Idea Generator - Exercises to spur creativity

2 min read Original article ↗

Let's generate some ideas.

Come up with novel solutions to hard problems in five minutes.

I need a problem

We'll suggest some problems for you.

I know my problem

You're ready to start generating ideas.

Try one of theese:

What's your problem?

Write your problem as a question, as open-ended as possible.

Selecting an idea generator...

What assumptions are you making?

List as many asummptions about the problem as you can, then hit "next."

You need at least 5 assumptions

How can you challenge these assumptions?

Challenge it:

You need at least 3 ideas per challenge

Slice and Dice

S is for Substitute

Think about all the facets of your problem. In what ways can you substitute one thing for another?

You need at least 3 ideas per letter

C is for Combine

Can you combine parts of this problem together? Can you combine other problems with this one? Can you combine other people's problems with yours?

You need at least 3 ideas per letter

A is for Adapt

Can you adapt an existing solution to fit your needs? Can you adapt a solution designed for a different problem?

You need at least 3 ideas per letter

M is for Modify/Magnify

What parts of this problem can you modify in interesting ways? Is there something you could magnify in an over-the-top fashion?

You need at least 3 ideas per letter

P is for Put to another use

How could you eliminate or minimize parts of this problem?

You need at least 3 ideas per letter

E is for Eliminate

How can you combine different parts of this problem?

You need at least 3 ideas per letter

R is for Rearrange

How could you rearrange parts of this problem? Could you change the order of events? The physical layout?

You need at least 3 ideas per letter

Word 1: Loading...

How does this word relate to your problem? List all the attributes of this word in your mind, and ask yourself how those attributes apply to your situation.

You need at least 3 ideas per word

Random image

Picture 1: How does this image relate to your problem? List all the attributes of this image in your mind, and ask yourself how those attributes apply to your situation.

You need at least 3 ideas per image

You generated ideas.

I think you can do better.