Group Creativity

Ideation Brainstorming

2002 Ideation International Inc.

Classical Brainstorming
Rule 1: Postpone and withhold your judgment of ideas
Rule 2: Encourage wild and exaggerated ideas
Rule 3: Quantity counts at this stage, not quality
Rule 4: Build on the ideas put forward by others
Rule 5: Every person and every idea has equal worth
Alex Osborn, the forties
Expectation in the fifties:
Huge amount of excellent ideas
Todays reality:
Small amount and poor quality of brainstorming ideas

2002 Ideation International Inc.

Classical
Brainstorming with
Regular Facilitator

10 15 ideas in 1 2 hours
Participants unhappy and tired

Classical
Brainstorming with
Talented Facilitator

100 150 ideas in 1 2 hours

Participants happy and not tired
2002 Ideation International Inc.

Creative Activity of Brainstorming Groups

20

40

Activity reduction

Highest activity

Talented Facilitator

Worming-Up
Activity
reduction

Highest activity

Worming-Up

Average Facilitator

60 minuets

60 minuets

3 4 hours

3 4 hours
2002 Ideation International Inc.

Classical Brainstorming with Regular Facilitator

Ideas Squeezing around One Question
100%

Results 10 15 ideas

Pareto curve

Contradiction:

80

Effectiveness of idea generation is

quickly dropping. To get more ideas,
facilitators have to put pressure on
participants However, it annoys
people and disrupts creative process

60
40
20
20
Period of active
idea generation.
Participants have
fun

40

60

80

Time
100 % 1 2 h

Period of squeezing ideas. Participants are bored and

even annoyed because critic is prohibited.
2002 Ideation International Inc.

Creative Activity of
Brainstorming Groups

Number of ideas

Moments when facilitator

changes question for
ideas generation

Classical Brainstorming
with talented facilitator

Talented Facilitator

conductor;
Classical Brainstorming
with regular facilitator
15 30
minutes

Time of Brainstorming

Regular Facilitator

Secret of successful facilitation - well-timed changes

of storming directions
2002 Ideation International Inc.

Classical Brainstorming with Talented Facilitator

Timely Changes of Questions
100%
80

Results 50 150 ideas

Moments when
facilitator changes
question for ideas
generation

New contradiction:

60
40
20

20
10 25 minutes

40

Questions have to be diversified to

ensure new spikes in idea
generation process and at the
same time should target the same
original problem. It is very difficult
to formulate such questions.
Time
60
80
100 %
3-4h

Period of active ideas generation. Participants have fun

2002 Ideation International Inc.

Fragmentation of a Problem into Sub-Problems

Attack the Problem the
same way you would
go about eating an
watermelon

One bite at a time

Take little steps dont be in a hurry!

Manual process using

Patterns of Evolution
for formulation of
Problem Statements for
Brainstorming

Software based process

Problem Formulation
for automatic formulation
of Problem Statements
for Brainstorming

2002 Ideation International Inc.

Fragmentation of a Problem into Sub-Problems

Attack the Problem the same
way you would go about
eating an watermelon

One bite at a time

Take little steps - dont
be in a hurry!
Software based process
Problem Formulation
for automatic formulation of
Problem Statements for
Brainstorming

2002 Ideation International Inc.

 2002 Ideation International Inc.

10

Problem of Information Interchange

Successive (word by word )
informational interchange
the same dates but different
structure of information
reason for misunderstanding

Structural on base of
Problem graph informational
interchange the same data
and the same structure of
information base for good
understanding
2002 Ideation International Inc.

11

Manual Process for Ideation Brainstorming

In manual process, the facilitator (certified ITRIZ specialist at minimum) formulates
questions for participants based on his/her knowledge of patterns of technological
evolution,specifics of the given system and general procedure for Ideation
brainstorming.
The facilitator can select relevant questions from special lists organized in
accordance with lines of evolution (Ideation proprietary information).
Typical questions:
Selected
Pattern
Increasing
dynamism

Questions for Brainstorming

Is it possible to increase the given system dynamism? For
example:
Introduce hinge(s), flexible elements, modular design,
disposable elements, etc.
Introduce alternate, pulsed, oscillation, etc. fields and
processes
Utilize unstable conditions, nonlinear and/or non-equilibrium
processes
..
2002 Ideation International Inc.

12

Problem Formulator Software Module

Source of Good Questions for Brainstorming

Automatically
formulated Questions

Graphical diagram
of the Problem
2002 Ideation International Inc.

13

New contradiction:
People should generate new ideas, but they are
strongly influenced by psychological inertia.
Using Operators for Overcoming Psychological Inertia
Results

Time for using

each operator
3 5 minutes

Using
various
operators
Time

Time for ideas generation with one problem

statement 10 25 minutes
2002 Ideation International Inc.

14

Problem with Criticism

Usual Creative Multi-Step Process
Idea 1:
Yes, but

Original
Problem

Idea 2:
Yes, but

Idea 3:
Yes, but

Idea 4:
Yes, but

Consequent Consequent Consequent Consequent

Problem 1 Problem 2 Problem 3 Problem 4

Idea 5:

Finally!

New contradiction:
Criticism is a hindrance to creative process and must
be forbidden, but criticism is necessary for formulation
and solving consequent tasks; solving consequent
tasks is key to solving real complex problems
2002 Ideation International Inc.

15

Ideation Brainstorming with Structural Criticism

100%

80

Results 50 150 effective ideas, including solutions to consequent tasks

Good time
for critic

Structural Criticism
Moments
when
facilitator
changes
problem
statement

60

40

20

Try to prove the following:

This idea can not work
because .
This idea is not economical
because .
This idea creates a harmful
effect .

Formulate consequent tasks

to resuscitate this idea
3 - 4 hours
10 25 minutes

Period of active ideas generation. Participants have fun

Make a choice how to continue:
Work with the next problem statement (recommended)
Try to address consequent tasks right away
2002 Ideation International Inc.

16

Problem of Information Interchange

Successive (word by word )
informational interchange
the same dates but different
structure of information
reason for misunderstanding

Structural on base of
Problem graph informational
interchange the same dates
and the same structure of
information base for good
understanding
2002 Ideation International Inc.

17

Ideation Brainstorming with Structural Criticism

Number of ideas
Good time
for critic

Structural Criticism
Moments
when
facilitator
changes
problem
statement

Try to prove the following:

This idea can not work
because .
This idea is not economical
because .
This idea creates a harmful
effect .

Formulate consequent tasks to

resuscitate this idea

2002 Ideation International Inc.

18

Usefulness and Amount of Ideas with

Different Modes of Brainstorming
Number of ideas

Ideas of the Classical

Brainstorming session
Harmfulness of
ideas

Ideas of the Ideation

Brainstorming session
Usefulness
of ideas

2002 Ideation International Inc.

19

Ideation Problem Formulator and

Solver System Patent

2002 Ideation International Inc.

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