The document discusses creativity techniques for brainstorming, including re-expression, related worlds, revolution, and random links. It provides examples of each technique and emphasizes generating a large quantity of ideas without criticism. The left and right brain are contrasted, noting creativity comes from the right brain. Rules for productive brainstorming include encouraging "silly" ideas and recording all ideas without judgement.

1. CONSULTING TOOLKIT
Consulting Skills:
Brainstorming and Creativity Techniques
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2. You need to apply special techniques to trigger your creativity
FOUR CREATIVITY APPROACHES
•Re-expression
•Related Worlds
•Revolution
•Random Links
Source: “Sticky Wisdom” by What If!
020910 Chris Doran
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3. Creativity is an essential ingredient of innovation and human
progress
Creativity Innovation Progress
020910 Chris Doran
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4. Creativity does not come naturally – you need to apply special
techniques to engage your right brain
LEFT BRAIN vs RIGHT BRAIN
Scientist Creativity
Mathematician Freedom
Familiar Passion
Categoriser Feeling
Accurate Creativity Sensuality
Linear Innovation
Growth Emotion
Analytical Vivid colours
Practical Art
Order Imagination
Logic Poetry
020910 Chris Doran
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5. People must seek stimulus beyond their comfort zone
“Go where your competitors can’t or won’t”
Anita Roddick
Body Shop founder
020910 Chris Doran
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6. The first technique uses language to generate fresh perspectives
Re-expression
APPROACH 1: RE-EXPRESSION
Finding an alternative way of describing or experiencing an issue or problem
Provide
motive
force
Cause/
Persuade
Create
Generate Will-
emotion Motivate power
Inspire Stimulate
Spark/
Trigger
020910 Chris Doran
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7. The second technique draws inspiration from others
Related Worlds
APPROACH 2: RELATED WORLDS
Looking at other areas where a similar issue or benefit can be seen
In other countries? In other products? In other industries?
In history? In science? In nature?
Where in the world has my challenge been faced before?
020910 Chris Doran What can I “steal” from that?
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8. Many real-life inventions have “stolen” ideas from related
worlds Related Worlds
RELATED WORLDS EXAMPLES
In nature In other products
In 1948 a Swiss
electrical engineer
called George de In 1952, Helen
Mestral found his Barnett Diserens
dog covered in is inspired by
burrs after a walk the new ball-
in the country point pens
Invention Invention of
of Velcro Mum’s roll-on
deodorant
020910 Chris Doran
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9. The revolution technique explicitly identifies and changes your
assumptions Revolution
APPROACH 3: REVOLUTION
Identifying and then challenging the rules and assumptions we are using
NEW ECONOMICS NEW OWNER NEW MODELS NEW PERSPECTIVE
What if……… What if……… What if……… What if………
......you had to halve ……you were owned ......you had to run ……your biggest
the cost? by Facebook? the business with weakness became
only 10 people? your biggest
strength?
Asking “What if………………….” allows you to bypass mental roadblocks
020910 Chris Doran
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10. Identify the rules before breaking the rules
Revolution
TWO STEPS
STEP 1: WRITE DOWN THE RULES STEP 2: BREAK THE RULES
What if the opposite of this rule was true?
What if this rule was reduced?
What are the rules?
(often unspoken and
implicit ) What if this rule was reversed?
What if you took this rule to the extreme?
020910 Chris Doran
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11. Revolutionary ideas can start out extreme
Revolution
REVOLUTION EXAMPLE
STEP 1: WRITE DOWN THE RULES STEP 2: BREAK THE RULES
Paste A liquid, a solid, gum, a spray, a
gas, a foam
Toothpaste
In a tube In sachets, capsules, aerosol,
beautiful gift bottles
For cleaning teeth For health, for sensual pleasure,
for taste
Used with a toothbrush Chew, combined paste/brush
Used twice a day in Use on the go, once a week, use
bathroom © 2007-2012 IES Development Ltd. All Rights Reserved
in meetings, use after eating

12. Random links deliberately forces connections to something
unrelated Random Links
APPROACH 4: RANDOM LINKS
Make connections and links between the issue and random items found in the world
020910 Chris Doran
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13. People must seek stimulus beyond their comfort zone to win
Random Links
RANDOM LINKS EXAMPLE
Our challenge: Connections to explore: Our Object:
•Carried at all times
Designing new •Hold set of tools to get things
Handbag
smartphone done
•Use pockets and dividers to
organise things
•Inside – deeply personal and
customisable
•Outside – make me feel/look
beautiful
•Different ones for different
occasions
•Express owners mood
•Made from luxury materials
•Emotional branding - feminine
020910 Chris Doran
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14. Productive brainstorming needs some team rules
 No discussion – especially no judgement/criticism
 Quantity more important than quality
 Encourage “silly’ ideas
 Brainstorm with a diverse group
 Record everything
 Everyone joins in
 Make it fun!
PRACTICAL TIP: Use Post-Its, 1 idea per Post-It, call out and stick-up
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15. Encourage “silly” ideas in brainstorming – it is easier for ideas to
roll “downhill” than “uphill”
“Silly”
ideas
It is easy to
make a silly idea
High value, more practical
creative ideas
It is very hard to
make an obvious
Obvious idea creative
ideas
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