Idea's Generation - A Few Ideas

Close

Ten Creativity Techniques

Here are the ten creativity techniques:

• Assumption-Busting Techniques
• Brainstorming
• Edison's Idea File
• Koinonia - Generate Ideas by Brainstorming With Others in Your Field
• Lateral Thinking
• The Lotus Blossom Approach
• Mind Maps
• More Creative Links
• Creativity Technique - Introduce a Random Element
• Reverse Brainstorming
• SCAMPER

I mainly would choose to brainstorm ideas first to help me open my mind to new ideas. I think it's the simplest idea generation process to use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a process for generating new ideas in which specific rules and techniques are applied which encourage and spark off new ideas which would not have happened under normal circumstances.

The brainstorming rules are basically the following:

Withhold judgment and criticism. During the first stage of a brainstorming session ideas are not evaluated in any way.

Wild, seemingly wacky ideas are welcome.

Go for quantity, not quality.

Build off the ideas put forth by others.

Mutate and Combine, that is, deliberately distort and modify existing ideas and deliberately try to build new ideas from combinations of existing ones.

"Seeking to solve problems by unorthodox or apparently illogical methods." Concise Oxford Dictionary"

Lateral Thinking

"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way." - Edward de Bono

British physician, author, inventor, and consultant Edward de Bono has had a major impact on the way we think and particularly in the field of creativity. He coined the phrase "lateral thinking" which involves approaching problems from diverse, unexpected angles and from different perspectives. Dr. de Bono meant to differentiate lateral thinking-in which you nudge the mind to make sudden turns- from vertical thinking, which is logical and sequential thinking.

Our brains are "pattern recognition systems", which helps us to quickly evaluate our surroundings and respond accordingly. However, we can get stuck with patterns, which hinders our ability to generate new ideas.Lateral thinking seeks to provide techniques to nudge the brain out of its patterns.