PrinciplesClass4DivandConverge.pdf

Principles of Creative Problem-Solving

Dr. Michael J. McNamara

 Purpose of the Unit:
◦ Introduce you to the different

‘modes of thinking’ we utilize
to solve our problems.

 Type 1 and Type 2 Thinking
Systems

 ‘Incubation’ in creativity

 ‘Dual process theory’ of creative
thinking.

 Purpose of the Unit:
◦ Introduce the core of CPS is the specific separation

of idea generation (Divergent thinking) from idea
evaluation (convergent thinking).

◦ Tools for Diverging and Converging
◦ Prepare you for more advanced tools and

sequences of Creative Problem Solving.

 Tasks for the Week:
◦ Complete your first “Creativity Assignment” on

Trying Something New (Due Friday at 11:59pm of
Week 4)

◦ Readings- Access this first readings by clicking on
the title: (linked) You Can Generate Better Ideas
(Innovation in the field of Thinking by Design: A
Short History.), New and Improved. Also, check out
Course Text-Creativity Unbound, pages 21-23

◦ BONUS ASSIGNMENT #1: Diverge with SCAMPER
Tool- see Bonus Sheet in SLATE. Due Monday, June
14th in SLATE Dropbox.

◦ Join us for the Debrief Meeting in SLATE’s Virtual
Classroom (regular bat time and channel).

You Can Generate Better Ideas

Purpose of this Bonus Assignment: To demonstrate how
‘creative process tools’ can be applied to enhance
creative performance and/or problem-solving.

Deliverables:

A word document/ or hand-written (Scanned)
submission that documents your brainstorming.
Remember, try to be fluent, flexible, combinatorial,
and original in your idea generation. Some tips we
discussed include: go for quantity, seek different
types of ideas, don’t judge/evaluate your ideas as
they come up (just write them down). No reference
page required! Just rift!!! Personal pronouns
acceptable.

 “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad”
Advice to Henry Ford’s Lawyer, 1922

 “Well informed people know that it is impossible to transmit the voice
over wires and were that it were possible to do so, it would be of no
practical value” Editorial in the Boston Post, 1865

 “This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered
as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to
us.” Western Union Internal Memo, 1876

 “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Ken
Olsen, President and Founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

 “A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say
America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.
–Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies.

 “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” –Charles H.
Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

Goal: Challenge yourself to write the two
most creative sentences you can think
of using the following three words:

•Round

•Yellow

•Sour
(Note: all three words must appear in every

sentence you write)

 Divergent- in ‘different
directions’ as opposed to
choosing among
predetermined/traditional ones.

 Divergent thinking- the thought
process of developing many
different possible solutions,
answers, or responses to a
problem.

 Occurs in a spontaneous, ‘free-
flowing’ manner’ such that many
ideas are generated and many
possible solutions are explored.

 “Divergent Thinkers” are always
looking for more options.

 Scoring:
1. Fluency- the total number of interpretable,

meaningful, and relevant ideas generated in
response to the stimulus
◦ Add up all responses

2. Flexibility- the number of different
categories of relevant responses
◦ Identify and Count the categories in the

responses

3. Originality- the statistical rarity of the
responses
◦ Each response is compared to the total amount

of all responses from test-takers. 5% are
unusual (1pnt); 1% are unique (2pnts)

4. Elaboration- the amount of detail in the
responses
◦ 1 point per detail

 Some tips for divergent thinking are:
a. Go for Quantity (to have good ideas, you need to

have lots of them- out of quantity comes quality)

b. Defer judgement (criticism or negativity kills ideas
prematurely)

c. Make connections (build upon, borrow, adapt
from others)

d. Seek novelty (break paradigms, challenge
convention)

◦ Write/place your
stimulus/challenge in the
middle of your board…
 Each person has pen/sticky

note pad

 Write it down (1 idea per note)

 Say it out loud (make
connections)

 Stick it up on the wall/board

 Go for quantity (as many ideas
as possible)

 Defer judgement (don’t
evaluate/judge your ideas)

 Guidelines:

1. Defer Judgment

2. Go for Quantity

3. Make Connections

4. Seek Novelty

5. Think it, write it, say
it, stick it!

 The brain’s ability to successfully
connect/combine seemingly unrelated
concepts and apply the appropriate
thinking combination to the situation
◦ The forming of associative elements into

new combinations which either meet
specified requirements or are in someway
useful.
 The more mutually remote the elements of the

new combination, the more creative the
process or solution
 Exemplified in the “Medici effect”- Renaissance

Florence

 Remote Associates Test (RAT)- ability to
think of associations between seemingly
remote concepts/words.

 Closer:
a) Widow – Bite – Monkey

b) Pie – Crab – Pine

c) Room – Blood – Salts

 More Remote:
d) Computer- Illness- Bus

e) Home- Sea- Bed

f) Cross- Rain- Tie

 A complimentary tool for idea generation
 Purpose:
◦ to push the group into new avenues/tracks of thought

for the purposes of generating more novel, unusual
possibilities

 How to use:
◦ When generation slows, introduce a stimulus unrelated

to the challenge in to re-charge idea generation
activity

◦ Try to encourage new and un-explored directions in
thinking (“what new possibilities for solving your
challenge spring into your mind from this stimulus?”)

◦ Continue using the idea generation tool as before… but
with the stimulus in play.

◦ Repeat as required

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 A type of thinking
that focuses on
coming up with a
single, well-
established, well-
defined answer to a
problem.
◦ Oriented towards

deriving the single,
best (or most correct)
answer to a question.

1. Be Affirmative and Open (be open to
the potential of each)

2. Be Deliberate (avoid snap
dismissals)

3. Check Objectives (make sure you’re
going in the ‘right direction’)

4. Be Flexible- Improve ideas if
needed (remember that any idea will
be honed and developed further by
the team)

5. Consider Novelty (originality is
valued, but requires work/
reworking)

 Dot Voting

◦ Simple with one color dot

 10% of total number of ideas generated — give “dots” to everyone

and have them put them on those ideas that meet criteria

◦ Blue sky voting

 2 colors of dots (Green & Blue)

 Green Light Idea → Short term, easily implementable, easy to support with

existing resources (identify appropriate criteria)

 Blue Sky Idea → Novel idea that has potential, perhaps a longer time

horizon for implementation, may require new resources or support systems

1. Generate Criteria
2. Select Criteria
3. Setup the Matrix

(adding criteria and
ideas/options)

4. Fill in the blank boxes
5. Complete the matrix
6. Move forward

Accordingly

 Tactical Creativity= guidelines,
tools, and procedures that can
be used individually or as a
larger sequenced program (CPS
model) in an effort to enhance
creative potential.
◦ Requires a Procedural Knowledge

 Intentionally and rationally
deployed when required by
user

 Objective: to demonstrate proficiency with a
‘divergent thinking tool’
◦ “SCAMPER”
◦ Refer to page 32-33 of Miller’s “Creativity Unbound”

 Submission may includes:

A) Title page (name, date, course title)

B) SCAMPER Work
 Start with a product, program, or something else of interest

to you

 Move through the steps in the tool (be sure to show your
work in your submission)

 Highlight, choose and develop a new, creative innovation
from the exercise

 Week 5: Historical Overview of Creative-
Problem Solving Approaches

 Topics:
◦ -Process models of Creative Problem Solving

◦ -Problem findings vs. Problem Solving

◦ -Theories of Incubation

 Required Readings:
◦ R. Keith Sawyer, ‘Explaining Creativity: The Science

of Human Innovation’, Chapter 5 – The Creative
Process- Part 1 (SLATE)