Raven's Brain v1.0: Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Brainstorming & Creative Thinking: Article from Michael Michalko On Creativity

Sat, 24 May 2008 20:04:13 GMT

Michael Michalko is the author of Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Creative Thinking), Cracking Creativity (The Secrets of Creative Genius), and the excellent brainstorming card deck Thinkpak. I've had the first and the latter on my Management & Leadership Books list for the last two and a half years, and just added Cracking Creativity to my reading list. Obviously, I am a big fan of this creative thinking and brainstorming guru, so imagine my surprise when I received an email from Michael, in response to my request for guest articles and post, with an article to post here, at my blog!

In the post below, Michael argues that we were born creative but taught, by our formalized education system, to abandon our ingenuity in favor of the proven methods of the past: “it’s as if we entered school as a question mark and graduated as a period.”

Below is the article provided by Michael in it's entirety:

THOMAS EDISON’S GREATEST BLESSING

We were all born spontaneous and creative. Every one of us. As children we accepted all things equally. We embraced all kinds of outlandish possibilities for all kinds of things. When we were children we knew a box was much more than a container. A box could be a fort, a car, a tank, a cave, a house, something to draw on, and even a space ship. Our imaginations were not structured according to some existing concept or category. We did not strive to eliminate possibilities, we strove to expand them. We were all amazingly creative and always filled with the joy of exploring different ways of thinking.

And then something happened to us, we went to school. In school we were taught how past thinkers interpreted the world. We were not taught how to think, we were taught to reproduce what past thinkers thought. When confronted with a problem, we were taught to analytically select the most promising approach based on past history, excluding all other approaches, and to work within a carefully defined direction towards a solution. Instead of looking for possibilities, we are taught to look for ways to exclude them. It’s as if we entered school as a question mark and graduated as a period.

Consider a child building something with a Lego construction set. She can build all kinds of structures and when she's finished she can pick up pieces and move them, add more pieces, divide structures into new structures and so on. There are clear constraints on the set and construction. They cannot be put together any which way, they will not stay together if unbalanced and gravity pulls them apart. These constraints are inherent in the objects and their design. It is the design of the pieces that imposes these limitations. The child quickly learns the ways the Legos go together and the ways they don't go together. She ends up building a wide variety of structures that satisfy the Legos design and constraints.

If the only constraint were making something out of plastic and the child had at her disposal every method of melting and molding plastic, the Lego constructions themselves would be only a tiny fraction of the possible products, and would make the Lego constructions look contrived and unmotivated when compared to her other products.

With Legos it is the constraints that are inherent in the design that limits what can be built. With us it is the constraints that are inherent in the system of thinking we are taught that limits our imagination and inventiveness. This system was designed by Aristotle in ancient Greece. It is predicated on the belief that thought is determinate and exclusionary, whereas, paradoxically, creative thinking is indeterminate and inclusionary.

Perhaps this is what Thomas Edison meant when he said that his greatest blessing in life was his lack of “formal” education.

An original article by Michael Michalko - you can learn more about him here: http://www.creativethinking.net/

Here's a clip from Michael's website, which includes a link to his very useful online library of Creative Thinking Techniques, Articles, Exercises and Interviews:

Michael Michalko unveils the secrets of creative genius and brings life-changing creative techniques within everyone's reach. His arsenal of powerful creative thinking tools can be used to tackle virtually any type of technical problem and create new ideas. Without a doubt, his tools are the closest thing there is to a tactical instruction manual for thinking like a genius. Use them to learn to approach problems with new vision and discover a world of innovative solutions to everyday, and even some not-so-everyday challenges. Michael's online library gives you an opportunity to explore and study some of his many creative thinking techniques, exercises, articles, and interviews. A trip to your local library was never this worthwhile ... or so much fun.

A sampling of f-r-e-e resources include:

Creative Thinking - Techniques:

Koinonia... Einstein's Brainstorming Secret
Is Your Idea Crazy Enough?
Abstraction - if you want to produce something creative
Leonardo daVinci's Ideabox... Perceptually restructuring the way you see information

Creative Thinking - Exercises:

Your Theory Determines What You Observe ... You see only that which confirms your theory.
Knowing How To See ... Shift your perceptual position to see things in different ways.
Nine Dolphins ... Break your memory patterns
Different Perspective ... Genius often comes from finding a new perspective.

Creative Thinking - Articles

A Theory About Genius ... Michael Michalko's internationally acclaimed article about the thinking styles, strategies, and methods of geniuses
Bright Ideas ... 16 Ways to jump-start your company's creativity
Perspectives On Problems ... Look at your problems in a different way
24 Ways To Kill Creativity ... Ways in which managers kill creativity in their organizations

Creative Thinking: Documents

Management Consulting News interview with Michael on its "Meet the MasterMinds" series.
Excerpts from Richard Valerio's interview with Michael at the "Promo Expo" for the AMA
Excerpts from Business Innovation Insider's special Q&A session with Michael on creativity and innovation
Dan Keldsen's BizTechTalk AUDIO interview of Michael on creative problem solving skills

Go Here for more detail on any of the above items from Michael Michalko: http://www.creativethinking.net/WP3_DocumentLibrary.htm

Go Here for additional links and resources on creative thinking and brainstorming: http://www.creativethinking.net/WP6_LinksAndResources.htm

My thanks to Michael Michalko for sharing his article with us here at Raven's Brain!!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Michael Michalko, Innovation, Creative Thinking

Clever Bag Designs Really Get Your Attention

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:17:24 GMT

I'm not sure where these designs orginated from but they sure grab your attention and make you want to look twice . I'm betting each of the images below generated a ton of interest around the store and/or product and the designs show innovation and creativity in working with two everyday items - shopping bags and a paper cup! I'm filing this under brainstorming and creative thinking as I believe these images really show where "thinking outside the box" can take you.

What a cool way to package a cup o' joe! Do they have one for boys?

Cute but you'd see my dad carrying this bag before I would!

Sweet - Channel your inner Dirty Harry!

Are you an evil Nail Biter? Me TOO!

Look - jump ropes! How fun :)

Cute and funny but...Poor grandpa!

I'm sure there is better/additional info on these images that were received via email, forwarded many times over. I took a stab at searching but mostly came up with the images and no details sooo... If anyone knows where these clever designs came - Please let me know!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Idea Generation, Innovation, Creative Thinking

Scott Berkun On Innovating NOW

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:39:34 GMT

You probably know Scott Berkun from his excellent books - The Myths of Innovation, The Art of Project Management, and the March 2008 new release Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management. He also runs an informative blog and occasionally manages to publish an essay or two. The most recent one is Essay 58 - How to innovate right now and is well worth the read.

Scott writes "Essay #58 is a response to the most frequent question I get: ok, ok, I get the myths and all that goodness, but what do I do *right now*?", and the essay lays out some great ways to get your innovationating on - yes, innovationating, my word and *I* like it! Anyway, here's the intro to the essay to entice you and encourage reading the complete piece:

The biggest secret of innovation is that anyone can do it. The reason is simple: It’s just not that hard. Look up the word “innovate” in any dictionary and see what it actually means, instead of what you think it means. You’ll find something like this: To innovate is “to introduce something new.” That’s it. It doesn’t say you need to be a creative genius, a workaholic, or even have on clean underwear. It’s just three little words: introduce something new. And I promise that by the end of this essay, you’ll have all the secrets needed to do it yourself.

Read more here: http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/essay-58-how-to-innovate-right-now/

And the reading only gets better. Tons of insights and interesting info to help you think of innovation as something YOU can do, right now. No matter what business you are in, or the role, innovation plays an important role in your success and this essay just might help you shift your thinking and get to innovationating in the moment. Ok - 'nuff said - go read the article and learn how to Innovate NOW!

For more essays from Scott Berkun: http://www.scottberkun.com/essays

Enjoy!

Some related reading:

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Idea Generation, Innovation, Innovate NOW, Creative Thinking

Online BrainstormingTool: Generate Fresh Ideas With The "Big Dig" Idea Sandbox

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:45:34 GMT

I came across Paul William's Big Dig Idea Sandbox at the Innovation Tools website. The 'Big Dig' is an online brainstorming tool that generates random questions and suggestions to help you shift your thinking and get your ideating on. If the first click doesn't deliver something that sparks your mind, you can try again until you find something more useful or applicable. Though often you can find inspiration and insight in the strangest places and weirdest of sentences, so don't give up on the ideas and suggestions too easily! Here are some samples of the types of idea-generating thoughts and tips the Big Dig generated for me:

Think about modifying it. New twist? Change meaning, color, motion, sound, odor, form, shape? Other changes?
Make passes at asking... "how would _______ do it?" Replace the blank with the name of your hero.
We recommend dropping an assumption. What can you let go of? What unnecessary assumptions can you eliminate?

As you can see, it's a pretty simple and easy to use tool. I think it would be great to use in brainstorming sessions or even on a personal level when you find your creativity slipping away and need a little kick start. Here's a screen shot of the Big Dig with sample advice:

Give the Big Dig idea generating tool a try: http://bigdig.idea-sandbox.com/

Here are two similar online idea generating tools I reviewed (though Big Dig seems to ask better/more questions): MouseBrains - a fun and interesting free online Brainstorming & Creative Thinking tool & Get Your Ideating On: Cool idea generating tool. I'm sure there are similar tools out there. If you have any to recommend I'd love to hear from you! email raven_young AT hotmail DOT com

Brainstorming & Creative Thinking: 10 Key Skills for Session Facilitators

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:53:38 GMT

The Innovation Weblog pointed me to a great article: Brainstorm or Braindrizzle? It's a great read that discusses ten personas (with key skills for each) that are critical to facilitating a successful brainstorming session. Author Mitch Ditkoff's provides an excellent intro and then delves into each of the personas he believes are critical to getting the most out of your brainstorming sessions:

Allow me to make a wild guess here and postulate that you have participated in more than a few brainstorm sessions in your life. Yes? And allow me to make yet another wild guess and state that many of these sessions left you feeling underwhelmed, over-caffeinated, disappointed, disengaged, and doubtful that much of ANYTHING was ever going to happen as a result of your participation. Yes, again? I thought so.
There's a ton of reasons why most brainstorming sessions under-deliver, but the main reason -- the Mount Olympus of reasons (drum roll, please....) is the brainstorm facilitator.
Armed with a short list of ground rules, a flipchart marker or two, and a muffin, most brainstorm facilitators miss the mark completely. The reason has less to do with their process, tools, and techniques than it does with their inability or lack of willingness to adapt. In an all-too-professional attempt to be one-pointed, they end up being one-dimensional, missing out on a host of in-the-moment opportunities to spark the ever-mutating, collective genius of the group.

You'll have to read the post to get all the great info. Here are the ten "personas" discussed to further entice:

1.CONDUCTOR
A skilled brainstorm facilitator knows how to orchestrate powerfully creative output from a seemingly dissonant group of people. In the conductor mode, the facilitator includes everyone, evokes even the subtlest contributions from the least experienced participant, and demonstrates their commitment to the whole by offering timely feedback to anyone who "gets lost in their own song."
2.ALCHEMIST
A good brainstorm facilitator is able to transmute lead into gold -- or in modern terms -- knows how to help people "get the lead out." This talent requires an element of wizardry -- the ability to see without looking, feel without touching, and intuitively know that within each brainstormer lives a hidden genius just waiting to get out.
3.DANCER
4. MAD SCIENTIST
5.DIAMOND CUTTER
6. ACTOR
7.ENVIRONMENTALIST
9.SERVANT
10. STAND-UP COMIC

Great stuff and I recommend checking out the rest of the blog for more great info on creative thinking and brainstorming: The Idea Champions Weblog.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Idea Generation, Innovation, Brainstorming Facilitator, Creative Thinking

Brainstorming & Creative Thinking: Don't Settle On The First Idea

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:26:58 GMT

Innovation Tools has an article worth reading - Brainstorming strategy: Don’t settle for the first idea. It discusses our tendancy to latch onto the first idea generated and the benefits of spending time to brainstorm additional ideas, rather than stubbornly sticking with the first solution. Here's a clip from the summary:

That the best solution is seldom the first to come to mind is one reason behind the effectiveness of brainstorming as a problem-solving technique. Rather than simply taking the first solution that comes to mind, we push our minds further to come up with additional ideas. Typically, the first few ideas will be rather obvious and not very creative solutions. But once we've cleared our minds of the obvious, we must push our minds further to come up with new ideas. This is when creativity kicks in and powers our thinking.
The other reason why brainstorming can be so effective is that it is not one person's creativity working on the problem, but several people's. Ideally, those people will have different backgrounds and different areas of expertise. With such a variety of thinkers focusing on a problem it would be hard not to come up with creative solutions.
Of course, even with a room full of creative thinkers brainstorming a problem, evaluation of the top solutions may well show that the first idea is in fact the best idea. But at least you will know that you've considered and evaluated all the options before selecting your first idea.
Read more here: http://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/ArticleDetails.asp?a=179

The article also includes a great "hypothetical example" to show how generating multiple "solutions" or options is well worth your while. Resist temptation to stick with the first idea and search (brainstorm) for something better and more original. As author Jeffrey Baumgartner states so succinctly:

...the first solution to a problem is seldom the most creative and only occasionally the best solution. The first solution is, on the other hand, usually the most commonplace solution. It is the solution that most people including your competitors would adopt in the same circumstances. Applying the same solution as your competitors is not very competitive.

Of course, first ideas can lead to success, just be sure you're not clinging to the first or easiest route and that the solution/idea is vetted and viable. Also, these thoughts pertain to brainstorming and creative thinking and assume you have the time to do so. If you are in a time crunch and to MUST make a critical decision n-o-w, you can still generate multiple ideas without losing steam. I usually look/ask for a minimum of three options and work from there. In a crunch it's easy to grab at the first - sometimes craziest!?! - idea tossed out and that can lead to problems down the line.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Idea Generation, Innovation, Problem Solving, Creative Thinking

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7 Things To Avoid When Trying To Communicate Your Ideas

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:51:44 GMT

DUST!N over at Casual Fridays has a great innovation / creative thinking post outlining seven reasons why your ideas might get overlooked: 7 Reasons No One Likes Your Ideas. Dustin describes a common scenario in business - sitting in a meeting and coming up with a seemingly good idea (to you), pitching it and getting less than interested responses (if any!). The intro sets the scene for his seven tips for communicating your ideas effectively to gain interest. Here are the tips but you'll need to check out the complete post for the excellent intro and proper context on the details:

1. You took a leap, but didn’t build a bridge.
Our minds wander down paths and make leaps from one idea to the next very quickly. Your idea makes perfect sense to you because of the path you followed internally. If you don’t take everyone else down that path, it probably won’t make sense to them.
2. Your idea had no tether.
Your idea may be exciting, but if it isn’t tied to the purpose, budget and/or deadline… it’s floating away like a helium balloon without a string. See more on this in my post about Paper Airplanes and Kites.
3. You told a song.
Some ideas just can’t be spoken. They have to be experienced differently. You might need music or an illustration. Concepts for TV often need storyboards. Print ideas may need a layout sketch. Don’t expect people to see or hear what is in your head. Make it real to them.
4. You have no relational equity.
Maybe you’re new and need to “earn your stripes.” Perhaps they don’t like you. Do you have a track record for presenting poor ideas? This is a big and difficult hurdle to cross. Find someone with relational equity and get them to champion your idea.
5. You tossed an egg instead of a bird.
You tossed it out there too early. Given time, it would have flown. Instead, it simply splattered on the floor. Unless you have a VERY forgiving environment, a premature idea won’t survive. Be more patient.
6. Too many thorns around the rose.
Maybe it was a good idea, but when criticism arose, you got defensive. Maybe you didn’t show any flexibility when suggestions were offered. Be willing to give in to peripheral changes like colors or fonts (unless it really does kill the idea). Even consider more drastic changes. Considering them doesn’t mean you have to allow them. If they can’t touch or smell the rose without a prick, they won’t appreciate it as much.
7. You assumed you knew it all.
This is a huge mistake that happens way too often. Don’t be presumptuous. Maybe your idea has been tried before. Maybe there’s more information that would help you come up with better ideas. Perhaps your idea won’t work, but be willing to let it bring new ideas out of others. You don’t have to CREATE all the ideas, just RECOGNIZE the good ones.
Read more here: http://thepeoplebrand.com/blog/2008/01/04/7-reasons-no-one-likes-your-ideas/

I found each tip simple yet brilliant and the analogies are p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Great post and info, and a blog I've subscirbed to for more great innovation information and posts.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Idea Generation, Innovation, Pitch Idea, Creative Thinking

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Get Your Ideating On: Cool idea generating tool

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:08:35 GMT

Thanks to the good folks at PMThink! for pointing me to this fun creative thinking and brainstorming tool: The Special Projects Idea Generator. Click the button and different sets of radical, wacky, nonsensical, and fun ideas that someone, somewhere might be crazy enough to sponsor.

In case you can't read the text on the sceenshot, the idea generated for me was: Revolutionary + Inflatable + Book

At first I chuckled and then I paused.. Ok, an inflatable book might actually have a market - pools, boats, baths, hot tubs - all places paper books shy away from. Hmm. Maybe some good ides are hidden among the more funky ones. Cool - ideating rocks!

I like the idea generator and think it could be useful in the right settings. If anything, this little tool can generate some laughs to kick off a brainstorming session or get your brain warmed up when not feeling so creative. A fun exercise would be to generate an idea for each person in the meeting and have them spend a few minutes thinking about how they could use the idea, like my thoughts on the "Revolutionary Inflatable Book".

There is no info on the page about the tool, but a quick "view source" shows it was developed by David Keay and Joshua Keay from www.MonkeyBusinessLabs.com, back in 2005. Neat tool guys - bravo!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Idea Generation, Ideation, Idea Generating Tool, Creative Thinking

A Beginner's Guide to Mind Mapping Meetings

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 02:05:34 GMT

lifehacker has a post on mind mapping that's worth the read if you're looking to learn more about mind maps or how to be more effective in managing meeting notes. A Beginner's Guide to Mind Mapping Meetings provides an overview of mind mapping concepts and explains how to use these to capture more concise, relative and comprehensive notes from your meetings. The tips and how-to's are great and the screenshot provide nice visuals to help explain the process. Here's the intro:

Do you have trouble keeping up with meetings because you can't take notes as fast as the speaker talks? If you do jot down some thoughts and ideas, by the time you re-read your notes they make no sense? If this sounds like you, a meeting mind map may be just what you need. Here is a quick start guide that will give you some pointers and a printable template you can use to get off to a great start with mind mapping.
First, a few concepts—many of these will come clear as you read through the article:

Mind mapping is a free flowing tool. There are no rights or wrongs to the process. Many people recommend using many different colored pens and drawing pictures. This may or may not be for you—yet anyway. The important thing is just to start. You can refine your mind mapping method as you go.
Mind mapping is designed to use both sides of your brain—mind mapping involves your right and left brain thinking. The colors and picture drawing are the creative side, the note taking is the analytical side. By involving both sides of your brain you get better retention, more free-flowing ideas and maintain concentration.
Only a few simple graphics will get you started:

An arrow from one item to another indicates that one idea flows from one item to another
An arrow pointing both ways indicates the subjects are of equal value and relate to one another
A box or idea with no arrow is a floating topic. This is typically an important idea but off topic. It basically hovers outside your map but is there in case you need it.

To get started mind mapping a meeting, get the agenda ahead of time if possible.
In the center of your mind map, write the main topic of the meeting:

From this central idea all the sub-topics will flow. So outward from the center, you would write in the sub-agenda items. It doesn't matter what order you choose to list these. Mind mapping considers each idea equal until you change it later. So the first level of the sub-agenda items might look like this:

You now have a basic mind map of your meeting. This is a clear overview of your meeting from start to finish. If someone brings up an unrelated topic, you would simply make that a floating sub-topic. It may be important, but it's unrelated. These can be thoughts of yours or something someone else says. Here's an example:

Read more here: http://lifehacker.com/software/top/a-beginners-guide-to-mind-mapping-meetings-288763.php

The post is great and contains a ton of excellent info -- It just might have you thinking about other ways to use mind maps to be more productive. The process might feel a bit odd at first but once you get the hang of it you'll find it easier to keep up and capture relevant information during your meetings. Mind Maps also work great for brainstorming new ideas, running your own meeting, organizing thoughts on various subjects and so much more.

There are a ton of free web-based tools out there and they're getting more robust and interesting by the day. back in June I did a post on Mindomo (a free online mind mapping application) that also references a few other similar tools:

the PersonalBrain Free Edition
PersonalBrain gives you dynamic, animated mind mapping.
FreeMind - free mind mapping software
FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java.
SmartDraw
Visualize Your Ideas with Mind Mapping Software. Work smarter to organize information, create presentations and manage projects.

And your best bet is probably going to be searching for "free mind map" or "mind map tool" to find the latest and greatest application. Try a few out to see what UI and funcitionality you like best, then go at it. Soon you'll be an addict, but at least a very organized one!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking
Tags: Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, Idea Generation, Mind Maps, Brainstorming Tools, Mindomo, Mind Mapping Online, Brainstorming Techniques, Creative Thinking

Free Web-based mind mapping application Mindomo is out of beta

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:50:41 GMT

Earlier this year I posted about a free, beta version of an online mind mapping application called Mindomo. I just received an email stating that the app is now out of beta and an updated basic version is now available, along with a new premium version. Here's the info on the new release:

Mindomo Premium is released!
Completely redesigned website
A new page to search, browse and rate the public maps
Encrypted map storage
Extended help pages
A number of bugfixes

Mindomo basic is a pretty cool app - and it's free! It's You can create, edit, share and store maps online and there is also a growing library of public maps published by experienced mind mappers that you can browse, search and learn new techniques from. You can view maps on topics like Mind Mapping, Business, Finance and Law, Tools and Techniques, Science and Technology, and there's even a Mindomo Tutorial Map: Learn By Doing.

Looking at the image above, you'll note the second box, going clockwise, reads "Click the notes icon to find out how to use this map." Clicking gets you this pop-up note:

It's a nice tutorial and helpful for users new to Mindomo as well as folks new to mind mapping. Other tutorial maps are available under the Mindomo and Mind Mapping section:

-- Ways to Use Collaborative MindMaps
-- A Short Presentation of Mindomo
-- First Steps with MINDOMO

Some other benefits and features of the basic version are:

-- Freely accessible to everyone at any time, everywhere
-- No need to install or maintain complex client software
-- Learn mind mapping at no cost
-- Browser-based
-- Support for all major desktop operating systems
-- Support for all major Web browsers
-- Multi-language support
-- Advanced mind mapping functionality
-- Import maps from other mind mapping formats

The basic version of Mindomo is pretty robust for a free application. You can store up to 7 private maps and unlimited public maps. Plus the ability to share maps in a browser with no software to download/install makes the tool great for collaboration. Of course the premium version is a step up: No advertising, priority support, the ability to allows save unlimited maps and more.

Read more about Mindomo here: http://www.mindomo.com/index

Mind Mapping is growing more and more popular and free/premium apps are popping up everywhere. A few I've eyed but not tried are:

the PersonalBrain Free Edition
PersonalBrain gives you dynamic, animated mind mapping.
FreeMind - free mind mapping software
FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java.
SmartDraw
Visualize Your Ideas with Mind Mapping Software. Work smarter to organize information, create presentations and manage projects.

And if you are really serious about mind mapping, one of the premier packages out there is MindManager from Mindjet. Very robust app, unfortunately not very free beyond the initial free trial, but the tool is well worth the cash if you are looking for a serious, feature rich mind mapping package. Learn more here: http://www.mindjet.com/us/

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, Idea Generation, Mind Maps, Brainstorming Tools, Mindomo, Mind Mapping Online, Brainstorming Techniques, Creative Thinking

Web-based mind mapping application: Create Mind Maps online with Mindomo

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:16:20 GMT

I just came across a reference to a new (beta) mind mapping tool called Mindomo. Considering I was recently looking at Bubbl.us, a similar mind mapping tool, I was interested in this post from Kyle Pott at lifehack:

Create Mind Maps with Mindomo

Mindomo is a Web-based mind mapping application. If you’re familiar with Bubbl.us, Mindomo is like Bubbl.us on steroids. Mindomo allows you to customize fonts, add symbols and images, zoom in and out, share maps, nest ideas, and that’s just the beginning. Mindomo has a whole slew of other features that I didn’t mention. You name it and Mindomo can do it. I love that you can create, share and save maps without registering. Mindomo created a sample map to introduce you to the application.

Read more here: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/create-mind-maps-with-mindomo.html

Create Mind Maps with Mindomo: http://mindomo.com/

What a killer tool - and online no less! If you are interested in using mind maps for brainstorming, meetings, organizing, etc., you should check out the Mindomo Sample Map: http://www.mindomo.com/view.php?m=57885d9859e13b331edfdfac56e1b859.

It allows you to play around with the application with no sign up/login required. Just click the link and start exploring! Good stuff and I definitely love the robust, online functionality.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, Idea Generation, Mind Maps, Brainstorming Tools, Mindomo, Mind Mapping Online, Brainstorming Techniques, Creative Thinking

Brainstorming Technique: Use Starbursting as a questioning exercise to explore new ideas

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 18:21:04 GMT

I just read about a brainstorming technique called Starbursting over at MindTools. It's an interesting brainstorming technique where you ask "What?, Where?, Why?, How?, When?, and Who?" questions about an idea to better understand it, challenge and refine it, and make sure the idea is viable. You don't have to use the MindTools star chart, or the shape of a star for that matter, as the most important part is to ask these 6 questions iteratively to learn more about your idea. Give it a shot and see how the brainstorming tool can work for you. Here's an excerpt:

Starbursting is a form of brainstorming that focuses on generating questions rather than answers. It can be used iteratively, with further layers of questioning about the answers to the initial set of questions. For example, a colleague suggests a new design of ice skating boot. One question you ask might be “Who is the customer?” Answer: skaters. But you need to go further than this to ensure that you target your promotions accurately: “What kind of skaters?” Answer: those who do a lot of jumping, who need extra support, and so on. This would help focus the marketing, for example to competition ice dancers and figure skaters, rather than ice rinks that buy boots to hire out to the general public.

The best way to see the power of this simple but effective technique is to think of a product, challenge or issue to work on, and follow these steps:

Step 1

Download our free worksheet and print it out or take a large sheet of paper, draw a large six-pointed star in the middle, and write your idea, product or challenge in the centre.

Step 2

Write the words Who, What, Why, Where, When and How at the tip of each point of the star.

Step 3

Brainstorm questions about the idea or product starting with each of these words. The questions radiate out from the central star. Don’t try to answer any of the questions as you go along. Instead, concentrate on thinking up as many questions as you can.

Step 4

Depending on the scope of the exercise, you may want to have further starbursting sessions to explore the answers to these initial questions further.

Figure 1 below shows some of the questions you might generate in a short starbursting session on the skates mentioned above.

Read more about this MindTools brainstorming technique here: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_91.htm

It's worth noting that MindTools has a ton of other great brainstorming, problem solving and decision making tools, tips and techniques, as well as a ton of information on Leadership Skills, Time Management, Stress Management, Communication Skills, Project Planning and more. Good stuff!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, Idea Generation, Brainstorming Activities, Brainstorming Exercises, Starbursting, Problem Solving Techniques, Decision Making Techniques

Brainstorming & Creative Thinking: Great Q&A post with THINKERTOYS author Michael Michalko on innovation and creativity

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:59:06 GMT

Are you a fan of author Michael Michalko and his excellent brainstorming and creative thinking book THINKERTOYS, or perhaps the equally stimulating and useful Thinkpak? Then you might be interested in this great post titled Michael Michalko on creativity and innovation. It's written in an easy Q&A format and I was surprised at the amount of great information and tips provided. Though the entire post is worth reading (and bookmarking), some of the best tips come from the first question - "What are some of the most effective creative-thinking techniques that any CEO can learn to implement?":

(1) ONE-A-DAY. Ask each person to try to improve one aspect of their job each day, focusing on the areas within their control. At the end of the day, people should meet and ask each other what they did differently and better than it was the day before.

(2) BRAINSTORMING BOARD. Put up a bulletin board in a central area and encourage people to use it to brainstorm ideas. Write a theme or problem on a colored card and place it in the center of the board. Provide pieces of white paper on which people can write their ideas to post on the board. Suppose you have difficulty closing a particular sale. You could describe the sale situation on a colored card, post it on the brainstorming board and ask people to post their ideas and suggestions.

(3) IDEA LOTTERY. Have a monthly “idea lottery,” using a roll of numbered tickets. Each time a person comes up with a creative idea, he or she receives a ticket. At the end of each month, share the ideas with the staff and then draw a number from a bowl. If the number on anyone’s ticket corresponds to the number drawn, he or she gets a prize. If no one wins, double the prize for the next month.

(4) CREATIVE CORNER. Provide a special area for people to engage in creative thinking. Stock the area with books, videos on creativity, as well as learning games and such toys as beanbags and modeling clay. You might even decorate the area with pictures of employees as infants to suggest the idea that we’re all born spontaneous and creative.

(5) LET’S DO LUNCH. Encourage weekly lunch-time meeting of three to five employees to engage in creative thinking. Ask meeting participants to read a book on creativity; each person can read a different chapter and share ways of applying creative thinking to the organization. Invite creative business people from the community to speak to the group. You could ask them for ideas on how to become more creative in your business.

(6) BRIGHT IDEAS NOTEBOOK. Present each person with a notebook. Call the notebook the “Bright Idea Notebook,” and ask everyone to write three ideas in the notebook every day for one month on how to improve your business. At the end of the month, collect all the notebooks and categorize the ideas for further discussion.

(7) STUPID IDEA WEEK. Make idea generating fun. Have a “Stupid Idea” week and stage a contest for the dumbest ideas. Post entries on a bulletin board and conduct an awards ceremony with a prize. You’ll enjoy the camaraderie and may find that the stupid ideas stimulate good ones.

(8) CREATIVITY BY COMMITTEE. Establish a “creative-idea” committee made up of volunteers. The goals of the committee should be to elicit, discuss, and implement employee’s ideas. The committee can record the number of ideas on a thermometer-type graph. The company should recognize and reward people according to the quantity and quality of their creative contributions.

(9) IDEA QUOTAS. Thomas Edison guaranteed productivity by giving himself and his assistants idea quotas. His own personal quota was one minor invention every 10 days and a major invention every six months. A way to guarantee idea production is to give each employee an idea quota of, say, five new ideas a week.

Check out the complete post here: http://www.businessinnovationinsider.com/2006/11/michael_michalko_on_creativity.php

And note that Michalko says these are "suggestions to encourage you and your colleagues to start becoming more creative today." Some of them actually look fun, like #7 Stupid Idea Week! There's a ton of excellent info in this post, be sure to check it out if you are at all interested in creative thinking, brainstorming, innovation, idea generation and the like. Enjoy!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, Idea Generation, Innovation, Michael Michalko

Group Problem Solving - 7 Brainstorming Rules & Techniques

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 01:32:44 GMT

Management for the Rest of Us site has a nice Creative Thinking & Brainstorming article titled 7 Brainstorming Rules Techniques To Get More From Group Problem Solving . Author/Owner Lyndsay Swinton lists 7 rules for a successful session and provides a little detail on each one. Here's an excerpt:

We all know that a camel was a horse designed by a committee right?!! This perfectly demonstrates the unwritten law of business, where the output of a group does not equal the sum of the individual parts. Use these 7 brainstorming rules and techniques and be the exception to the rule, get more from group problem and keep the creative juices focused and flowing.
1. No idea too stupid
2. Watch the clock
3. Record your progress
4. Quantity not quality
5. Use both sides of your brain
6. Encourage the right mindset and have fun
7. Let no good idea go unheard

Read the complete article with more detail on each of the above tips: http://www.mftrou.com/brainstorm-technique.html
Download '7 Brainstorming Rules & Techniques To Get More From Group Problem Solving' in pdf format

Thanks to www.mftrou.com for the great tips. Enjoy!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, Idea Generation, Brainstorming Activities, Group Brainstorming, Brainstorming Tips, Group Problem Solving

Brainstorming & Creative Thinking Resource: 68 Ways to be More Creative on the Job

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 15:37:48 GMT

There's a great Brainstorming article by Mitchell Ditkoff titled 68 Ways to be More Creative on the Job over at IdeaChampions. It lists 68 interesting "Creative Pick-Me-Ups", which are easy tips and/or techniques to try out and find your inner creativity. Here's a blurb:

Creative thinking techniques are to innovation what two espressos are to waking up. They help, but you don't necessarily want to depend on them. BELIEVE IT or not, it's actually possible to start your day without coffee! You could, for example, get enough rest. Or, hold the sugar, exercise! In the same way, it's possible to be a creative superstar at work without ever using a creative thinking technique. How? By adding one or more of the following CREATIVE PICK-ME-UPS to your daily routine. They're simple. They're fun. And they may just be the spark you need to unlock your inner genius.

So true! Here are a few of my favorite tips:

Read odd books - having nothing to do with your work
Block off time on your calendar for creative thinking
Stare out the window without feeling guilty
Play music in your office
Wander around a book store while thinking about a business challenge
Go for a daily brainstorming walk with a co-worker
Spend more time with people in different fields
Write your ideas in a notebook and review them regularly
Open a magazine randomly and free associate from a word or image
Establish ground rules with your team that foster creative thinking
Ask stupid questions. Then ask some more.
Laugh more, worry less
Look for alternative solutions. Don't accept the first "right idea"
Dissolve turf boundaries
Redesign your work environment
Open a magazine randomly and free associate from a word or image

Read more here: http://www.ideachampions.com/article_68_ways.shtml. As you can see it doesn't take much to spark creativity. Simple as the above tips might sound, any one of them might be the idea generator you've been looking for. No, they won't help you manage a brainstorming session, but there are plenty of great resources out there on that subject. These tips are for you and which ones you choose to try out are up to you. Just get out there are try - that's all it takes to start being more creative. Enjoy!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, Idea Generation, Leadership

Eight Tips for Better Brainstorming from Bob Sutton

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 16:01:20 GMT

Bob Sutton has a post at his blog titled Brainstorming Tips on BusinessWeek.Com. The post itself is an interesting read on brainstorming from Sutton's point of view - and it's a good one. He points readers to other brainstorming resources but it's no surprise that his own article is a solid reference. In it Sutton discusses creativity and innovative work and then goes into sections titled "Theory vs. Practice", "The Innovation Engine", before wrapping up with eight great tips for brainstorming. You'll need to read the complete article to get the full impact of it as I am simply listing the tips and there is a lot of great points/advice missing:

Eight Tips for Better Brainstorming
1. Use brainstorming to combine and extend ideas, not just to harvest ideas.
2. Don't bother if people live in fear.
3. Do individual brainstorming before and after group sessions.
4. Brainstorming sessions are worthless unless they are woven with other work practices.
5. Brainstorming requires skill and experience both to do and, especially, to facilitate.
6. A good brainstorming session is competitive—in the right way.
7. Use brainstorming sessions for more than just generating good ideas.
8. Follow the rules, or don't call it a brainstorm. loss!

The rules vary from place to place. But Alex Osborn's original four still work: 1) Don't allow criticism; 2) Encourage wild ideas; 3) Go for quantity; 4) Combine and/or improve on others' ideas. To steal from IDEO, I'd add "One conversation at a time" and "Stay focused on the topic," as both help save groups from dissolving into disorder.

Read the complete article here: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2006/id20060726_517774.htm?chan=innovation_innovation+++design_innovation+and+design+lead

Enjoy!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, Idea Generation, Leadership

Strengthen your Creative Thinking & Problem solving skills with Logic Problems and Lateral Thinking Problems

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 17:15:05 GMT

I found a great little website dedicated to Logic Problems and Lateral Thinking Problems. The site contains a collection of logic problems (or puzzles) ranging from “Very Easy” to “Very Difficult” and as well as lateral thinking problems in the following categories:

Preconceptions - Problems that challenge your preconceptions
Fact - Problems that are based on fact
Fanciful - Problems that require a little imagination to solve
Semantics - Problems that require you to pay close attention to the wording of the problem

The great thing about the site is the ability to show a hint or solution if you are having difficulty solving one of the problems:

The above is an example of a lateral thinking problem in the preconceptions category. Note that you can also print the problems and/or solutions, and there is a more section where the website author recommends various lateral thinking books. It's a great site to beef up your creative thinking skills and help you to think outside of the box. There are tons of resources out there - just use your favorite search engine and type in any of the tags listed below for a start. The direct link to the website mentioned in this post is: http://www.folj.com/. Enjoy!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Brainstorming & Creative Thinking

Tags: Creative Thinking, Creative Problem Solving, Lateral Thinking, Logic Problems, Brainstorming

Step 1	Download our free worksheet and print it out or take a large sheet of paper, draw a large six-pointed star in the middle, and write your idea, product or challenge in the centre.
Step 2	Write the words Who, What, Why, Where, When and How at the tip of each point of the star.
Step 3	Brainstorm questions about the idea or product starting with each of these words. The questions radiate out from the central star. Don’t try to answer any of the questions as you go along. Instead, concentrate on thinking up as many questions as you can.
Step 4	Depending on the scope of the exercise, you may want to have further starbursting sessions to explore the answers to these initial questions further.