principles of creative problem solving

Principles of Creative Problem-Solving

Dr. Michael J. McNamara

 Purpose of the Unit: ◦ Introduce you to the different

‘modes of thinking’ we utilize to solve our problems.

 Type 1 and Type 2 Thinking Systems

 ‘Incubation’ in creativity

 ‘Dual process theory’ of creative thinking.

 Purpose of the Unit: ◦ Introduce the core of CPS is the specific separation

of idea generation (Divergent thinking) from idea evaluation (convergent thinking).

◦ Tools for Diverging and Converging ◦ Prepare you for more advanced tools and

sequences of Creative Problem Solving.

 Tasks for the Week: ◦ Complete your first “Creativity Assignment” on

Trying Something New (Due Friday at 11:59pm of Week 4)

◦ Readings- Access this first readings by clicking on the title: (linked) You Can Generate Better Ideas (Innovation in the field of Thinking by Design: A Short History.), New and Improved. Also, check out Course Text-Creativity Unbound, pages 21-23

◦ BONUS ASSIGNMENT #1: Diverge with SCAMPER Tool- see Bonus Sheet in SLATE. Due Monday, June 14th in SLATE Dropbox.

◦ Join us for the Debrief Meeting in SLATE’s Virtual Classroom (regular bat time and channel).

Purpose of this Bonus Assignment: To demonstrate how ‘creative process tools’ can be applied to enhance creative performance and/or problem-solving.

Deliverables:

A word document/ or hand-written (Scanned) submission that documents your brainstorming. Remember, try to be fluent, flexible, combinatorial, and original in your idea generation. Some tips we discussed include: go for quantity, seek different types of ideas, don’t judge/evaluate your ideas as they come up (just write them down). No reference page required! Just rift!!! Personal pronouns acceptable.

 “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad” Advice to Henry Ford’s Lawyer, 1922

 “Well informed people know that it is impossible to transmit the voice over wires and were that it were possible to do so, it would be of no practical value” Editorial in the Boston Post, 1865

 “This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” Western Union Internal Memo, 1876

 “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Ken Olsen, President and Founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

 “A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make. --Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

 “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” --Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

Goal: Challenge yourself to write the two most creative sentences you can think of using the following three words:

•Round

•Yellow

•Sour (Note: all three words must appear in every

sentence you write)

 Divergent- in ‘different directions’ as opposed to choosing among predetermined/traditional ones.

 Divergent thinking- the thought process of developing many different possible solutions, answers, or responses to a problem.

 Occurs in a spontaneous, ‘free- flowing’ manner’ such that many ideas are generated and many possible solutions are explored.

 “Divergent Thinkers” are always looking for more options.

 Scoring: 1. Fluency- the total number of interpretable,

meaningful, and relevant ideas generated in response to the stimulus ◦ Add up all responses

2. Flexibility- the number of different categories of relevant responses ◦ Identify and Count the categories in the

responses

3. Originality- the statistical rarity of the responses ◦ Each response is compared to the total amount

of all responses from test-takers. 5% are unusual (1pnt); 1% are unique (2pnts)

4. Elaboration- the amount of detail in the responses ◦ 1 point per detail

 Some tips for divergent thinking are: a. Go for Quantity (to have good ideas, you need to

have lots of them- out of quantity comes quality)

b. Defer judgement (criticism or negativity kills ideas prematurely)

c. Make connections (build upon, borrow, adapt from others)

d. Seek novelty (break paradigms, challenge convention)

◦ Write/place your stimulus/challenge in the middle of your board…  Each person has pen/sticky

note pad

 Write it down (1 idea per note)

 Say it out loud (make connections)

 Stick it up on the wall/board

 Go for quantity (as many ideas as possible)

 Defer judgement (don’t evaluate/judge your ideas)

 Guidelines:

1. Defer Judgment

2. Go for Quantity

3. Make Connections

4. Seek Novelty

5. Think it, write it, say it, stick it!

 The brain’s ability to successfully connect/combine seemingly unrelated concepts and apply the appropriate thinking combination to the situation ◦ The forming of associative elements into

new combinations which either meet specified requirements or are in someway useful.  The more mutually remote the elements of the

new combination, the more creative the process or solution  Exemplified in the “Medici effect”- Renaissance

Florence

 Remote Associates Test (RAT)- ability to think of associations between seemingly remote concepts/words.

 Closer: a) Widow – Bite - Monkey

b) Pie – Crab – Pine

c) Room – Blood – Salts

 More Remote: d) Computer- Illness- Bus

e) Home- Sea- Bed

f) Cross- Rain- Tie

 A complimentary tool for idea generation  Purpose: ◦ to push the group into new avenues/tracks of thought

for the purposes of generating more novel, unusual possibilities

 How to use: ◦ When generation slows, introduce a stimulus unrelated

to the challenge in order to re-charge idea generation activity

◦ Try to encourage new and un-explored directions in thinking (“what new possibilities for solving your challenge spring into your mind from this stimulus?”)

◦ Continue using the idea generation tool as before… but with the stimulus in play.

◦ Repeat as required

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 A type of thinking that focuses on coming up with a single, well- established, well- defined answer to a problem. ◦ Oriented towards

deriving the single, best (or most correct) answer to a question.

1. Be Affirmative and Open (be open to the potential of each)

2. Be Deliberate (avoid snap dismissals)

3. Check Objectives (make sure you’re going in the ‘right direction’)

4. Be Flexible- Improve ideas if needed (remember that any idea will be honed and developed further by the team)

5. Consider Novelty (originality is valued, but requires work/ reworking)

 Dot Voting

◦ Simple with one color dot

 10% of total number of ideas generated -- give “dots” to everyone

and have them put them on those ideas that meet criteria

◦ Blue sky voting

 2 colors of dots (Green & Blue)

 Green Light Idea → Short term, easily implementable, easy to support with

existing resources (identify appropriate criteria)

 Blue Sky Idea → Novel idea that has potential, perhaps a longer time

horizon for implementation, may require new resources or support systems

1. Generate Criteria 2. Select Criteria 3. Setup the Matrix

(adding criteria and ideas/options)

4. Fill in the blank boxes 5. Complete the matrix 6. Move forward

Accordingly

 Tactical Creativity= guidelines, tools, and procedures that can be used individually or as a larger sequenced program (CPS model) in an effort to enhance creative potential. ◦ Requires a Procedural Knowledge

 Intentionally and rationally deployed when required by user

 Objective: to demonstrate proficiency with a ‘divergent thinking tool’ ◦ “SCAMPER” ◦ Refer to page 32-33 of Miller’s “Creativity Unbound”

 Submission may includes:

A) Title page (name, date, course title)

B) SCAMPER Work  Start with a product, program, or something else of interest

to you

 Move through the steps in the tool (be sure to show your work in your submission)

 Highlight, choose and develop a new, creative innovation from the exercise

 Week 5: Historical Overview of Creative- Problem Solving Approaches

 Topics: ◦ -Process models of Creative Problem Solving

◦ -Problem findings vs. Problem Solving

◦ -Theories of Incubation

 Required Readings: ◦ R. Keith Sawyer, 'Explaining Creativity: The Science

of Human Innovation', Chapter 5 - The Creative Process- Part 1 (SLATE)