Explains how to use a range of creative thinking tools, with a variety of examples and real-world scenarios.
When we need to come up with ideas, one of the most effective things we can do is to use creative thinking tools and techniques to jump start the process. They provide a proactive approach to creative thinking because they force our thinking in unusual or unexpected directions. This collection of tools and techniques will help you generate brilliant ideas quickly, whether on your own or in a group.
We’ve all been there – staring at a blank page or a computer screen, not knowing where to start. Sometimes the inspiration comes, but surely it’s a better idea to take a more proactive approach to idea generation? We can achieve this through the use of clever prompts, provocations and questions to start us off on our creative journey.
Even if we’re able to make a start creatively, without a sense of direction or some kind of stimulus, we’ll run out of juice pretty quickly. We also run the risk that our ideas follow a predictable path, dictated by our thinking style and past experiences. For this reason it can be useful to invite an external influence to help point our thinking in more original directions.
Think of it as someone poking and prodding you to get a reaction, or to set you off on a particular way of thinking. You might find some of the prods annoying or questionable – try and go with the flow. Trust the prompts and see where they lead you!
You will quickly gain an appreciation for how to think creatively using a range of tools designed to provoke new perspectives or ways of thinking.
Send this out as a pre-read before a creative thinking workshop. Encourage participants to read it a few days before the session so that some of the ideas have time to percolate and they can even try out some of the activities if they are willing.
Send out the guide a week or so before a creative thinking workshop. Explain that it takes between 15 and 30 minutes to read.
Use this as a thought-provoking pre-read before a creative thinking workshop.
Using this tool with a skilled facilitator means that discussions are focused, time is used efficiently, and the group moves toward consensus, making the session productive and impactful.
