List of Innovative Thinking Techniques  

Innovative Thinking Techniques

Brainstorming

• Define the problem as concisely as possible

 

• Set a time limit

 

• Capture all ideas (Write quickly and use slow periods to link ideas and make connections. No criticism of ideas allowed or self editing. Laughter is appropriate.)

 

• Discuss ideas. Select the 5-8 ideas that the group likes the best

 

• Identify criteria you will use to select the top idea

 

• Rate ideas using criteria. Look for possible connections between selected ideas

 

• Identify the idea with the highest score. Discuss the idea and create group ownership

 

• Retain all ideas

 

Solution Searching

• To use the ideas/inventions created within another profession/industry to create solutions to your challenge

 

• Identify your challenge

 

• Brainstorm professions/industries/products that have already created solutions to your challenge

 

• Pick one or two that best fits

 

• Increase knowledge of the chosen solutions through research, examination, inviting solution representative to speak to group, etc.

 

• Identify the similarities and differences between the outside solutions and your challenge

 

• Identify how you can respond to your challenge using the outside solution as a model

 

• Create a plan to implement ideas

 

Become the Customer

• To create an in-depth understanding of the challenge from the users'/customers' perspective

 

• Identify your challenge

 

• Create an invironment to immerse the team into the customer's experience. Examples include: meet in the customer's setting, dress like the customer, role-play situations, interview customers, shadow customers, etc.

 

• Discuss findings focusing on thoughts and feelings as well as physical observations

 

• Brainstorm prototypes /solutions strictly from the customers point of vies

 

• Overlay organizational limitations

 

• Identify and implement solutions

 

Changing your frequency dial

• To assist in identifying possible new uses for a product/service/process and or create greater focus on the current uses

 

• Identify the product/service/process to examine

 

• Brainstorm what the product/service/process is not intended to do

 

• Review the brainstormed list. Identify those functions/attributes that are completely off the radar screen

 

• Look at the rest of the list and see if any ideas emerge that will enhance and/or expand the current uses of the product or create greater clarity on its current uses

 

• Create an action plan to implement new ideas

 

Brain Jolt

• To use analogies and metaphors to force insights into a problem by analyzing a completely different situation and then going back to the problem at hand

 

• Identify the product/service/process to examine

 

• Identify a completely different product... to examine and compare

 

• Brainstorm the characteristics/attributes of your identified product/service/process/persn

 

• Identify connections between your product/service/process and the unlike item

 

• Create an action plan to implement new ideas

 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

• To use visualization to understand the challenge as well as to identify solutions

 

• Identify the product/service/process to examine

 

• Ask team members to draw the product... in a defined period of time (one minute) focusing on attributes/characteristics of the product.

 

• Present drawings to the group and identify the one that best depicts the true attributes/perceptions of the product/service/process

 

• Place the picture in the middle of a large sheet of paper posted on a wall

 

• Brainstorm possible solutions using pictures instead of words on a large sheet of paper. Allow members to work at the same time

 

• Identify opportunities to connect pictures to form a story

 

• Look for similar solutions presented by group members

 

• Convert pictures into words and identify possible enhancements to your challenge

 

• Create an action plan to implement new ideas

 

Transcendence

• To encourage groups to expand thinking beyond the initial challenge

 

• Identify the product/service/process to examine

 

• Identify the primary and secondary solutions the product/service/process is attempting to solve

 

• Eliminate the product/service/process completely

 

• Brainstorm solutions ignoring the current product...

 

• See if any alternative solutions make more sense than the current solution

 

• Consider creating a new solution or adapting the current solution with your new ideas

 

• Create an action plan to implement new ideas

 

Add your innovative ideas to this area:

Use the other side of the lighted road sign for drop in program info--ddr/kb

Norrisville could use a fitness center of some sort....a small addition with a few exercise machines and free weights. ddr

How can we advertise the availability of our showcases to our patrons? ddr