Creativity theory and practice

Creativity Principles and techniques

François Guély [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

What is Creativity ?

Defining creativity

• Small or big « C »• All domains

– Science, technique– Business, commerce– Art, Literature– Personal

• Individual or group– Companies– Improvisation (Jazz, theater)

• Without application, experimentation– How to know if an idea is

worthwhile ? – What would be an artist

who does not practice art ?

Original and worthwhile

(according to peers) idea or solution

And its application!

Why study creativity ?

• Leverage our creative talent• Better solve problems• Improve teaching and training• Be a better salesman, engineer, artist…• Become a more innovative company

Improve your or your organisation’s

creativity

History of creativity

Spiritual stream of thought

Creativity in western culture

Antiquity Romantism1760 - 1850

Modernism, impressionnism

1850 - 1940

Post-modernism1920 – 2012

Comes from unconscious, instinct, madness, excentricity, childhood.

Expressionism, Surrealism

1910 - 1950Comes from gods & muses (Plato)

Lumières1670-1820

Comes from emotion, du daydream, inspiration is spontaneous.

Demands a conscious rational work (Aristotle)

Renaissance1300 - 1600

Reason, learning, work, knowledge.

Leonardo da VinciNewton, Diderot, Voltaire

genious

Reason, observation Relativism, pluralism, scepticism, rejection of utopia

New age1940 - 2012

Discovery of essential selfTherapyInspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self- consciousness. Aaron Copland

I want to be a machine Andy Warhol

The true work of art is born from the 'artist': a mysterious, enigmatic, and mystical creation. Vassily Kandinsky, Concerning the spiritual in art

Form follows fonction. Le Corbusier

One morning, one of us lacking black, used blue : impressionnism was born.Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Classicism is health, romanticism is sickness… Goethe

Rational stream of thought

Some books on creativity

Artists exaggerate their eccentricity in psychological testingBecker

50% of innovations are made by 10% of domain specialists Simonton

The breakdown in communication between the brain hemispheres kills creativity (we need the left brain AND right brain to be creative)Restak

Creativity cannot be inherited genetically - research on monozygotic and heterozygous twinsBarron, Vanderberg, Reznikoff et al.

Above IQ=120, creativity does not increaseGetzels & Jackson

Failed attempts to measure creativity by a standard test

1962

The « science » of creativity1950 - 70

19931968-73

1999

2000

Nobel laureates publish twice more than other scientistsSimonton

1988

Motivation and creativityIntrisic

motivation is essential for

creativity

Genious is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration Thomas Edison

External rewards (eg financial) do not seem

to help and in some cases may interfere Torrance 65 / Amabile 80-96 /

Eisenberger & Cameron 96 / Hennessey 03

No universal creativityCreative people are creative only in their

area of expertiseFeldman 74-80, John-steiner 85, Csikszenmihalyi 88

Creativity cannot be explained without action

We reached our optimum after 10,000 hours of practice (5 years full time) Malcolm Gladwell

J.S. Bach Pablo PicassoSteve JobsAlbert EinsteinImage : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Einstein_Head.jpg Image : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Matt_Yohe Image : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_Sebastian_Bach.jpg Image : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pablo_picasso_1.jpg

Eminence and formal education

Formal education

140

120

100

80

Emin

ence

High school

Graduate Master Doctorate

Creators

Simonton, 1983Notes : 1/ Relevant for USA 2/ Average school level has increased since then

The most famous designers in their field are not necessarily those who have the most education

Creativity myths

Creativity comes from the unconscious ?

… and is uncontrollable ?– This idea dates from the

romantic era… – ..and was reinforced by

Freudian psychoanalysis

But we are creative only in our domains of expertise!… research shows that creativity is mostly the result of conscious work

– The more creative geniouses are also the most productive ones

– Nobel price laureates publish twice more than other researchers (Simonton 1988)²

13

John KeatsFreud

Jacques Lacan Percy Bysshe Shelley

Image : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sigmund_Freud_Anciano.jpg

Image : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacques_Lacan.jpg

Image : www.reusableart.com/v/people/portraits/arts/artists-03.jpg.html

Image : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Percy_Bysshe_Shelley_by_Alfred_Clint.jpg

Are children more creative ?Does education kill their creativity ?

This idea dates from the romantic era

Children were considered pure and adults corrupted

But creativity demands competence to flourish

Education makes creativity possible

Is creativity the expression of the essential self ?(« new age » belief)

Creation is related to the time in history and society

Problem : a painting, a music from 500 years ago is always « dated »

Is inspiration spontaneous ?

Work, organisation are essential for inspiration

…but there are more formally trained artists than ever before

Chance favors the prepared mind Louis Pasteur

Are the most creative people misunderstood geniuses ?

The myth of the misunderstood genius dates from the nineteenth century.Misunderstood geniuses are actually very rare.

It is often believed that Mendel and impressionists were misunderstood in their time but ...Mendel and his work were

renowned at his time (but the true scope of his work could not be understood at the time, even by himself)

The Impressionists had their own galleries and buyers in their lifetime

Image : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gregor_Mendel.png

Gregor MendelImage : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PARenoir.jpg

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Creativity = originality = break conventions ?

… and one can be creative within an existing genre

… but it should be worthwhile!

Are we all equally creative?

True at birth : creativity is not genetic. We can all become creative in some domains.But false at adulthood for a given domain.10% scientists publish 50% of most cited papers

How does creativity

work?

Analytical phase

Prospective phase

The three steps of creative problem solving

Identify an interesting problem

Divergentthinking

Convergentthinking

Find « the » solution, or a good solution

Find solutionsFind problems, identify needs

AnalysisProspectiveIdentify

A problem Divergent thinking

Convergent thinking

Identifying meaningful problems, asking the right questions is a key characteristic of creative people…

If I had one hour to save the world, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute solving it… Albert Einstein

Computers are useless. They can only give answers… Pablo Picasso

Some related qualities : - Listen to the unusual- Identify consequences that make the

subject essential

Examples of important questions :

Why is the speed of light the same everywhere ?... led to the discovery of relativity by Einstein

How to use colors differently?… one of the essentiel questions that led to impressionnism

How to make bus stop shelters viable?... led to the worldwide success of Decaux



Convergent thinking

Imagine many possible answers to a question.

1970/71 : these tests do not correlate well with real individual creativity.

Divergent thinking tests have been developed in the 60s.

Also called lateral thinking (Edward De Bono)Image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Zureks



Convergent thinking

Example : the quota method

When at least three good ideas have been found, many more are generally found!

Always ask at least 3 ideas from your team (& yourself!):- Different options, alternate solutions>> Or refuse to decide

Break the "linear thinking" propensity to :- settle for the first idea - logical reasoning, that locks you in the first solution



Convergent thinking

IQ Tests

Deductive capacity: deduce the consequences.

Ability to identify benefits and risks. Keep the best and eliminate wrong answers.Evaluation / selection.

Positive and critical thinking

No standard test



Convergent thinking

Divergent thinking

Convergent thinking

Problem identification

Great advances are usually the result of a long process that is a sum of intuitions and successive progresses.

AnalysisProspective

Why cannot we create a standardized test measuring individual creativity?


Divergentthinking

Convergent thinking

IQ testsDivergent thinking tests

produce mixed results

No standard test for ability to formulate

interesting problemsEmotional

Intelligence

Creativity implies domain

knowledge

Creativity is a process

Creativity is often a group phenomenon

AnalysisProspective


Divergentthinking

Convergent thinking

Characteristics of creative peopleMcKinnon 78, Barron & Harrington 81, Feist 88, Tardif & Sternberg 88

Verbal fluency

Metaphorical thinking

Ability to visualize problems Flexible decision

making

Tolerance for ambiguity, acceptance

of internal conflicts

Energetic, willingness to overcome obstacles

Alert

Ready to take risks

Open to new experiences

Independence, autonomy

Confidence, courage in one’s opinions

Little self-censorship

High IQ

Interest for complex problems

Group Creativity

• Collaboration boosts creativity– Challenge, exchange of ideas…

• Factors group creativity(Larey & Paulus 99, Taylor & al 58)– Having worked together for a long time– Sharing common knowledge– Complementary expertise

• Group more creative than the individual if – The sum of everybody’s knowledge is important to understand the

problem

• Depends on the phase of the creativity process (Sawyer 03)– Find a problem : diverse participants obtain better results – Solve a problem : participants sharing expertise obtain better results

Creativity of the organisation

• Related to the ability to create a culture of collaboration• IQ explains only 10% of job performance• The myth of talent

– Assumes that people make the organization intelligent– Most often, the opposite is true (Gladwell 2002)

• Many of Edison’s inventors were originally young guys recruited for basic tasks– Self-taught, without electricity or chemistry degree / Chemistry / ...

Creativity of the organisationThomas Edison

1903 Patents and inventions

How is it possible ?

1866: Telegraph1869: Telegraph multiplex1874 : TTY1876 : Best phone microphone1877: Gramophone1879: Improved incandescent bulb1882: Power Station1888: Electric Chair1888 Camera / cinema projector1893 Production Studio1893: Cinema1895: X-ray light1903: Improved Camera1913 Camera for talkies1915: Nickel-iron battery

William Hammer: flashlight, illuminated signs, power plants, treatment of cancer by radiation, photoluminescent dialsEdward Acheson: carbon lamps, artificial diamond... 70 patentsLewis Howard Latimer: carbon filament manufacturing , carbon globe light bulbs, refrigeration system...George F. Morrison : lamp filament manufacture...Francis Robbins Upton: Watt meter, incandescent lamp, electrical distribution, dynamo, fire alarm ...William Kennedy Dickson : 35mmcamera & film projector, celluloid film camera.Henry Ford: Cars ...Miller Reese Hutchison : horn, hearing aid, naval tachometer ...Arthur Kennelly: Electric Chair ...Nikola Tesla: AC motor, radio ..

Majority of inventions made by members of his laboratory often in his name

Image : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edison-at_home_in_Ft._Myers_Florida_1914_detail_LC-LC-USZ62-131044_.tiff_adjusted.jpg

Can you become more creative?

Individual creativity level is

not genetic

Everyone can learn to

be more creative

Companies can become

more creative

1972 Torrance identifies 142 scientific studies demonstrating that creativity can be enhanced by specific techniques (training or other)

Creativity is a group and a

social phenomenon

Creativity techniques

Constructions: LEGOs, blocs…

Innovation games

Luke Hohmann

TRIZGenrich Altshuller

Brainstorming, brainwriting,

method 635, CPS

Synectics (analogical reasoning)

Frame gamesThagi

Rational« Serious creativity »

Gaming

Idea gathering

Idea box, idea intranets,

participatory innovation

Irrational

Lateral thinking, 6 hats

Edward De Bono

Detour approaches

Mindmaps Tony Buzan

Crowdsourcing Random approaches

Improvisation

Idea Gathering TechniquesBrainstorming, brainwriting,

method 365, CPSParticipatory innovation

Idea boxes, idea intranets

Alex Orborn

President & co-founder of BBDO

In order to answer a question, generate in a meeting as many ideas as possible in a short time without exercising censorship on the participants.

Analyze and prioritize ideas afterwards.

Shôgun Tokugawa Yoshimune

1721: the best ideas deposited in a “idea box” (meyasu bako) are rewarded.

Seventies : japanese companies develop quality circles and « Kaizen ».

2000s: idea management software, participatory innovation: open procedures for the collection, analysis and application of ideas.

2010s: companies seeking new ideas outside with idea crowdsourcing : Crossing, YourEncore, CrowdSpirit, InnoCentive

Image : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tokugawa_Yoshimune.jpg

Rational approaches

TRIZ

Lateral thinking, 6 hats…

Mindmaps

Tony BuzanEdward de Bono

Genrich Altshuller

He discovers universal laws of technological invention. Each solves a contradiction between physical quantities.

To innovate, one identifies contradictions, then applies these laws, which provide avenues to explore.

“Lateral thinking" escapes from the linear thinking for example by introducing a random component in reasoning.

The "six hats" are a means to materialize the most common reasoning attitudes.

Means to visually represent ideas, facts ...

Mindmaps are used to summarize existing knowledge, gather ideas (brainstorming), or organize tasks or information (meeting management…).

Image : www.tonybuzan.com/gallery/photos/

Image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Genrikh_Saulovich_Altshuller_commemorative_plaque_in_Petrozavodsk.JPG

Gaming techniques

Constructions: LEGOs, blocks…

Innovation gamesFrame games35, Take5, envelope…

Thiagi Luke Hohmann

Fun activities to collect, organize, prioritize ideas with clients to establish for instance a product roadmap...

« Cheaper, faster, better »Games or generic interactive activities suitable for all kinds of training situations or brainstorming.

Using "lego" cubes, magic slates, or other materials to "see & feel" real situations and generate insights and ideas more easily.

Gamestorming

83 Fun Activities to brainstorm, including "innovations games" Thiagi games, other games ...

Image : www.thiagi.com/pictures/

Image : innovationgames.com/about/

« Non rational » Techniques

Ideation phaseDistanciation phase

1/ Blanks fuzzy, ambiguous ideas, 2/ Scanning / crossover: one follows the track to push the idea as far as possible until it becomes useful. Principle : turn ideas into positive. To make it work, it would have to …

Principle : distort and transform the problem into an evocation that stimulates the imagination Approaches : Deformation, forced encounters, dreamlike techniques, projective graphics …

Detour techniques : one distances himself from the problem and then then returns to it to converge. The distance stimulates imagination. Idea production follows.

"Making the familiar strange, making the strange familiar." 3 types of analogies:‒ Direct: natural (animal, plant), or graphic‒ Symbolic parable, metaphor‒ Fantasy: dream, daydreamPersonal approach: personal identification with the situation

Analog techniques shift the problem with analogies, and explores them.

William Gordon

4 Methods useful for Marketing & SalesInnovation games

BrainstormingLateral thinking, 6 hats

Mindmaps

Represent information (ideas or facts) in the form of a diagram

called "mental map"

Usage: synthesis of information / collaborative

brainstorming ...

Fun activities rather than games rather, they aim to collect,

organize and prioritize ideas

Usage : product roadmap, identifying growth drivers ...

Approach to overcome the limitations of the "linear, logic

thinking" while remaining rational

Usage : problem solving, product ideas ...

Collection of ideas to produce a maximum of ideas which are then

analyzed and sorted

Usage : product ideas, solutions to a problem, names, slogans ...

Tony Buzan Luke Hohmann

Edward de Bono

Alex Osborne (BBDO)

Principle of Mind Maps

• Representation of facts, ideas, knowledge ...– Visual– Compact– Tree (hierarchical)– Main concept at the center– Sub-concepts radiating from the center

How to Mind Map

Put key words, parts of sentences– Compact: on one "sheet"– Gives an overview of a problem– Helps to remember details

Use colors, images, symbols– Facilitates memorisation

Add associations– Link concepts from different

branches

An element can appear multiple times– It can be highlighted for example

by emphasizing

Use mapping software– Many software exist, several free

ones– Flexible– Distribution of map is easier– Can be further modified

Progressive construction without pre-determined order– With mind mapping software– Enables to complete a mind map

anytime

Multiple tree levels– More compact diagram– Ability to zoom / navigate

Mind Mapping Software

• Proprietary tools interfaced with MS Office– Mindjet MindManager– MatchWare MindView– MindGenius– MindMapper

• Free tools– CAM Editor– Freeplane*– FreeMind– Xmind* – yED

http://www.mindjet.com/

http://www.matchware.com/en/products/mindview/default.htm

http://www.mindgenius.com/

http://www.mindmapper.com/main/main.asp

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/camprocessor/index.php?title=Main_Page

http://freeplane.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

http://www.xmind.net/

http://www.yworks.com/en/products_yed_about.html

Avantages of Mind Mapping Software

• Word / PPT / Excel export• Sharing is easier• Content is reusable

Mind Maps & Documents

DOCUMENTGenerally underlying tree structure– Title– Chapters

• Sub chapters– Paragraphs

– Bibliography– Index

… & linear appearance

Linear reading is not the most efficient reading approach!

MIND MAPAny document can be summarized by a mind map – Very efficient to review

important points

Mind Mapping tools enable to– Export to WORD / PPT /…– Import from WORD

Mind maps are a way to create documents

A Mind Map is a non linear document.


• No limitation in page size

Example : Edward de Bono, Penser vite et bien – méthode « BESCA »


• Mask / Develop portions of the tree

Example : Edward de Bono, Penser vite et bien – méthode « BESCA »


• Add / suppress anytime : living maps• Reorganize easily to structure your ideas differently


• Map Style Management

Some uses of Mind Maps

Brainstorming, creativity, problem solving– Present problems, causes,

possible solutions– Possibility to associate concepts

Communication tool– Expose information in a concise

& interactive way

Checklists– List of points to check– Checkboxes

Document summary– Important notions & ideas

Prepare a job interview– Answers to common questions – Information on the company– Information on the contact

Write an essay– Outline– Main points

Learning languages– Domain vocabulary

Project management– WBS / OBS are trees– Project phases & progress– Participants– Ressources



Mindmaps


called "mental map"


brainstorming ...








analyzed and sorted



Edward de Bono

Alex Osborne (BBDO)

Brainstorming

• 1938 : Technique invented by Alex Osborn, co-founder of BBDO to:– Find many ideas for commercials– Withour censorship of participants

Define the problem

Generateideas

(ideation)

• Suspend judgment• Playful thought• As many ideas as

possible• Combine &

improve

Look for solutions

• Prioritize with color dots

• Analyze most promising ideas

3 Phases of Brainstorming

4 rules of ideation

Do not criticize, approve, judge,

discourage, evaluate

Unconstrained thought: impossible, absurd, crazy ideas

are welcome…

Quick generation of many ideas

Adapt, modify, magnify, minify,

substitute, swap, combine

Practical Aspects

With a facilitatorNote each idea – With the author’s words

• Do not interpret or reformulate– Telegraphic style– Write in very large letters– Large post-it notes

• To re-position / regroup similar ideas

Large flipboard

« Brainwriting »

• Often done in companies– Easy to do

• Everybody – Notes his/her ideas beforehand– Sticks his/her ideas on the board– Reads them to the others

Few associations Pratical

Participative but not very

creative

Scientific studies refute classic brainstorming

Scientific research shows that brainstorming groups produce fewer ideas than the sum of individual participants – Mullen, Johnson, Salas 1991• Productivity loss in brainstorming groups: a meta-analysis

integration. Basic & applied social psychology, 12, 3-123 – Larey & Paulus, 1999• Group preference and convergent tendencies in small

groups: a content analysis of group brainstorming performance, Creativity research journal 12, 175-184

When to use Brainstorming

Good for• Advertising, marketing, daily life• Problems with many possible

solutions• First step to other approaches to

creativity

Critics of Brainstorming• Too many useless ideas• Participants not necessarily involved

in the implementation• Takes time• Too many ideas already known

How to generate more ideas, more

creative ?

Brainstorming according to Tom Kelley

• "The idea engine” of IDEO's culture '• Define the problem to be solved• Prepare

– Documentation, visits, benchmarking– Existing solutions– Material to implement ideas

• Write rules of the game– No critic – One at a time– Look for quantity– Be visual– Encourage crazy ideas

• Number ideas• Look for

– Fluidity– Improvement of ideas– Totally different ideas

• Post-it + Paperboard

Transgressive Methods

• We are more creative in situations of transgression

• Create a fun / challenging situation• What shocks us stimulates us–Crazy ideas– Stupid ideas– Strange Ideas

… et facilitates associations of ideas

Random Methods

• Escape linear thinking• Random words– Draw a word randomly– See what idea it inspires you

• Random inages– Visualise images dranw randomly– See what they evoque, which solution to the

problem they suggest

Random Methods

• Google storming– Start with a word– Search it on Google– Click on a link in the top 5 (that seems interesting)– Seeing what you can find inspires you in relation to

the problem to be solved– Bounce on other research

– Do not start looking too much into the content of the pages

– Stay focused on the original goal

Analogical Methods

• Principle – Shifts the problem by making analogies– See what ideas each analogy brings– Return to the initial problem

• Synectics (Gordon - 1961), analogies :– Direct : natural (animal, plant), or graphic– Symbolic : parable, metaphor– Fantasy: dream, daydream– Personal approach: identify with the situation

Follow the rules of improvisation

• Keep space for yes– Say « YES »– Do not criticize– Say what you find good– Create trust

• Bring your own stone – Say « AND »– Contribute, in a small or

large way– Or ask a question…To study an idea thouroughly

YES, AND…

Constructive brainstorm

6 Thinking Hats

Facts driven

Feelings, intuition

Careful examination of negative aspects

Process driven

Optimism : examine benefits, feasibility

New ideas, creative attitude

Edward de Bono

6 mental attitudes that we all have

6 mental attitudes

Not personality types !

Personal confusion

ProcessFacts

Feelings

Imagination Critical

Positive

Directed thought, mastered

• Focus on the most suitable hat• Change hats when needed

Direct your thoughtExample : you want to progress in

tennis

Express your enthusiasm (stay motivated)

Study facts to learn how to improve

Intra-personal confusion

ProcessFacts

Feelings


Positive

Example

dissatisfied customer

Sales person that is process minded

lack of understanding

Resonate – to establish communication

ProcessFacts

Feelings


Positive

Une on same wavelength, I

can change the hat

As long as we are not on the same

wavelength won’t change my point

of view

I listen to the mindset of the other so he feels really

understood

Example

Unhappy customer

Sales person who recognizes his frustration

Let’s get to the factsLet’s get to the process

If I were you I would have the same reaction

Let's see what exactly

happened

How to make it not happen

again

Confused ineffective group Everyone thinks he hold the truth

Process Feelings

Imagination

Critical

Positive

controversiesendless

discussions

Parallel, cooperative thinking

• Focus everyone on a hat• Change hat together

Benefits

Accelerates meetingsPrevents egoOne thing at a time avoids confusion

More diverse thinkingBetter focusAvoid individual trends



Mindmaps


called "mental map"


brainstorming ...








analyzed and sorted



Edward de Bono

Alex Osborne (BBDO)

Innovation Games

Fun activities for product strategy & marketing:

With clients / internalOne or more games at a timeMany companies use them

Characterized by:Relaxation, CollaborationEncourages teamworkIncrease information sharingFun

Verbal and visual communication

What for ?

Remember the future

Spider web

Start your day

Vision of the future PrioritisationBrainstorming on features

Knowledge of customer

Me and my shadow

The apprentice

Identify problems

Speedboat

Product Box

Product Tree

Give them a hot tube

Buy a feature

20/20 Vision

gameactivity

Creativity theory and practice

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