Creative Processes and Design Thinking

Involves methodologies and techniques for generating innovative ideas and solutions.

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Whiteboard

A tool you can use to write or draw your ideas on walls, in meetings, or even in a digital format.

A strategic planning tool used to give depth and coherent understanding of different aspects of a system or plan. They are usually presented as grid or table-based. Visual tools for strategic planning include menus, value chain, PESTLE analysis, SWOT analysis, the Business Model Canvas, and the Balanced Scorecard.

Visual Thinking

Visual thinking is a way to organize information by using visual formats to represent information.

Unstructured

Unstructured refers to data that does not have a formal data model. This means it lacks discretionary categories or is uncategorized.

Unique Ideas

Ideas that stand out against others through their originality and inventiveness.

Unconventional Ideas

Unconventional Ideas are ideas that are different and imaginative than what people are used to.

Tools and Techniques

As used in innovation, Tools and Techniques refers to the various methods, processes, and systems that companies use to innovate.

Time Constraints

Time Constraints is an allocation of time made by the project manager to provide a limit for when certain project activities are done.

Task Unification Technique

Task Unification applies the operation type of ‘internal’ task into the original object to launch a new product.

Systems Thinking

Systems Thinking is the process of understanding how different factors within a system all influence one another.

Sticky Notes

A small piece of paper designed to include short messages, for notes or reminders, that can be easily removed and reapplied elsewhere.

Sprint

A Sprint is a time-boxed period (4-6 weeks) during which an corporate innovation team works to achieve the set goals.

Solution Finding

Solution Finding is the way of identifying and developing ways to reduce or eliminate the obstacle at hand.

Six Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats is a technique invented by Edward de Bono who was inspired by lateral thinking. The technique is designed to simplify the process of thinking by introd...

SIT Method

A systematic approach to creatively solving problems, based on reversing assumptions about a product, service, process, or business.

Sense Making

Sensemaking is the process of working to understand the deeper complexities of the world to see what is 'true' for a person.

SCAMPER

Acronym for substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, elaborate, reverse. A brainstorming technique using action verbs.

Reverse Brainstorming

A method used to solve problems by focusing on the cause of a problem rather than the problem statement.

Practical Solutions

Practical Solutions give answers to real problems in a way that is sensible and straightforward. Solutions are no longer theoretical.

Play

Taking a joyful approach to problem-solving, play is about experimenting and letting curiosity be the guide.

Ownership

The state or fact of being an owner. The right to own; ownership.

Note-Taking

A practice of writing down pieces of information for later reference. Notes can be archived in an organized manner.

Neuroscience

Study of the nervous system (brain & spinal cord) through methods and technologies to understand its structure & function.

New Ideas

Creative concepts, products or practices that have not been adopted before and that are intended to be useful.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is an approach to visually outline information.-written in one sentence.

Methodology

The process of a system or research that is adopted in a particular field.

Mapping

Mapping is used in the early phases of innovation to chart out different pathways to focus the innovative work. Can be used to document knowledge or the technological solutions in use.

Journey Map

A visual representation of the end-to-end customer experience, designed to identify people’s key interactions with the product.

Integrative Thinking

Integrative Thinking: The ability to resolve complex problems by synthesizing diverse, opposing ideas into a cohesive and innovative solution.

Innovation Workshops

Innovation Workshops: Interactive sessions fostering creativity and problem-solving to generate actionable business innovations.

Innovation Techniques

Innovation techniques are structured methods to generate and implement novel ideas in pursuit of solving problems or seizing opportunities.

Improvisation

Improvisation: The art of spontaneously creating novel solutions or adapting to change without prior planning in dynamic environments.

Immersion

Immersion: Deep mental involvement in a task or environment, enhancing focus and creativity.

Imagination

Imagination is the ability to form new ideas beyond current reality's constraints.

Ideo

IDEO: A global design company pioneering in human-centered design, creativity, and innovation consultancy.

Ideation Software

Ideation software is a digital tool for generating, capturing, and collaborating on ideas within organizational innovation processes.

Ideation

Ideation: The creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas.

Idea Tools

Idea tools are software or methodologies designed to facilitate ideation and creativity in business innovation processes.

Ground Rules

Ground rules are agreed-upon principles that set the framework for behavior and interactions within a group, ensuring a productive environment.

Geoffrey Moore

Geoffrey Moore: An author and consultant renowned for his work on the technology adoption life cycle and the chasm theory in marketing.

Generation Brainstorming

Generation Brainstorming: A creative group method for rapidly generating a diverse set of ideas around a particular challenge.

Gathering

Gathering: The act of collecting information or individuals to spark ideas and foster collaborative innovation.

Game Theory

Game Theory is the study of strategic decision making among interdependent players to predict outcomes and optimize payoffs.

Gamification

Gamification: Applying game principles in non-game contexts to boost engagement and problem-solving.

Fuzzy Front-End

Fuzzy Front-End refers to the early, ambiguous phase of innovation where opportunities are identified and concepts are developed.

Framing

Framing is the process of shaping perceptions and decisions by presenting information in a particular way to influence innovation.

Five Whys

Five Whys is a root cause analysis method that asks 'Why?' five times to explore the underlying problem behind a failure or issue.

First Principles

First Principles: Fundamental concepts or assumptions used as the foundation for problem-solving, devoid of assumptions or analogies.

Facilitation

Facilitation: Guiding groups in processes and discussions to achieve defined objectives and enhance collaboration and outcomes.

Extreme Creativity

Extreme Creativity: Out-of-the-box thinking that disrupts norms with radical ideas, fostering breakthrough innovations.

Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono: Maltese physician, author, and inventor of lateral thinking who enhanced creative problem-solving in business.

Division Technique

Division Technique: A method breaking a product into independent components to innovate and address specific functions.

Divergent Thinking

Divergent thinking is the process of generating creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner.

Design Thinking

Design Thinking is a human-centric, iterative process used to solve complex problems and create innovative solutions.

Design Process

Design Process: a structured framework for creating solutions, involving research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and refinement.

Design Sprints

Design Sprints are a five-day process for validating ideas and solving challenges through prototyping and user testing.

Design Framework

A design framework is a structured approach to creating user-centric products, outlining methods, and tools for efficient problem-solving.

Dependency Technique

Dependency Technique: A strategic method to map and analyze interdependencies within systems to identify innovation opportunities.

Design Driven

Design-driven: An approach prioritizing user experience and design at the core of product development and organizational strategy.

Creativity Tools

Creativity Tools: Techniques and resources that facilitate idea generation and problem-solving in innovation processes.

Creativity Constraints

Creativity constraints are limitations that fuel inventive solutions by setting boundaries within which to problem-solve and innovate.

Creative Tension

Creative tension is the gap between current reality and desired goals that fuels innovative problem-solving and idea generation.

Creative Process

Creative Process: A sequence of thought and action to generate novel and valuable ideas or solutions.

Convergent Thinking

Convergent Thinking: A process of finding a single, practical solution to a problem by focusing on logical reasoning and known information.

Challenge Design

Challenge Design is the strategic crafting of problem-solving contests to spur innovation and harness collective brainpower.

Brainwriting

Brainwriting is a silent, written idea generation method that boosts participation and avoids groupthink in collaborative innovation.

Actionable Ideas

Actionable ideas are practical, concrete concepts ready for implementation to drive progress and solve problems.

Human-Centered Design

Human-Centered Design: A creative approach to problem-solving that starts with the people you're designing for and ends with tailored solutions.

Lateral Thinking

A problem-solving approach that involves exploring a problem from different angles and considering unconventional solutions.

Brainstorming

A group activity that involves generating a large number of ideas in a short period of time, often using techniques such as freewriting and lateral thinking.

Creative Problem-Solving

The process of generating and evaluating new ideas in order to solve a problem.

Innovation Workshop

A structured meeting or session that brings together cross-functional teams to generate and evaluate new ideas.

User Journey Map

A user journey map, also called customer journey map, is a visualization of a user's interactions with a company.

Storyboard

In innovation a storyboard means a visualization of the experience of a customer during service delivery or product usage.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research focuses on numerical data and often tries to find patterns and relationships in big sets of data.

Opportunity Identification

Opportunity Identification is about finding a problem in the market that needs a solution in the form of a product or service.

Napkin Sketch

A napkin sketch is the simple drawing of one single idea, explaining what the idea is about without going into details how it works.

Hybrid thinking

Hybrid thinking means to be able to combine different ways of thinking and quickly switch between one and the other. Milan Guenther defines the term Hybrid Thinking as "the ability to integrate different ways of thinking, jump between them, and align them to work towards a universal goal".

Hackathon

A hackathon is basically any event where people come together to solve problems (mostly over 1-3 days).

Design Thinking Process

Design Thinking Process is an iterative methodology for creative problem solving that involves empathizing with the user, defining the problem, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing.