 * [|Reversal]: Looking at the problem backwards.
 * [|Storyboarding]: Creating a visual story to explore or explain.
 * [|Value Analysis]: Finding a high-value focus for innovation.
 * [|Visioning]: Creating a motivating view of the future.



Here are a few more tools for creating ideas, either individually or with other people
 * [|Absence Thinking]: Think about what is not there.
 * [|Art streaming]: Keep creating until you get through the blocks.
 * [|Assumption Busting]: Surfacing and challenging unconscious assumptions.
 * [|Attribute Listing]: Listing attributes of objects and then challenging them.
 * [|Brainstorming]: The classic creative method for groups.
 * [|Braindrawing]: Good for reticent groups.
 * [|Brainmapping]: Combining brainwriting and mind-mapping.
 * [|Brainwriting]: Group doodling for non-verbal stimulation.
 * [|Breakdown]: Careful decomposition to explore the whole system.
 * [|Challenge]: Challenge any part of the problem.
 * [|Crawford Slip Method]: Getting ideas from a large audience.
 * [|A Day In The Life Of...]: Building creative tension from contextualized situations. [[image:http://blog.apogee.gr/files/creativity_cartoon.jpg align="right"]]
 * [|Delphi Method]: Explore ideas or gain consensus with remote group.
 * [|Doodling]: Let your subconscious do the drawing.
 * [|Essence]: Looking elsewhere whilst retaining essential qualities.
 * [|Forced Conflict]: Using conflict to stimulate the subconscious.
 * [|Guided Imagery]: Letting your subconscious give you a message.
 * [|How-How Diagram]: Break down problem by asking 'how'.
 * [|How to]: Frame statements as 'How to' to trigger focused thinking.
 * [|Incubation]: Letting the subconscious do the work.
 * [|The Kipling method (5W1H)]: Ask simple questions for great answers.
 * [|Lateral thinking]: Thinking sideways to create new ideas.
 * [|Lotus Blossom]: Unfold the flower of extended ideas.
 * [|Chunking]: Go up and then down elsewhere.
 * [|Mind-mapping]: Hierarchical breakdown and exploration.
 * [|Modeling]: For the artist in everyone.
 * [|Morphological Analysis]: Forcing combinations of attribute values.
 * [|Nominal Group Technique]: Getting ideas with minimal personal interaction. [|Pause]: Think more deeply for a minute.
 * [|Post-Up]: Brainstorming with Post-It Notes.
 * [|Provocation]: Shake up the session by going off-piste.
 * [|PSI]: Problem + Stimulus = Idea!
 * [|Random Words]: Using a random word as a stimulus.
 * [|Rightbraining]: Combine incomplete doodles around the problem.
 * [|Role-play]: Become other people. Let them solve the problem.
 * [|Remembrance]: Remembering solutions not yet discovered.
 * [|Reversal]: Looking at the problem backwards.
 * [|Reverse Brainstorming]: Seek first to prevent your problem from happening.
 * [|Rubber-ducking]: Get someone else to listen to your talk.
 * [|SCAMPER]: Using action verbs as stimuli.
 * [|Six Thinking Hats]: Think comfortably in different ways about the problem.
 * [|Storyboarding]: Creating a visual story to explore or explain.
 * [|Take a break]: When creativity is fading.
 * [|Talk streaming]: Just talk and talk and talk until you unblock.
 * [|TRIZ Contradiction Analysis]: Use methods already used in many patents.
 * [|Unfolding]: Gradually unfolding the real problem from the outside.
 * [|Value Engineering]: Deep analysis to understand and innovate in areas of key value.
 * [|Visioning]: Creating a motivating view of the future.
 * [|Wishing]: State ideas as wishes to expand thinking.
 * [|Write streaming]: Write and write and write until you unblock.

Once a set of ideas have been created, the next step is to [|converge] by selecting an idea to take forward for further development.
 * [|Concept Screening]: Comparing options against a baseline benchmark.
 * [|Delphi Method]: Explore ideas or gain consensus with remote group.
 * [|Force-field Analysis]: Exploring forces for and against an idea.
 * [|The Hundred Dollar Test]: How will you spend $100 on your ideas?
 * [|The Kipling method (5W1H)]: Ask simple questions for great answers.
 * [|Negative Selection]: Sort out the 'definitely nots' first.
 * [|NUF Test]: Check idea is New, Useful and Feasible.
 * [|Pause]: Reflect for a minute before deciding.
 * [|PINC Filter]: Evaluate pros and cons of ideas.
 * [|Six Thinking Hats]: Look at ideas from different viewpoints.
 * [|Swap sort]: Sorting a short list by priority swapping.
 * [|Voting]: Democratic casting of votes for the best idea.

The most difficult stage of creative problem solving is getting other people to buy into your idea. Here are a few idea-creating tools.
 * [|Adoption Checklist]: A checklist of what leads to adoption.
 * [|CATWOE]: A checklist for thinking about problems and solutions.
 * [|//Changing//Minds]: The ultimate persuasion website.
 * [|A Day In The Life Of...]: Imagining how your solution will be used.
 * [|Diffusion Lifecycle]: Spreading ideas one group at a time.
 * [|Force-field Analysis]: Exploring forces that will support or oppose the idea.
 * [|Head, Heart and Hands]: Get all three systems of motivation engaged.
 * [|How-How Diagram]: Build plan by repeatedly asking 'how'.
 * [|Mind-mapping]: Use a mind-map to build a plan.
 * [|Positives, Negatives]: Look at both problems resolved and benefits gained.
 * [|Purposing]: Finding the real purpose of how the idea will be used.
 * [|Remembrance]: Remembering solutions not yet discovered.
 * [|Reverse Planning]: Working backwards from a perfect future.
 * [|Role-play]: Become other people you must persuade. Let them tell you what to say.
 * [|Rubber-ducking]: Talk about the problems you are facing to someone else.
 * [|Six Thinking Hats]: Look at the the idea from the viewpoint of your customers.
 * [|Storyboarding]: Creating a visual story to explore or explain.
 * [|Why not?]: Challenge objections and assumptions.