Fag chorinss 147 7 GENERATING SOLUTIONS Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when it is the only one you have. —Emile Chartier Generate Define t Brainstorming } ~~ | Fr Associaton Generate T Fang Decide [Gross Featzan] areal Tieng I Tako Implement = Lateral Tinkng Evaluate This chapter describes a variety of idea generation techniques that will enhance your ability to think out of the box and develop solutions that are truly innovative. ‘These techniques, shown in the diagram above, should be practiced at every oppor- tunity so that they become second nature to you when working through the problem-solving algorithm, BRAINSTORMING Brainstorming—one of the oldest techniques to stimulate creativity—is a familiar and effective technique for generating solutions. It provides an excellent means of getting the creative juices flowing. Recent surveys of people working in industry show that brainstorming is routinely used as an effective tool, not only for two or three individuals discussing a problem in an informal setting, but also in more formal, large-group problem-solving sessions. ‘We begin our process with free association—that is, by writing down as many suggestions as we can without judgment of the feasibility. At first the flow of ideas will be very rapid; however, after a while you will observe that the rate at which new ideas or suggestions are produced becomes quite slow. At this point we need to use triggers to rejuvenate the rate of suggestions. Some of the most com- ‘monly used triggers are vertical thinking, lateral thinking, TRIZ, cross-fertilization, 147 » r69phow/Shunerstock “The only ‘ones who should not think out of| the boxare cats.” wars 56M148 “What one capable of conceiving, other men will be able to achieve.” —Iules Verne CHapTER 7 GENERATING SOLUTIONS and futuring. We begin with free association, It is followed by vertical thinking using SCAMPER, which reviews and builds on and expands the initial list of ideas.' We then move to lateral thinking using random stimulation and other people’s views. Finally, we engage in futuring, cross-fertilization and analogy, and TRIZ. After we have used these triggers to generate as many ideas as possible we organize our ideas in a fishbone diagram, FREE ASSOCIATION ‘Typically, the initial stages of idea generation begin with an unstructured free asso- ciation of ideas to solve the problem (brainstorming). During this activity, the group creates lists of all possible solutions. These lists should include wild and crazy solu- tions or unusual solutions without any regard to their feasibility because these solu- tions could spark an idea for a logical solution. When brainstorming in groups, people can build upon one another's ideas or suggestions. This triggering of ideas in others is key to successful group brainstorming. You can use brainstorming to improve your creativity in technical areas. When you finish a homework problem, brainstorm all the ways you could have worked the problem incorrectly, with more difficulty, more easily, or in a more exciting way. Brainstorm a list of all the things you learned from the problem or ways you could extend the problem. Continually ask “What if?” questions. For example, what if someone suggested doubling the size of the equipment to double production? Brainstorm all the advantages and disadvantages of making such a change. ‘Another critical component of group brainstorming is maintaining a positive ‘group attitude. No negative comments or judgments are allowed during this stage of the solution process: Reserve your evaluation and judgment until later. As more ideas are generated, the group stands a better chance of devising an innovative, ‘workable solution to the problem at hand. Nothing kills a brainstorming session faster than negative comments. If negative comments are not kept in check by the ‘group leader, the session will usually be reduced to one of “braindrizzlins Comments That Reduce Brainstorming to Braindrizzling + That won't work. + That's too expensive. + It'sagainst our policy. + That's too much hassle. + It’snot our job. + That's not practical + We haven’t done it that way before. + That's too radical. + We don’t have enough time. We can’t solve this problem. We have conducted numerous brainstorming exercises with groups of stu- dents. An example of an unstructured session is shown on the next page. ‘As mentioned earlier, typically the ideas flow quickly at fist and then slow abrupily after several minutes. That is, the process hits a “roadblock.” These road- blocks hinder our progress toward a solution. Luckily, we can use some blockbusting, techniques to help overcome these mental blocks and generate additional alternatives.‘VERTICAL THINKING 149 Brainstorming Activity Problem Statement Suggest uses of old cars as equipment for a children’s playground. Ideas Generated by Free Association ‘Take the tires off and roll them along the ground. Get on the roof and use the car as a slide. Take the seats out and use them as a bed on which to rest between activities. Teenagers could take the engine apart and put it back together. Cut the car apart and turn it into a 3-D puzzle. Make a garden by planting flowers inside. Use the tires to crawl through as an obstacle course. Make the car into a sculpture. ‘Take the doors off and use them as goals for hockey. VERTICAL THINKING Vertical thinking can build on the ideas already generated (piggybacking) or it can look atthe different parts ofthe problem in an effort to generate new ideas. One of the vertical thinking techniques is SCAMPER, an acronym for a useful list of active verbs that can be applied as stimuli to make you think differently about a problem. SCAMPER was defined by Robert Eberle, and it is a modification of the work known as Osborn’s checklist. SCAMPER Substitute ‘Who else, where else, or what else could be substituted for? Substitute another ingredient, material, or approach? Combine: Combine parts, units, ideas? Blend? Compromise? Com- bine from different categories? Adapt How can this (product, idea, plan, etc.) be used as is? What are other purposes it could be adapted to? Modify: Magnify? Minify? Change the meaning, material, size, etc.” : ecraange Puttocotheruse: How can you put the thing to different or other uses? Eliminate: Remove something? Eliminate waste? Reduce something? Com blow Rearrange: _ Interchange components? Change pattern, pace, schedule, or layout? Fog ores 68 ® cars sea150 CHAPTER 7 GENERATING SOLUTIONS Example of Vertical Thinking Using SCAMPER Continuing with the playground equipment example ... Substitute: Use the cars’ seats in swings. ote ‘Combine: Use the side panels or roof of the car to make a huge canopy or fort. Put to another use: Over-inflate the inner tubes from the tires, and use them to create a"romper room”/jumping pit. q Fale omred 10 ®VERTICAL THINKING 151 Eliminate: Remove the engines and side panels, and make go-carts. 77 Cards: Design Heuristies A new technique that is more extensive than SCAMPER is design heuristics. This vertical thinking technique includes lists of prompts intended to help designers move through a “space” of possible solutions and also to support designers in becoming “unstuck” when they are struggling to generate more, and different, ideas.** The 77 design heuristics below are a result of combined outcomes from a designer case study, extractions of characteristics of award-winning products, and protocol studies of designers and engineers of varying expertise levels. 1 Addtanwestomnre 19 Change exaty 4 ate componer 5 Scleupordown 2 Adi gations 20 Change peamery rection! © Separate pus 3 simon 21 Conpatmenine 4 Nalocomponcnsaschble 61 SU components 4 Asttoouningpmdt —-22 Comet -D03D edeuchahe @ Sixt S Adustencion ough 23 Comerforseandtiacion 43 Mateprouctrebeor 63 Satie ovement 24 Covreremov os rae 6 Syne acon, 6 Adtuncionsferpecite 25 Coererwap 4 Mevcfencions witsane 6S Telescope wien 26 Crewe sem ety sce 6 Texte 7 Agncomponeaseround 27 Distinguish fuscon vy 45 Meresucs © Twit = 2% Deddeconimons ace 46 Minoror ay 6 Ualy 8 Albwuseroanenble 29 Biacorhwer a Ne 6 Giese cary oe 9 Albwwerocusonizc 30 Exgunrcalpse 4 Otopiostcongoness 70 Urecommon tet 10 Atonsserorcontgue 31. Exosinor’ {© Proton dc ‘ompines 1 nie 2 Beenie 50 Reconige 11 Useconinons meri 12 Agglventingmecaismin 33 Exrde St Reeevomanuticwe 72 Usehumangearae ower nowy 34 Baten 12 Redcar 1 Gremeliicompene ie 13 Auch idependenunctonal 35 Fold 5 Rerins, vnc fecion componente 36 Hallow ot 54 Raye 14 Usepacang as scont 16 tached er 537 Iporhierwcyonfecons 55 Repupos puking compen 15 Bend 38 Inpunecmionnent 56 Rowe deeclonorcange 15 Usereeeedorepile 16 Budwcrcommuniy 539 Insp erat aa el 17 Cmgsconmcturice Layer 57 fai 16 icine pace 1 Change reton faces 58 Rowe 7 ata eponte sates Fale Cronin 151 ® oxo 936A152 CHAPTER 7 GENERATING SOLUTIONS ‘The design heuristics, which can be used for vertical thinking, are represented ‘on cards that can be found at www.designheuristics.com. Each card includes a description of the heuristic, an abstract image depicting the application of the heuristic, and two product examples that show how the heuristic is evident in existing consumer products. An example card for heuristic 77, “Utilize opposite surface,” is below. UTILIZE OPPOSITE UTILIZE OPPOSITE SURFACE ‘SURFACE SotSo Stns te octane er | Meelermenesa cmd, Re Se ete Ra reas | Recent eer casts sctae rene: | anes ow nay to aioe a unc oo For example, we could use ideas from the 77 cards to develop conceptual designs fora device that utilizes sunlight 1o heat and cook food.‘ Let's use the design heuristics to develop three unique ideas. In the first idea we combine the strategies of two separate cards—heuristic card number 67, “Twist,” and card number 22, “Convert 2-D material to a 3-D object”—to generate a single idea. By combining these cards, we are able to create a spiral-shaped reflector out of a single sheet of metal, capable of concentrating a large amount of ight onto a small cooking surface, CONVERT 2-D MATERIAL TO 3-D OBJECT In the second idea, we begin with a simple box with flaps to reflect light into the center, and then use heuristic card 1 and card 23 to transform the ideas. “Mimic Fogle CoaT.inds. 152 © ‘owas 956 AMA| Fee crarnss 153 VERTICAL THINKING natural mechanisms” prompted thinking about how flowers bloom, “Convert for second function” prompted thinking about how the device could function in two different states (closed or open), and “Utilize opposite surface” prompted ideas about mirrors that could be used on the inside to direct light to heat food and about solar panels that could be used on the outside to capture energy and generate heat for the food. In the third idea we start with heuristic card 15 (“Bend”), 35 (“Fold”), and 65 (“Telescope”) to generate an idea for a deployable parabolic reflector. Next, we modified that idea by changing the reflective parabola to be constructed from multi- ple small pieces of recycled mirrors by using heuristic card 54 (“Repeat”) and 75 ("Use recycled or recyclable materials”) row 1/7 ‘TELESCOPE ca Use REPURPOSED On RECYCLED MATERIALS 153 owwara ese au154 | eS} Fager Corin 156 CHAPTER 7 GENERATING SOLUTIONS LATERAL THINKING Unlike vertical thinking, which builds on the preexisting ideas, lateral thinking injects ideas that are not related to previous ideas. Edward de Bono, regarded by many as the father of lateral thinking, developed a number of lateral thinking tech- niques that provide different ways to come at the problem froma new direction and ‘get “unstuck” when you have trouble generating new ideas or solutions. After only ‘one or two times using lateral thinking techniques in brainstorming, you will be convinced that the solutions or ideas you generated are ones that never would have been generated by free association or vertical thinking, ‘Although one of the first steps in the problem-solving process recommended by experienced engineers is the gathering of information, de Bono cautions prob- lem solvers in this regard, For example, when you begin working on a new problem or research topic, it is normal to read all the information available on the problem. Failing to do so may mean “reinventing the wheel” and wasting much time. How ‘ever, during the course of gathering this information, you may destroy your chances of obtaining an original and creative solution if you are not careful. As you read, you will be exposed to the existing assumptions and prejudices that have been developed by previous workers or researchers. Try to remain objec- tive and original, or your innocence will have been lost. De Bono recommends reading just enough to familiarize yourself with the problem and get a “fee!” for it Can you get a “ballpark” answer with a Fermi calculation? At this point you may wish to stop and organize some of your own ideas before proceeding with an exhaustive review of the literature. This strategy allows you to preserve your oppor- tunities for creativity and innovation. Have you ever heard the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? De Bono claims the attitude reflected by this statement was largely responsible for the decline of US. industry in the past few decades. American managers operated in a strictly reactive mode, merely responding to problems as they arose. Meanwhile, their Japanese counterparts were fixing and improving things that weren't problems. Soon, the American “problem fixers” were left behind. To survive in today’s business culture, proactive thinking—as opposed to reactive thinking—is required. This shift in thinking patterns requires creativity. Lateral Thinking Using Random Stimulation Random stimulation is a technique that is especially useful if we are stuck or in a rut” It is a way of generating totally different ideas than previously considered. As a result, it can “jump-start” the idea generation process and free it from whatever current rut it may be in. The authors of the text have taught over 25 short courses in industry and academia and have used a brainstorming exercise with random stimulation, There has not been one occasion in which one ot more of the partici- pants did not say, “You know I would never have thought of that idea had I not used random stimulation.” The introduction of strange or “weird” ideas during brainstorming should not be shunned but rather encouraged. Random stimulation makes use of a random unas ese aLATERAL THINKING piece of information (perhaps a word culled from the dictionary or a book [e.g., the eighth word down on page 125] or one of the words in the sample list picked by a random finger placement). This word serves as a trigger or switch to change the pat- tems of thought when a mental roadblock occurs. The random word can be used to generate other words that can stimulate the flow of ideas. AShort List of Random Stimulation Words all, albatross, airplane, air, animals, bag, basketball, bean, bee, bear, bump, bed, car, cannon, cap, control, cape, custard pie, dawn, deer, defense, dig, dive, dump, dumpster, ear, eavesdrop, evolution, eve, fawn, fix, find, fungus, food, ghost, graph, gulp, gum, hot, halo, hope, hammer, humbug, head, high, ice, icon, ill, jealous, jump, jig, jive, jinx, Key, knife, kitchen, lump, lie, loan, live, Latvia, man, mop, market, make, maim, mane, notice, needle, new, next, nice, open, Oscar, opera, office, pen, powder, pump, Plato, pigeons, pocket, quick, quack, quiet, rage, rash, run, rigid, radar, Scrooge, stop, stove, save, saloon, sandwich, ski, simple, safe, sauce, sand, sphere, tea time, ticket, tread- mill, up, uneven, upside-down, vice, victor, vindicate, volume, violin, voice, wreak, witch, wide, wedge, X-ray, yea, year, yazzle, zone, 200, zip, zap Inusing the random simulation technique, we randomly put our finger on one of the words in this short list. Suppose it fell upon the word “document.” This word ‘makes us think of the word “paper,” which makes us think of “art” and continues in the progression shown below. If you get up to 8-10 words and have not come up with a new idea related to the topic you are brainstorming, choose a new word and continue. Example of Random Stimulation Problem Continuing the playground equipment example Random Simulation Paper Trail Document > Paper —> Art —> Colors > Paint > Allow kids to paint graffiti 155 won 956 aM156 6, {i) CHAPTER 7 GENERATING SOLUTIONS This kind of pattern change allows us to view the problem from new perspec~ tives that we had not previously considered. Lateral Thinking Using Other Points of View When approaching a problem that involves the thoughts and feelings of others, a useful thinking tool is Other Points of View (OPV).* The inability to see the prob- Jem from various viewpoints can be quite limiting, And seeing is just the beginning: viewpoints can contain sounds, smells, emotions, and more. Imagining yourself in the role of the other person, or even an inanimate object, allows you to see compli- cations of the problem that you had not considered previously. For example, auto- motive engineers must be aware of many perspectives if they hope to design a successful vehicle. In particular, they must consider the views of the consumers, their company’s marketing personnel, management, the safety department, the financial people, and the service personnel. Failure to take any of these groups’ views into account could result in a failed product. Often the people creating the product or solution are not the ones who will end ‘up using it. This creates issues when the users and creators have fundamentally dif- ferent knowledge bases or skill sets. This “block” can be overcome by having the ‘creators place themselves in the shoes of the users or even going to the users them- selves and finding out how they will use the product or solution, Menlo Innovations, a software development company, employs full-time “high-tech anthropologists” whose jobs are to view things from their clients’ perspective. They then make sure Menlo’s software engineers create products that are right for the way clients will use them, not the way the engineers think they will be used. Consider an argument between a newly hired store manager and an employee. The issue at hand is the employee's desire to take a two-week vacation during the store's busiest period, the Christmas season. The manager's main concern is having enough help to handle the sales volume, The employee, however, has made reserva- tions for an Antarctic cruise, one year in advance (with the former manager's approval), and stands to lose a lot of money if he has to cancel them. This problem does not have a solution yet, but by using OPV each person can see what the other person stands to gain or lose from the vacation, and each will have a better under- standing of the types of compromises the other person might be willing to make. An example using this technique is shown below. Example of Other Points of View Problem Continuing the playground example ‘Think about viewing the car from a child’s viewpoint. Think about walking around on your knees. How would this change your perspective? That is, imagine the playground from a child’s height. What was your favorite toy? How could this be mimicked with used auto parts? ® wars es6aat