Download Introduction to the Engineering Design Process

Techniques
for
Stimulating Creativity
references:
– Voland, Gerard, Engineering by Design, Pearson Prentice
Hall, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ,
2004.
– Panitz, Beth, "BrainStorms," ASEE Prism, March 1998,
pgs 25–29.
Creativity Stimulation Techniques
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Brainstorming
Brainwriting
Bionics
Checklisting
Analogy and Adaptation
Obtaining a fresh perspective
Inversion
Idea diagrams
Brainstorming
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Generate as many ideas as possible in a given amount of time
The more ideas generated, the greater the likelihood some
promising ones will emerge
Four brainstorming rules to follow as recommended by
Osborn in Applied Imagination
– Defer all criticism of ideas
– Encourage a "free-wheeling" approach (the wilder the idea, the
better)
– Go for quantity
– Combine and improve on others' suggestions, when possible
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Hitchhiking
Additional Brainstorming Guidelines
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As described by Beth Panitz in Brainstorms
– Carefully define the problem upfront
– Allow individuals to consider the problem before the group
tackles it
– Create a comfortable environment
– Record all suggestions
– Appoint a group member to serve as a facilitator
– Keep brainstorming groups small (6 to 12 members is ideal)
Brainwriting
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A variation on the standard brainstorming technique
Each member of the group records his or her ideas on a sheet
of paper
After some time, the sheets are passed to the next person in
the group
Each individual builds on the ideas that were generated
previously
Allows process to move forward without any premature
criticism of the ideas
However, the positive interaction and reinforcement that may
occur in a regular brainstorming session will not be present
Bionics
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Search for an existing solution within nature that can be
adapted to solve the problem under consideration
Velcro
, vortex noise
Checklisting
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The use of words and questions to trigger creative thoughts
The triggers often focus on possible changes to an existing
product, concept, or system
Toaster
Analogy
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Four different types of analogies
– Direct analogy - current problem is directly related to a similar
problem which has been solved (satellites and yo-yos
)
– Fantasy analogy - when confronted with a problem that cannot
be solved, imagine that a solution already exists ("stratium"
solder
)
– Symbolic analogy - use a poetic or literary analogy to generate
ideas when confronted by a problem that cannot be easily solved
("clings like a barnacle"
)
– Personal analogy - imagine being part of the system to view the
problem from a different perspective (new shampoo
)
Adaptation
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Adaptation
– look for ways existing designs can generate new solutions to
unrelated problems (running shoe
)
– old (and rejected) concepts can be revamped into useful forms
A Fresh Perspective
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Describe the problem that is being solved to someone else
who is not involved in the design process (they may be able
to provide new insights and a new perspective)
Elevator
Sometimes just the task of explaining the problem helps to
more clearly understand the objectives of the design
Inversion
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Concentrate on ways to make a product or system less
effective and then invert these ideas to form ways in which the
product can be improved (energy savings in building
)
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Invert the problem statement (trash in a Holland city
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Invert an existing product or system (recycling
)
)
Idea Diagrams
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Allow the organization and correlation of ideas as they are
generated
Divide solutions into different categories and subcategories
that become increasingly more well defined
Transporting people (soldiers) from one location to another