Design thinking - methods & techniques
When we think about creating or inventing something new, our associations most often drift towards wild creators, whose methods resemble more Pollock's work on canvas than the meticulousness of a scientist. However, when we add a business context, we will likely think of a more structured form of creative thinking – brainstorming. Although popular, it is neither the only nor the most effective way to achieve a specific goal or task, especially in design.
Therefore, first, I invite you to familiarize yourself with the limitations that brainstorming is burdened with, and then move on to other methods that brainstorming can be combined with to achieve the best results.
Brainstorming - two heads are better than on
The popular brainstorming method is used not only in advertising agencies. It involves a group rapidly generating a variety of ideas. During the session, participants can also modify ideas on the fly. Afterwards, the group selects the best idea, usually through a voting process.
At first glance, the method seems very effective. This is because many participants bring different perspectives to the same problem. However, brainstorming also has significant risks, which may arise from the authority or charisma of certain participants.
The authority effect - cognitive biases
There are many cognitive biases. In the text about UX writing, which you can find here, I mentioned the curse of knowledge. Another such bias is the authority effect.
Perceiving someone through the lens of authority causes us not to analyze their words thoroughly. We are more likely to agree with them. This results from the “laziness of the brain,” which favors mental shortcuts. When faced with a large amount of data, the brain opts for ready-made reasoning: “This person is competent, they are right.”
This error often escalates into an argumentum ad auctoritatem. It is a non-substantive way of arguing, relying on appeal to authority. Even if the other party disagrees, they do not challenge it, so as not to risk being accused of arrogance.
The problem is compounded when we extend a person's aura of authority beyond their area of expertise. For example, if a Nobel laureate in chemistry comments on the economy of Mongolia, and we believe them solely because they won the Nobel Prize.
In a business environment, during brainstorming, this error can have the opposite effect of the intended creative outcome. The group feels obliged to accept the arguments of the person with authority. They do not make an intellectual effort and are reluctant to go against the authority. As a result, brainstorming is reduced to one person and a group of their yes-men.
Sometimes it is not the fault of a cognitive bias, but simply the charisma of a participant. However, the effect remains the same—the group’s contribution is minimal.
So how should one approach brainstorming to avoid this error?
Fot. Weronika Dyląg
Know your employees
Brainstorming is a great method if the group has the right dynamics. Awareness and emotional intelligence of the participants and the moderator are also important.
For example, it is worth remembering not to evaluate ideas during the session. This way, participants are not restricted by their initial proposals.
However, sometimes it is worth using other methods. A method close to brainstorming is brain dumping.
Brain dumping
The brain dumping method, also known as mind dumping or thought download, involves writing down all thoughts, ideas, tasks, and worries from your mind onto paper or in digital form.
The goal of this technique is to clear the mind. Transferring thoughts to an external medium helps organize them, identify priorities, and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Brain dumping is especially useful when the mind is overloaded with information and the lack of a clear action plan makes effective task management difficult.
By writing down their thoughts, participants gain a better understanding of their tasks, priorities, and challenges. This leads to greater mental clarity and more effective task management.
Brain dumping can also be used for generating innovations or new services. During a session, participants write down everything that comes to mind without worrying about hierarchy, logical order, or costs.
Ideas are written down without discussing them until the session ends. This method also engages individuals who work better independently or find it difficult to thrive in a group setting.
Brainwriting
So, how does brain writing differ from brain dumping and brainstorming?
So, how does brain writing differ from brain dumping and brainstorming? Brainstorming is a free, verbal flow of information between participants. "Brain dumping" is an individual session of writing down ideas on paper, and brain writing is something in between. Brainwriting involves both individual works with pen and paper and a broad discussion in the group about previously written ideas. If we want to activate a group with some shy people (or one very charismatic person), for the dynamics of such a group and to achieve the best results, the brain writing method will be the best. However, it is worth knowing a few more.
Fot. Weronika Dyląg
The worst possible idea
Starting a brainstorming session, we deal with a specific blockage of the group. Nothing strange; they were in a completely different context just a moment ago. Pulled out of their usual tasks and finishing the last emails, they have to switch to a completely different way of thinking. This "switching" of the brain concerns being present "here and now" due to the changed context and the way of inventing itself. In such a case, participants tend to kill their own ideas in the bud by considering their implementation, cost, or feasibility. And here is where the "worst possible idea" method can come in.
It is more than just great fun or an introduction to a creative session. It is a full-fledged tool. Not only does it help to switch between contexts, but it also opens up entirely and allows free rein to your imagination. Because the assumption is the worst possible idea, participants are not afraid to say things that they feel are not of quality, are funny, or simply unfeasible. It is also much easier to accept feedback like: "This is not such a bad idea after all," which reduces stress and tension in the group.
SCAMPER (Substitude, Combine, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse)
The SCAMPER method is a creative strategy used to stimulate innovative thinking and generate ideas through a set of questions. SCAMPER is an acronym where each letter represents a specific action or question directed at existing ideas, products, or processes. For example, "S" refers to "Substitute" - can something be replaced or exchanged? "C" stands for "Combine" - can different elements be combined? "M" stands for "Modify" - can something be changed or adjusted? "P" is "Put to another use" - can a given element or project serve purposes other than initially intended? "E" - "Eliminate" - can something be simplified, skipped, or omitted? "R" stands for "Reverse" - what will happen if we change the order of elements or actions? These questions help to break cognitive patterns and inspire innovative solutions.
The SCAMPER method is flexible and can be used in various contexts, from product development to business process improvement. It is beneficial in the conceptual phases of projects when there is a need to transform existing ideas or find new directions for development. By using this technique, teams can easily explore diverse perspectives and harness the creative potential of thinking to create innovative solutions. The SCAMPER method stimulates flexible thinking and can be effective in unleashing the creative potential of both individuals and work groups. 3...2...1... Let's start inventing!
3...2...1... Let's start creating!
The mentioned methods only partially exhaust the wide range of various techniques that can be used to stimulate practical creativity in a team. For longer projects, it is important to choose techniques not only for the project and the pending task but – above all – for the team and the way its members operate. It is worth observing how individual people function in specific techniques over a longer period of time and periodically gathering feedback on how a given technique works for individual team members.
Although some techniques may seem artificial at first, and some people may feel that they are "tying their free, creative spirit" – ultimately, all of them allow structuring and stimulating the team's creativity, and combining them in the right way will enable utilizing the creative potential of the team even where good ideas could get lost in classical brainstorming.
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