Creative Techniques
Creative ways to develop and capture ideas with structure.
There are various creative techniques that help to work out a topic or an idea within a team or alone. They help to broaden perspectives, think innovatively and activate motivation.
Problems and difficulties can also be solved using creative techniques.
In order to exploit the full potential of creative techniques, it must be ensured that madness and free thinking are possible without shame. Everyone involved in the process must have permission and give themselves permission to think outside the box.
Various creative techniques are presented and briefly explained below.
Brainstorming
In brainstorming, all thoughts and ideas on a given topic are collected and written down. These can be recorded very well with a (digital) flip chart or a pin board. It is not important that the ideas and thoughts are coherent. They will not be scored or judged. Brainstorming is all about collecting thoughts and ideas. These are then evaluated afterwards.
ABC-Method
Using the ABC method, ideas and thoughts on a given topic are collected alphabetically. To do this, everyone writes the individual letters of the alphabet one below the other on a piece of paper. Now for each letter a thought or an idea for the respective topic should be found. If this method is used in a team, the results are shared and worked out with the others.
Mindmapping
With the mind mapping technique, you create a kind of map with ideas and thoughts. Unlike brainstorming, mind mapping follows an outline. The focus is on the topic on which ideas and thoughts are to be collected. The individual ideas are linked to the topic. Subtopics can also crystallize here, which in turn are linked to ideas. They are structured and, if necessary, the individual sub-topics are differentiated by colour. Finally, the mind map resembles a tree diagram.
6-3-5-Method
This method belongs to the brainwriting techniques . Brainwriting describes the non-verbal collection of ideas and thoughts. Unlike brainstorming and mind mapping, the ideas and thoughts are first written down by each individual before they are presented to the group and evaluated together.
The 6-3-5 method already contains its most important characteristics in the name: 6 participants write 3 ideas on a given topic on a piece of paper and pass this piece of paper on a total of 5 times. If necessary, a time limit is set by the team leader, after which all sheets must be passed on in a clockwise direction. Each participant can and should consider the previous ideas on the respective piece of paper and ideally develop them further. At the end you get many different ideas (with luck even 108! 6 participants x 3 ideas x 6 lines). After the last round, the ideas are discussed and worked out together.
Morphological Box
With the help of the morphological box, different solution variations can be examined in a structured way. This creative technique is mainly used in the area of product development. A table is drawn on a piece of paper or a flipchart/whiteboard. The parameters (features) that the product has or should have are written down in the first column, for example size, shape, color, etc. Ideas for the individual parameters are now collected in additional columns. At the end you get a kind of matrix. Now it's a matter of linking the ideas together in such a way that a concrete product idea emerges.
Creative Techniques In The Seminar Context
Creative techniques can be helpful in many situations to develop ideas and uncover different ways of solving a problem. Creative techniques can also be used when planning a seminar. For example, the topics and sub-topics that the seminar should contain can be determined in a structured manner.
Of course, creative techniques can also be used together with the participants within a seminar. Which creative technique is most likely to lead to the desired goal must be weighed up individually depending on the situation.