In brainstorming, a group of people focus on a particular issue or problem and take advantage of the richness of diverse thinking. In this way, they come up with new ideas by using the creative resources of people who are not familiar with the technicalities surrounding the problem they are trying to solve. This however, is not an unstructured activity—brainstorming sessions are usually chaired and output is recorded.Have someone in your brainstorming group who is completely unfamiliar with the problem or situation, as unfamiliar eyes can be very insightful.
Role Play
When struggling with an issue, observe someone else who is faced with the same problem but does not share your knowledge about the subject. Although some people dislike role-play exercises, these are useful when it comes to approaching problems from completely new perspectives and exploring them at considerable depth.
People can be inventive people when they are not limited by “facts.”
The “Silent Observer” is another role-play exercise wherein two people discuss the problem from a new perspective. The problem holder (that’s you) is the restrained observer. Here too it is important to not disrupt the flow of ideas with negative or critical comments. During this exercise, you merely observe and record the dialogue between the two people.
Research and Analogy
These techniques are best for people who aren’t very intuitive. The goal of these strategies is to focus on the problem directly and seek solutions from others. By asking “Who else may have encountered this problem?” you may be directed to someone else in the same business or industry sector who has already addressed the problem. This strategy usually leads to a precise solution.
Challenge Assumptions
We tend to take for granted our assumptions surrounding a problem or situation. They are so ingrained and familiar that we stop noticing them. However, when the context changes—as a result of technological or design advances— our assumptions are no longer valid. As assumptions are an intrinsic part of our perception, we must take conscious steps to expose them.
Once we have identified the assumption, we can determine its nature. Do time and cost considerations limit our proposed solutions? Do we assume that we won’t have access to resources? Are assumptions restricting our creativity? Do we assume that political factors will limit our ideas? Are there barriers in the way of our novel solution?
Next, consider your problem without relying on your previous assumptions and see where this goes. After identifying the constraints standing in the way of your solution, you can start to challenge them.
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