Revolution Method

Sometimes the best new idea is a completely different one.  So question your old way of doing things. And make a dramatic change. Devise a radical alteration. Or give your work a shakedown. But Think Different.

This powerful image of strength, self sufficiency and innovation has forever changed our perception of shoes. The photograph formed part of an art exhibition in Paris entitled L’art... En Eaux Troubles which literally translated means; Art in Troubled Waters. Unfortunately the photographer is unknown.

Diffuse Creative Thinking

 

Insight is the product of the right brain with it's diffused visual attention. Embark upon a spot of time travel. Undertake teleportation. Change some attributes. Do some role-storming with iconic figures or super powers. Fill a gap. Or do a mindmap. To come up with a large number of ideas.

In love with the malleable, ephemeral nature of paper Sarah Kelly's influences originate from costume history, contemporary haute couture, interiors, architecture and finding a design problem and solving it in a beautifully aesthetic way. Her Saloukee Disperse Earrings include hand pressed rivets, intricate laser cutting and delicate paper folding techniques.

Divergent Creative Thinking

Investigate a different concept. Look into contrasting notions. Consider conflicting objectives. And generate creative ideas by examining many possible solutions. Be spontaneous. Draw unexpected connections. Be a non-conformist. Curious. Persistent. And willing to take risks. Create lists of questions. Set time aside for thinking. And brainstorm. Embark on a spot of bubble mapping. Meditate. Keep a journal and fill it with sketches and stream of consciousness writing.

When porcelain artist Aleksandra Pollner and woodworker Emmett Smith combined their disparate skills to create something totally new they came up with a rugged but sophisticated Porcelain and Wood Axe. A beautiful design object; whether you've got wood to chop or not.

Generative Creative Thinking

Cause something, bring about change, create, make, produce and provoke by embarking on a spot of brain writing. Record all your ideas on a page and then exchange ideas with a friend. Who uses them as a trigger for new ideas or variations on the theme.

Look into morphological analysis and explore all the possible solutions. Identify attributes and values andepeatedly combine selections generated. Forcing all items together to build a creative solution.

Explore shaping to make ideas more specific and practical. So think of any constraints that might interfere with the execution of your idea. And shape the idea to fit within these constraints.

Brainstorm ideas with a focus on quantity. Remember to withhold criticism. While embracing the unusual and combining and improving ideas.

Or use SCAMPER a general-purpose checklist to  spark your creativity. First define. Then substitute. Combine. Adapt. Magnify. Put to other uses. Eliminate or minify. And rearrange or reverse to come up with innovative solutions.

Fung Kwok Pan conceived the idea for the Fluid Vase without any consideration that it can exist beyond a design experiment. But thanks to 3D printing technologies using a web interface the user can now freeze any part of the process of pouring water into a vase. From which the physical object is produced on demand. Thus the user can influence and observe the formation of the Fluid Vase.