The category of creating includes design tools that help you view the issue from various angles and, from each of these, think up innovative solutions.
Arriving at innovative solutions requires first looking at the issue from an alternative point of view. As Einstein said, we cannot solve a problem with the way of thinking that caused it.
A number of general principles apply to each tool within the category:
- You can use the tools on their own, but they work best when using them as a team or even as a larger group.
- Quantity results in quality. It is often inevitable for your first ideas to have been formulated before or to be obvious. Only once these ideas have been exhausted will there be space for creative ideas. For this reason, it is useful to think of as many ideas as possible.
- Transpiration leads to inspiration. Each corner of the mind must be activated in order to arrive at truly innovative solutions. Keep looking for options. Keep stimulating your thought processes, and the creative ideas will arise automatically.
- Defer judgment for the time being. Creativity thrives when you think freely, whereas being judgmental blocks it.
Ontwerptools
What
Future visioning is the act of imagining a desirable future that can serve as a starting point for a brainstorm.
Why
By formulating a desirable future and generating ideas based on that future, your creativity is no longer constrained by your current worldview. This increases the likelihood of finding innovative solutions.
How
- Determine a time horizon. Is the vision you want to formulate set 10 years from now, 20 years, or even 50 years into the future?
- Come up with as many ideas as possible about how you would like the world and the issue to look in this future, and write them down. Reflect on different aspects that are part of the future vision. What do social, economic, ecological, political, or demographic elements look like in this desired future?
- Go through the ideas and cluster those that are related. Give each cluster a name. These are the “big ideas” for your desirable future.
- Think about what it would be like to live in this future, and what the issue would look like then. Use different perspectives: the target group, the client, or other stakeholders. What does their work look like, their daily activities, their free time?
- Develop the future vision into a vivid narrative using the points above. Common formats include a letter, newspaper article, diary entry, or video message from the future.
What
Lotus blossom is a technique for exploring and expanding the solution space in an associative way.
Why
Through association, unexpected connections are made that can lead to new perspectives and ideas. This increases the likelihood of finding innovative solutions.
How
- Choose a topic as the starting point for the lotus blossom. This can be a problem to be solved, a value to be created, or a desired outcome.
- Come up with 5–10 ideas for solutions to solve this problem, create this value, or achieve this outcome.
- For each idea, come up with another 5–10 ideas - ideas that relate to it, complement it, improve it, and so on. If you like, repeat this step once more.
- Go through the various ideas and cluster those that are related or form an interesting combination. What new solution directions emerge?
- If desired, repeat the lotus blossom again with a new topic as the starting point.
What
A creative excursion is a method in which you deliberately take a detour to force a creative breakthrough.
Why
By taking a detour, you approach the search for solutions from a different angle. This detour forces you to look at the issue in a new way, helping you come up with creative ideas for solutions.
How
- Choose a topic as the starting point for the creative excursion. This can be a problem to be solved, a value to be created, or a desired outcome.
- Take a walk through your home, the park, the campus, or your neighbourhood.
- Take in your surroundings carefully. What do you see? Smell? Feel?
- Sit down and think back on your walk. What did you encounter? What happened? Which moments, people, objects, and feelings do you remember?
- Choose the moment, person, object, or feeling that stands out to you the most.
- Reflect and associate. Why does this particular moment, person, object, or feeling stand out to you the most? What associations does it evoke?
- Return to the topic you chose as the starting point for the creative excursion. In what way is the moment, person, object, or feeling connected to this topic?
- Consider what ideas for solutions this brings up. What interesting perspectives are hidden in the association between the chosen topic and the moment, person, object, or feeling from your excursion? What ideas emerge from this?
What
Ideation prompts are creative stimuli that you can use during a brainstorm to come up with surprising ideas.
Why
Creative stimuli force you to explore different lines of thought. This helps to break entrenched thinking patterns and generate creative ideas.
How
- Choose a topic as the starting point for the brainstorm. This can be a problem to be solved, a value to be created, or a desired outcome.
- First, without using any creative stimulus, come up with as many solution ideas as possible to solve this problem, create this value, or achieve this outcome.
- Now imagine that you have unlimited resources and once again come up with as many solution ideas as possible.
- Repeat this several times, each time using a different creative stimulus. For example:
- Imagine that you are living in the year 2100.
- Imagine that you are living in a world without the internet.
- Imagine that you were a dictator.
- Imagine that you work for Google.
- Continue until you run out of inspiration.
What
De Bono’s hats is a method that allows you to look at a topic and generate solutions from different perspectives: factual, creative, optimistic, critical, emotional, and reflective.
Why
By deliberately putting on a particular hat and looking at an issue, you force yourself to let go of your usual way of thinking to some extent. This creates space for new perspectives and ideas.
How
- Choose a topic as the starting point for the brainstorm. This can be a problem to be solved, a value to be created, or a desired outcome.
- Look at the topic with the factual hat on: list everything you know about the topic.
- Now put on the creative hat: come up with as many solution ideas as possible to solve this problem, create this value, or achieve this outcome.
- Evaluate the ideas with the optimistic hat: What is the strength of the idea? What other ideas could reinforce this strength? What other ideas could achieve the same thing?
- Now evaluate the ideas with the critical hat: What is the weakness of the idea? What are possible negative consequences? What kinds of solutions are needed to address this weakness or reduce potential negative consequences?
- Next, evaluate the ideas with the emotional hat: What feeling do the ideas evoke? Where is the most energy? What feels right?
- Finally, look at the set of ideas with the reflective hat: What is the outcome? Where are the opportunities? Which ideas are interesting to develop further? What are the possible risks?
What
Analogies are different kinds of issues from which you can learn about the issue you are designing a solution for.
Why
For different kinds of issues, creative solutions may already have been found that can help with the issue you are working on. Looking for a good analogy enables you to “borrow smartly” from other domains.
How
- Inventory themes related to the issue that are important for the various stakeholders. Themes can be grouped into different categories: needs, frustrations, pleasures, goals, dreams, and so on. Try to identify as many themes as possible for each stakeholder type and category.
- Go through the themes and combine those that are related in some way. Look for combinations that are important to as many different stakeholders as possible—these are connecting themes.
- Based on the connecting themes, search for analogies. In which similar or completely different issues, problems, and situations do these connecting themes also play a role?
- Explore the most interesting analogies. How are these connecting themes dealt with in those issues, problems, or situations? What solutions have already been developed there? What can be learned from this for your own issue? What solution ideas does this generate?
What
Levers are systemic starting points where interventions can take place to achieve change.
Why
Complex issues are often the result of system errors: problematic routines, practices, norms, rules and points of view that are often not questioned at all anymore. Levers help you consider systemic defects and think of solutions for them in order to achieve a breakthrough.
How
- Write the twelve systemic starting points on a whiteboard, flip chart, wall or table, or use the sample template.
- On the basis of these starting points, inventory the systemic defects related to the issue you are working on.
- Use the systemic defects as points of departure for a brainstorm. Think of five to ten solutions for each systemic defect.
- Consider the ideas and cluster the ones that are interrelated or form an interesting combination. Which possible solutions do you see? What kind of breakthrough can they effect?
Template levers
What
Dilemmas are apparent contradictions that can be used as a source to derive creative solutions from.
Why
While contradictions (conflicting goals, interests or values) are often seen as obstacles, they are, in fact, wellsprings of creativity. Many contradictions can be solved with a little effort.
How
- Inventory the goals, interests, values and needs pursued by the stakeholders connected with the theme.
- Identify the dilemmas and apparent contradictions. Which goals, interests, values and needs appear to clash at first glance?
- Use the dilemmas you have identified as points of departure for a brainstorm. Think of five to ten solutions per dilemma.
- Consider the ideas and cluster the ones that are interrelated or form an interesting combination. Which possible solutions do you see? Which opportunities are there for creating win-win situations?
