Unlock your Creative Potential
For all the participants of the training “How to become more creative as a researcher in 4 hours” 13 October
2011.
All the techniques that we have dealt with and a few more are found in this document. We hope that you
will use the techniques yourself, with colleagues or friends. Be bold and experiment! Change from
perspective and unlock your Creative Potential!
Kind regards,
Mabel Frumau
[email protected]
www.decommunicatiekaravaan.nl
Literature list:

Het Grote Boek van de Creativiteit, George Parker.

Creativiteit Hoe Zo, Igor Byttebier.

Mindmaps, Tony Buzan.

Heb Lef, durf te veranderen, Tica Peeman.
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The beginning: A good key question
1) Include your problem or goal in ONE key question.
Thinks of 15 ideas that will make my birthday party unforgettable.
2) Aim to be as concrete as possible.
How can we solve the traffic jam problems is too general.
More concrete would be: “How can we solve the traffic jams in the morning on the Prince Claus Plein?”
3) Include a problem owner in your key question.
How can we as teachers of the University of Maastricht create more interactive courses?
4) A question that starts with HOW or THINK OF invites people to start generating ideas.
Think of 40 ideas that we teachers of the University of Maastricht could create to make our courses more
interactive.
How could we create courses that are more interactive?
5) Try to make a key question that is challenging as well as appealing.
How can we make half of our customers wild enthusiastic for our new product X is more appealing than:
how can we sell more of product X.
A good start is half the work!
2
The Funnel
One should go into the funnel if:
1.
2.
3.
There is a real problem/question.
There is a problem owner.
The will exists to solve the problem.
Basisflow:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Question.
Brainstorm
Clustering (which directions of solutions have been thought off?)
Creative Technique.
Were any new clusters added?
COCD-box. Which of the ideas are both creative and feasible?
3
Direct Anology
1.
2.
3.
4.
Formulate key question
Brainstorm
Choose an inspiring theme (anology).
Note down several characteristics of this theme. Ressociate or in other words, link back to the key
question.
For instance the key question: how can we design a new kind of table?
We choose the elephant as a theme.
5 characteristics of this animal:
Has a trunk
Lives in a herd
Has a good memory
Lives in Africa or India
Result:

The trunk could make you think of designing a vacuum cleaner in the table, so that you can easily clean
the table.

The herd brings to mind a collections of tables in different sizes that you can shove under each other.

The fact that they live in India, can make you think of ingraining Indian designs into the table.

Good memory. Why not install a laptop screen into the table, so you can read the morning news onto it.
Incubationtime
Threshold
Depth
Requirements
When to use
Direct Anology
quick
low
broad
a minimum of playfulness
always possible
Dumbo:
4
Provocative Reformulating
1.
2.
3.
4.
Formulate key question
Brainstorm
Turn the question around and generate as much as ideas as possible.
Take a look at the list and mark the ideas that in fact contribute to the problem.
For instance the key question: How can I avoid stress in my work? Will become: What should I
absolutely do to become as stressful as possible:
Ideas:
 Do everything yourself.
 Say yes to everything. X
 Never take some time to do just nothing. X
 Everything has to be successful the first time I am doing it
 Ecetera, etcetera.
As I come to think of it, in fact indeed I say yes to everything, so I put a cross behind it. And indeed I never
take time to just do nothing.
This makes it painfully clear in this instance that I do have the power to reduce the stress in my life.
What you could do as an extra step is make the marked ideas positive again. For example, never take time
to do just nothing, becomes Take time to just do nothing. You could generate ideas for that again, like:
drinking a cup of coffee for 25 minutes. Or talking a stroll for 15 minutes per day etcetera, or simply just sit
on the couch and do nothing etcetra.
Incubationtime
Threshold
Depth
Requirements
When to use
Provocative Reformulating
quick
low
broad
a minimum of playfulness
handy for focussing on people or
departments
Stress
5
The Superhero
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Key question.
Brainstorm.
Picture your hero or heroine, use your imagination.
Make your hero or heroine alive. Which characteristics does he or she have?
How would your hero tackle the problem?
Translate these ideas to concrete solutions for your problem.
Incubationtime
Threshold
Depth
Requirements
When to use
The Superhero
quick
low
broad
a minimum of playfullness
always possible
Megamindy:
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Brainwrite (a grouptechnique):
1. Formulate several key questions.
2. Link each question to a person.
3. Each person has a large paper and writes the key question on top of the paper. After this they fold the
top of het paper inwards, so that the key question is no longer visible.
4. Each person brainstorms for 10 minutes on the key question. Once they have an idea, they write it on a
post-it and put this post-it on the big paper.
5. After 10 minutes all the papers are shoved to the left-hand neighbor.
6. Everybody receives a new paper, not knowing anymore what the original question on top of this paper
is. They start associating on the yellow post-its. Once they have a new idea, they add it to the paper, on
a new post-it.
7. After a few rounds, the top part of the large paper, that withholds the questions, will be unfolded. The
original problem owners will look at the results (can cluster if they want to) and will pick the best ideas.
What you need:
 At least 3 persons
 Very large blank papers (flip over sheet)
 Post-its.
Incubationtime
Threshold
Depth
Requirements
When to use
Brainwrite
quick
low
broad
a minimum of playfullness
always possible
Brain:
7
The Mind map
What is a Mind map? A Mind map is a drawing of all your ideas and associations of a theme or question. A
Mind map has a lot of advantages; it organizes your ideas and thoughts, it improves your memory and it is
fun! Why did we include this along with the other creative techniques. Because it gives you the possibility to
elaborate almost endlessly on a question or theme and thereby giving you the possibility to make new
connections! How do you make a mind map? Follow the steps mentioned below and make your first Mind
map.
What you need: a blank paper and pens in all colors.
1.
Write your problem/theme/question in the middle of a blank page. For instance: more time
(landscape format). Keep it concise. Why in the middle, because in this way it gives your brain room, to
linger on in all directions and to express itself more freely and natural
2.
Use an image for your idea/wish.
Why? Because a picture says more than a thousand words. It appeals more to your fantasy.
In the example of more time, you could draw a clock.
3.
Use colour.
Why? Because colors are just as interesting to your brain as images are. They add liveliness
to your Mind map and boosts your creative thinking process. And it is fun!
4.
Link the main branches to your main idea/wish and link the 2nd and 3rd level branches to
the 1th and 2nd level branches etcetera.
Why? Because, as you know, your brain works through association. If you connect the branches, you
will much easier understand and remember. It is all about Connection!
5.
Make the branches fluent instead of straight.
Why? Because straight lines are boring for your brain. Organic, fluent branches are much more
appealing to your brain.
6.
Limit yourself to one keyword per line.
Why? Because a single keyword, will give your Mind map much more power and flexibility. Each word
and image works as a multiplier. It generates its own set of associations and connections. If you use
one keyword, it generates new ideas and thoughts in an easier and way.
7.
Use images throughout your mind map.
Why? Because each image, just like the main idea/wish in the middle, is worth more than thousand
words.
Example of a Mindmap:
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The Scrable (innovation in form)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Formulate key question
Brainstorm
Note down all the separate characteristics of the main subject.
Pick out one of the characteristics and put something else in its place.
For instance the key question: how can we invent a new game?
What are the characteristics of scrabble?
Squares with letters
Words with marks
2-dimensional
A maximum of four players
Result if we take out the characteristic letters:

Use digits and you´ll get Rummikub.

Use images.

Use whole words.

Use figures. Jigsaw puzzle.

Use gestures. Hints.
Incubationtime
Threshold
Depth
Requirements
When to use
Direct Anology
quick
low
broad
a minimum of playfulness
Especially suitable for product
innovation
Scrabble:
Other example: how can we create new activities for our museum?
What are the characteristics of a museum?
A fixed collection
An exhibit
A public
Takes place in one fixed spot
Entry fee
Result



if we take out the characteristic takes place in one fixed spot:
Using the park.
Companies that can hire objects to display.
Using the virtual world.
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The COCD-Box
Are your ideas feasible as well as creative?
Take a step back and organize your best ideas into the COCD-box. Are all your ideas blue, you can be a bit
more adventurous then. Try aiming for the WOW ideas!
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