Forced Relationships
Sample
This is an idea generating technique that appears in many
books about creative thinking and creative thinking or
innovation tools.
A traditional example or warm-up for doing this consists of…
First Step
choose something totally unrelated to the problem or challenge
You or your group are working on.
Second Step
List everything you or your group know about it.
(Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?…
physical, visual, tactile,…all senses, good and bad)
1st. Ask the person or group to write everything they know
about a canary (or a bird in their country.
2nd. Ask the person or group to write everything they know
about the chair they are sitting in.
3rd. Then I ask them to combine (FORCE FIT or make a
FORCED Relationship) one item from the canary list with
The chair’s list with the goal to improve, change, correct the
chair design or to generate ideas for designing the ultimate
chair.
Third Step
List everything you or your group know about your problem or
challenge. (WWWWWH…and using all the senses)
Fourth Step
Take items/details/aspects from the first list and FORCE FIT
them to features Or details from the second list. Your goal is
to see if the features from The randomly chosen, unrelated
thing/animal sparks ideas for improving, Changing, correcting
features of the problem.
Divergent Thinking Tool
November 20, 2005
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=
Feathers-Soft = make seat soft
Yellow = add color
Prepared by Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP
Idea Grids
First Step
With this Cre8ng Tool we first generate 12 to 24 ideas through
Brainstorming or any other technique.
Second Step
Then draw a grid made up of as many vertical and horizontal
Cells as you have ideas.
Sample
Idea 1.
2.
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Third Step
Combine the ideas on the vertical side of the grid With the
ideas on the horizontal side one by one and write them into the
separate boxes where the two ideas meet.. 6 ideas can
Then produce 36 ideas, 12 can produce 24, 100 - 10,000
Fourth Step
Read over the ideas you have produced and select the best
To work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use.
Ideas
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
3.
4.
5.
Idea
2
+
Idea
4
=
Vertical 2 = make the chair out of wood
Horizontal 4 = make the color changeable
Ideas might be….cover, removable film or skin
Divergent Thinking Tool
November 20, 2005
Prepared by Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP
CHECKLIST
S.C.A.M.P.E.R.
S.C.A.M.P.E.R. is a form of CHECKLIST. A CHECKLLIST is
a prepared list of words, verbs, questions that you can use that can
spark new ideas, change your thinking or your point of view or
even you mood and the direction your thinking at the moment and
take you into many directions.
S.C.A.M.P.E.R. was created by Bob Eberle, teacher/educational
consultant in the 1970 s to teach the concept of CHECKLISTING
to school children by using a memory device (acronym) that they
could easily remember when they needed to generate new ideas or
remember existing or past ideas. It is used as the foundation for
Michael Michalko’s excellent Creative Thinking Tools
book…THINKERTOYS.
First Step
Write out the word S.C.A.M.P.E.R. vertically on a piece of paper or on a flip
chart/chalkboard or other surface that the group can see.
Second Step
Write out what the 7 letters stand for.
Third Step
Then use each of the 7 by asking questions using these verbs to
improve/change/revise your challenge or problem to generate potential ideas
and solutions.
Fourth Step
Read over the ideas you have produced and select the best
To work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use.
November 20, 2005
Sample
S. = substitute
C. = combine
A. = adapt, adopt
M. = minify, magnify
P. = put to other uses
E. = eliminate
R. = reverse
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Combine - what might we combine
with our problem to improve it?
Chair - new materials, sound, tastes,
textures, arm rest, cushion
=
Eliminate - what might we eliminate
to improve the current chair produce a
brand new one?
Hinges, one of the legs, the back
Divergent Thinking Tool
Prepared by Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP
Value Grids
Sample
This is a logical/left-brain convergent tool that can be used to
select ideas to turn into solutions
First Step
Generate ideas
Idea A.
B.
Second Step
Select a workable number of ideas you or the group like
Third Step
Generate a list of values that final solution can be evaluated
with.
C.
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Convergent Thinking Tool
November 20, 2005
D.
E.
Fourth Step
Examine each idea one by one for each value.
Or
Examine each value one by one comparing the chairs.
Fifth Step
If one idea ends up better from the analysis than one that you
or the group have a strong feeling for then go back and
re-evaluate the weak areas and strengthen or change them.
Values
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Idea
B
Idea B
Value 4
+ Value
=
4
= make the chair out of wood
= better aesthetics
Wood would make it easier to tool, the grain will
Give a natural beauty to the chair
Prepared by Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP
PCPPluses/Concerns/Potentials
Pluses/Concerns/Potentials a convergent thinking tool used for
analyzing a list or group of ideas that have been generated by an
individual or a group.
First Step
Narrow down the number of ideas to a comfortable
number (3 to 6)
Second Step
Then one by one write out 3 lists of thoughts about each idea.
a. Pluses of the ideas
b. Concerns
c. Potentials
Third Step
Then compare the results.
Fourth Step
If one idea falls behind the others yet the group seems more
excited about it or committed to it, then go over each of the
concerns and think of ways to eliminate or strength them with that
idea.
Sample
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Idea 1
Make the chair out of XXX plastic
and apply electrical lighting to it.
Pluses Plastic will be cheaper
Lighting will make it more useable
The plastic will provide more color
options
Concerns We have no experience with plastic
Electrical wiring will add cost
It may be too easily tipped over
=
Potentials Could lead to a product that could be
sold anywhere in the world.
Could expand our technical capacities
Could open up new markets for our
other products.
Convergent Thinking Tool
November 20, 2005
Prepared by Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP
Hits & Misses
Sample
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Hits & Misses is a convergent thinking tool used for quickly
choosing ideas from several that have been generated.
First Step
Generate many ideas….24, 48, 144…..on Post-It notes or slips of
paper or index cards or simply write them on a surface where
everyone can see them easily.
Second Step
Tell the group to go up and scan the total group of ideas and mark
which ones their “gut” tells them is a hit. No discussion. Just
simply read and react.
Or
Tell the group to go up and move the ideas they think are HITS to
an area labeled HITS and the MISSES to another area labeled
thus. Leave the “NOT SURE” ones where they are.
Hits
Unsure?
Misses
Third Step
Then discuss, organize by popularity, group, cluster the ideas by
categories.
Fourth Step
Select the one or more that can be used at the same time or the
ones that can be combined into a single idea
Convergent Thinking Tool
November 20, 2005
Prepared by Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP