ENHANCE CREATIVITY
(TEAR DOWN THE BARRIERS)
THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE ENGINEERING
PROFESSION DERIVES FROM THE ABILITY OF
THE ENGINEER TO DESIGN


“… DESIGN IS THE ESSENCE OF ENGINEERING.”
(DIETER, ENGINEERING DESIGN A MATERIALS AND
PROCESSING APPROACH)
CREATIVITY IS INTEGRAL TO DESIGN
– “… TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT STOOD BEFORE, TO
REASSEMBLE NATURE INTO SOMETHING NEW.”
(PETROSKI, TO ENGINEER IS HUMAN)
– “… TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN.” (DIETER)

A SCIENTIST LOOKS AT NATURE AND SAYS “WHY” - AN
ENGINEER LOOKS AT NATURE AND SAYS “WHY NOT”


CIRCLE THE FIGURE THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE
OTHERS. EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR YOUR CHOICE
WHAT IS ONE-HALF OF TWELVE? GIVE AS MANY ANSWERS
AS YOU CAN THINK OF.
BARRIER #1 - THERE IS ONLY ONE RIGHT
ANSWER



HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT IS THE BEST ANSWER IF WE HAVE
NOTHING ELSE TO COMPARE IT WITH
AVOID A ONE-TRACK MIND
FRENCH PHILOSOPHER EMILE CHARTIER, “NOTHING IS
MORE DANGEROUS THAN AN IDEA WHEN IT IS THE ONLY
ONE YOU HAVE”

HOW MANY SQUARES DO YOU SEE?
BARRIER #2 - LOOKING AT A PROBLEM IN
ISOLATION


AS WE PROGRESS IN OUR PROFESSIONS, WE BECOME MORE
EXPERT IN OUR FIELDS, NATURALLY WE FOCUS ON WHAT
WE KNOW WELL
LEAF - BRANCH - TREE - FOREST - ...

SKETCH A PATH FROM A TO B
B
A
BARRIER #3 - FOLLOWING THE RULES



DO NOT MAKE UP RULES AND BARRIERS WHERE NONE
EXIST
MAY NEED TO QUESTION EXISTING BARRIERS
WE SOMETIMES CONTINUE TO FOLLOW RULES WHEN THE
ORIGINAL REASON FOR THE RULE NO LONGER EXISTS
(TYPEWRITER KEYBOARD)

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FIGURE BELOW
BARRIER #4 - NEGATIVE THINKING




DISCRIMINATING ABILITY OF THE HUMAN MIND IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO SURVIVAL, BUT OFTEN WE MISUSE THIS
CRITICAL THINKING MODE BY FOCUSING ONLY ON
NEGATIVES BECAUSE OF OUR ATTITUDE
IT IS EASY TO FOCUS ON SMALL SHORTCOMINGS OF AN
IDEA (PEOPLE) RATHER THAN APPRECIATE OR RECOGNIZE
OR COMPLIMENT THE GOOD FEATURES OR QUALITIES
BE APPRECIATIVE AND POSITIVE ABOUT YOUR OWN
CREATIVE IDEAS
A CHILD TYPICALLY RECEIVES ABOUT 150 NEGATIVE
REACTIONS FOR EACH POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FIGURE BELOW?
BARRIER #5 - AVOIDING AMBIGUITY



BECAUSE AMBIGUOUS SITUATIONS MAY LEAD TO SERIOUS
MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND CONFLICT - WE AVOID THEM
THE ANALYTICALLY TRAINED MIND (THE ENGINEER) IS
ESPECIALLY UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE FACE OF AMBIGUITY WE PREFER BLACK AND WHITE, NOT BOTH AND DEFINITELY
NOT THE VARIOUS SHADES IN BETWEEN
TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLORE THE AMBIGUOUS SITUATION!
LOOK FOR POSSIBILITIES FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES!
BARRIER #6 - RISK AVOIDANCE OR FEAR OF
FAILURE




THE TURTLE ONLY MAKES PROGRESS WHEN IT STICKS ITS NECK
OUT
BATTING AVERAGE (AN EXCELLENT HITTER FAILS TO GET A HIT
TWO OUT OF EVERY THREE AT BATS)
IT TOOK EDISON 6,000 TRIES TO FIND A FILAMENT WHICH
WOULD WORK AND LEAD TO THE INVENTION OF THE
INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB
ART FRY - CHEMIST
– USED SMALL BITS OF PAPER TO MARK PAGES IN HYMNAL AS HE SANG
IN CHURCH CHOIR
– PAPER WOULD CONTINUALLY FALL OFF
– REMEMBERED A COLLEAGUE WHO HAD DEVELOPED A FAILED
ADHESIVE - IT WOULDN’T STICK


KEEP LOOKING FOR BETTER IDEAS; TAKE SOME RISKS; BE
PERSISTENT!
USE FAILURES AS A STEPPING STONE TO MORE CREATIVE
THINKING AND SUCCESS!
WHAT DO OTHERS SAY?



THE REFERENCE USED FOR MUCH OF THE MATERIAL
PRESENTED HEREIN IS: LUMSDAINE, EDWARD AND
LUMSDAINE, MONIKA, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING,
THINKING SKILLS FOR A CHANGING WORLD
BURR AND CHEATHAM, MECHANICAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A CREATIVE ATTITUDE, ALGER AND
HAYES SUGGEST THAT ONE NEEDS SELF-CONFIDENCE,
CONSTRUCTIVE DISCONTENT, A POSITIVE OUTLOOK, AN
OPEN MIND, AND THE COURAGE OF ONE’S CONVICTIONS.


DEITER, ENGINEERING DESIGN A MATERIALS AND
PROCESSING APPROACH
... POSITIVE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO ENHANCE YOUR
CREATIVE THINKING.
–
–
–
–
–
–
(1) DEVELOP A CREATIVE ATTITUDE. ...
(2) UNLOCK YOUR IMAGINATION. ...
(3) BE PERSISTENT. ...
(4) DEVELOP AN OPEN MIND. ...
(5) SUSPEND YOUR JUDGMENT. ...
(6) SET PROBLEM BOUNDARIES. ...


ERTAS AND JONES, THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS
... SEVERAL PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS THOUGHT TO
CORRELATE WITH CREATIVITY:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1. GOOD GUESSING.
2. RISK TAKING.
3. CHALLENGING AUTHORITY AND PROCEDURES.
4. PREFERRING THE COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT.
5. BEING SENSITIVE EMOTIONALLY, HAVING A SENSE OF
BEAUTY
6. HAVING A VIVID IMAGINATION.
7. DESIRING HONESTY AND FRANKNESS.
8. BEING CURIOUS.
9. HAVING HIGH SELF-ESTEEM.


ULLMAN, THE MECHANICAL DESIGN PROCESS
TO SUMMARIZE, THE CREATIVE DESIGNER IS GENERALLY A
PERSON OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE, A VISUALIZER, A
HARD WORKER, AND A CONSTRUCTIVE NONCONFORMIST
WITH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE DOMAIN AND THE ABILITY
TO DISSECT THINGS IN HIS OR HER HEAD

WHICH GROUP DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST CREATIVE?
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
NASA ENGINEERS
HOMEMAKERS
FIRST GRADERS
JOURNALISTS
MOVIE PRODUCERS
ABSTRACT PAINTERS
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS
COLLEGE STUDENTS
WHERE DO WE FIND THE CREATIVE PEOPLE IN
OUR SOCIETY?



RESULTS OF TESTING FOR CREATIVITY
AT AGE 40 - 2% WERE CREATIVE
AT AGE 35 - 2% WERE CREATIVE
AT AGE 30 - 2% WERE CREATIVE
AT AGE 17 - 10% WERE CREATIVE
AT AGE 5 - 90% WERE CREATIVE
FIRST GRADERS ARE THE MOST CREATIVE - HAVE NOT YET
LEARNED ABOUT THE BARRIERS
HOMEMAKERS ARE AMONG THE MOST CREATIVE OF THE
ADULTS
BEGIN TO IMPROVE YOUR CREATIVE ABILITY






ENTERTAIN MANY SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS
LOOK AT PROBLEMS FROM OTHERS’ PERSPECTIVES
IN A CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER, QUESTION RULES,
STANDARDS, AND CONVENTIONS
PRACTICE POSITIVE THINKING
WELCOME AMBIGUITY
SEEK CHALLENGES