1. Day 2 Creativity and idea generation

2. Objectives • Learn about obstacles to creativity and how to break them • Learn and practice useful techniques for generating new ideas • Apply these techniques to solve interface problems and add value to software • Learn how to conduct and participate in group brainstorming sessions

3. Obstacles to Creativity • We are taught to conform • We look for a single best solution • We try to take the most direct route • Fear of failure • Thinking you were born uncreative

4. Some quotes worth keeping in mind • “You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper.” Edward de Bono • “A problem well stated is half solved.” John Dewey • “If at first you don’t succeed …”

5. Some quotes worth keeping in mind • “You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper.” Edward de Bono • “A problem well stated is half solved.” John Dewey • “If at first you don’t succeed try again a different way” The nun who taught Marilyn in grade 5

6. The first step • Define your problem • Define your problem as specifically as possible • State the problem in terms of how you want some situation to be better • Some examples • I want each potential client who views our portfolio to see the projects we’ve worked on that are most like their needs • I need a more intuitive way to allow users to select portion size of foods so they can see nutritional content • I need a way to provide context-sensitivity information to my users without them having to search through an entire Help file

7. Choose some creativity techniques • no constraints • break the rules • reversal • adopt and adapt • random word • incubation

8. No constraints • An example • Imagine you have a website that sells gourmet foods. How could you get more people to buy more gourmet food items if there were no constraints limiting you? • As you think up ideas, don’t judge them • Record your answers

9. An idea from the no constraints technique • Each time a shopper looks at an item, another customer magically appears to tell them how good it is • This could lead to the use of testimonials

10. Break the rules • An example • You are redesigning a website for a company that manufactures printers for small businesses and consumers • Pose a question that would “break the rules” … for example, “What is the worse thing you could do if you want to help customers select the printer that matches their needs” • One idea … show customers printers that don’t meet their needs

12. Reversal • An example • Imagine you are designing interactive maths tools • You might think of this reversal: What if instead of selecting Help from within the maths tools, users instead select tools from within Help? • Lead to a system where, after a lesson, you could choose from tools to help you

13. Adopt and adapt • An example • You need to design a toolbar but there are too many for each to be displayed at once • Think of how this kind of problem is solved elsewhere • You might think of a cupboard that has a lazy susan … and then you might adapt this idea to an interface

14. Random word • An example • You want to create software to teach people to play the guitar • You use the word “skip” as your random word • One idea might be to record an audio that “skips” the guitar part … students could use it to practice playing the guitar part • Children like to skip during breaks at school, maybe you could add some kind of play time between lessons

15. Incubation • State the problem • Do some homework on it • Tell your brain to go seek • Forget about it • Wait while continuing on doing other things • … sometimes a solution will just pop into your brain

16. Group Brainstorming • Guidelines • Groups of people, no more than 15 if possible • A secretary, who keeps track of each idea • A facilitator, who tracks the time and keeps the session moving along • A white board, blackboard, or large notepad • Markers or chalk to write ideas • A large conference table • Notepads and pencils for each participant

17. Running the session • State the problem. Take as much time as necessary to state the problem clearly • Write down the problem to be solved prominently and display it where everyone can see it • Set a time limit of 20-30 minutes for idea generation • Encourage the group to come up with both wild and normal ideas

18. Evaluate the ideas • Sort the ideas and determine which are best • Erase duplicated ideas first or those obviously impractical • Rate each remaining idea as excellent, promising, and presently unworkable • Resolve disagreements by voting

19. About today’s lab • Applying the techniques • A 2 mark exercise on the required reading (you can use your textbook) • Make sure you read the suggestions on the website regarding things you could do by the next class