ECE361
Engineering Practice
Creativity
and the Design Process
Session 5
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Idea Generation
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Design Process Assures Design
will meet Requirements
Stage 1 – Problem
Definition & Potential
Solutions
Stage 2 – Design
Stage 3 – Verification
Requirements
Specification
Brainstorming
Trades
Preliminary
Design
Requirements
vs. Capabilities
Detailed
Design Review
Implementation
Testing
Reporting
This process is part of what
we call Systems Engineering
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Deliver = $$$
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Creativity
What is Creativity?
Creativity is, e.g., the combination or
adaptation of seemingly disparate parts
into a functional and useful whole
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Everyone can learn to be more creative
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High IQ is not required
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There are habits which can lead to more
creativity
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What is the least number of
match sticks to move to make
the equation below true?
What’s the Point?
“Thinking outside of
Box”
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Ans: 0
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Creativity
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Phases of Creativity
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Preparation – become knowledgeable
Concentration – intend to be creative
Incubation – “sleep on it”
Inspiration – “light bulb”
Verification – prove it!
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How Many Squares?
What’s the Point?
Failure to see the
problem from other
perspectives or
viewpoints
Answer: 30
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Connect the Dots
Draw 4 straight lines
through the all the dots
below without lifting
your pencil. Now use
only 3 lines. One line?
What’s the Point?
Too closely delimiting
the problem definition
and solution space
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Read through this to
see how you might
improve your
creativity
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The Deep Dive
with IDEO
Design Process in Action
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What are Project Functions?
“the actions and activities assigned to or
required or expected of a person or group”
Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton
University
• As you read through the PDS, there are several major
operations which must be performed
– These do not necessarily correspond to specific structures
• The functions become the major objectives that your
design must meet
• Listing these functions is the first step in creating your
design!
– These are the problems to be solved
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Functional Description
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
ECE361 Class
Professor Ferguson
12 September 2005
Project Functions Memo
Each team is requested to meet and review the project PDS. Each team is to
submit a memo describing the major functional requirements of their system.
Specifically, the team is to:
1. Identify the primary functions that your project must satisfy as expressly
stated in the PDS
2. Identify secondary functions not expressed in the PDS
Submission of a summary of the results of your discussions in memo format is
requested from each team in electronic form by the end of the class period.
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ECE 361 Assignments
TEAM ASSIGNMENT - Prepare and submit a memo describing the major
project functions to be performed
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Due end of class today, one per team
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Submit via Angel dropbox
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT - Prepare and circulate an agenda for the next
team meeting, during which we will brainstorm methods of
locomotion for the project
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Due end of class today, one per person
•
Submit via Angel email, copy to dropbox
Remember, team minutes should be recorded at each team meeting!
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Extra Material
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Levels of Creativity
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Expressive – spontaneous (children, impulsive, top of
the head)
Productive – heightened realism (creation of practical
combinations to fulfill a preconceived plan)
Inventive – ingenuity (development of new ways to do
old things, inventing)
Innovative – development by modification (R&D,
devise new meanings & expressions from existing
principles and theories)
Emergentive – formulation of new principles
(transcends all that is known, entirely new concepts
and principles to extend our awareness)
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Processes of creative persons
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•
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Preparation – explore the situation, seek implications,
define underlying concepts
Search – collect facts defining constraints and
possible outcomes
Ideation – search for alternatives
Frustration and Incubation – mental struggle and
processing
Illumination – perceiving the most promising way.
Evaluation – testing for goodness of fit of the solution
to the problem
Execution – develop details and potential
Communication – define, describe and seek
acceptance
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How does a creative person work?
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Example: 3F.=1Y. (3 Feet = 1 Yard)
1B. in the H.=2 in the B.
8D.-24H.=1W.
S.+H. of R. = U.S.C.
N.N.=G.N.
1+6Z.=1M.
R.=R.=R.
C.+6D.=N.Y.E.
T.=L.S. State
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Words & more Words
Take a 7 letter name for a breakfast food,
add an F, rearrange the letters, and obtain
the name of an entrée for dinner.
Now take a letter away from the original
breakfast food, rearrange the letters, and
obtain the name of an ethnic entrée.
All three names are generic and not a
specific dish.
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Divide into Two Equal Pieces
A rectangular cake has a smaller, randomly
placed and oriented rectangular piece of
cake removed. Use only one, straight-line
cut, divide the remaining yellow cake into
two equal sections.
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