CREATIVE
THINKING
based on lateral thinking
concepts developed by
Edward de Bono
Introduction
• Lack of creativity in society
indicators
• Engineers are not creative
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temperament
measurables
risk management
competence
• The origin of thinking
- escape or attack
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ROOTS:
Development
of technology
and intelligence
Topics of Discussion
• Barriers to creativity
– Misconceptions
• Perceptions
– Logic of creativity
• Need for creativity
• Techniques to be more creative
• Exercises
Barriers to Creativity
• Curse of the Terrible Three
– Socrates
– Plato
– Aristotle
- argument
- truth
- generalize
• Misconceptions
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Art is always creative
Creativity is a talent
School performance
IQ is HP
- repartee
- 2 finger typing
Groove thinking
• Zombie
• “What is” vs. “What could be”
• Crossing Barriers
Provocative operations
– square wheels
– landing plane
Perceptions
• Thinking process
Perception  Process
• 90% of errors
• Math, Stat, Comp, Logic
• IT is readily available
THINKING IS SCARCE!
Examples
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Violin
TV host
Releasing wood block
Coins
Need for Creativity
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Innovation - competency
Technology lacks in value
Input-time efficiency
Examples
– Make rectangles
– Communication
Exercise
– How to reduce gasoline
consumption by any means
Supporting information
and examples
–Oil wells
–Life insurance
–Olympics
–Blood flow in lungs
–Parallel thinking
Techniques of Creativity
• Asymmetry of thinking
– Leaf on tree
– Hindsight
– Humor - golf clubs
– Blowing balloons
• Overcoming hurdles
– Skew pathways
- walk for a change
Techniques to overcome
obstacles
– Random provocation
– Creative pausing
– Challenge
– Alternatives
– Concepts
– Six thinking hats
– Stratals
– Filaments
Provocation
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Close the letter after mailing
Peer exams
Die before you die
Criminals pay the police force
Shoplifters identify themselves
Plane waits for you
More room on airplane
Random Provocation
Pick a random word or
concept and link
Example – parking
Link to…
Exercises
Examples and Exercises
• Advertising - town crier
• Industry - compliance with discharge
regulations
• Redesign umbrella
• Taxi knows the way
• Chicken and dog fence, food
• Reversal:
air - cigarette - filter - lungs
• Prevent person to go from A to B
The REAL problem
• Automobiles – main problem in a
city?
Example: Parking Problems
 Time value of hunting
 Risks
 Buy a spot? Tokyo
 Buy a right? Singapore
 Buy it with the car? Toyota?
Concept Fan
Hang something from ceiling
• Ladder
• New concepts
- lengthen arm
- throw object
- use a stand instead
Example of the concept fan:
Coping with Water Shortage
• Reduce consumption
Increase efficiency of use
• Reduce wastage
• Discourage use
• Getting to it: Education
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Increase supply
New sources
Recycling
Less wastage
• Do without
• Stop water using
processes
• Avoid need to use water
• Use other fluid
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Use other fluid
Wastewater
Oil
Air
Nature of concepts
We are in the business of
• selling gold-plated pens
• selling writing instruments
• selling prestige writing instruments
• luxury personal items
• luxury goods
• selling whatever people want
• making our directors happy
• making profits
Gyro Gearloose
Name: Gyro Gearloose Address: He
lives together with his Helper in a house or
perhaps in his workshop in Duckburg.
Born: 19?? on the Northside, Duckburg.
First appearance: 1952 in Gladstone's
Terrible Secret. Created by: Carl Barks
Father: Fulton Gearloose
Mother: Unknown Siblings: Unknown
Spouse: None Children: None Other
close relatives: Ratchet Gearloose
(grandfather).
In some stories he has a nephew called
Newton, but he don't exist in the
Barks/Rosa Duck-universe.
Occupation: An intelligent, but not always
successful inventor.
Gearloose Inventions
More Exercises
• Urgent parking
• Urgent telephones
• Page numbering
• Shape of glasses
More Exercises
• Ballpoint and gravity
• Cut square in 4 pieces
• Water shortage
• Construction drill
Parallel Thinking – 6 Hats
Obtain facts
Feelings
Benefits
Disadvantages
Creative thinking
Overview
Com Assignment 2
• Groups to have their inaugural meeting
• Discuss the idea of a better intercity transportation
system across the US (or the world) in any form
• How could this be modified to make it sustainable?
• Alternative solution?
• Use all the techniques as learned,
particularly the 6 hats
• Joint report (1-2p) by September 7th
Hard copy to instructor
Report Format, Assignment 2
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Names in group and group number
Opening statement and problem
Questions addressed
Ideas generated under each hat
Mention technique used to generate idea
Final recommendation
Assignment for bonus points
• Create a joke of your own
• Consider some de Bono techniques in doing this
• By preference, the joke should be based on
wordplay, e.g. double meanings or similar
sounding words
• Submit at any time, before November 30, directly
to instructor by e-mail for a maximum of 5 points
• Statement on authenticity to be included
Some solutions to Exercise on
adding numbers 1-100
• One way would be to plot the series of numbers
as x from 1 to 100 and showing the value as y 1
to 100. To form a triangle, we need to start at 0,
so we have 101 numbers. The sum of the
numbers is the integral of the triangle, i.e. ½
basis x height, i.e. 50.5 x 100 = 5050.
• The average value is ½(1 + 100) = 50.5
For 100 numbers, the sum is 50.5 x 100 = 5050
Introduction 1
Nathan A. Ross
• [Background] In today’s fast-paced world, citizens
demand convenient transportation routes. In the cities of
East Moline, Illinois, and Bettendorf, Iowa, this demand
is not being met. Citizens traveling from one city to the
other must drive an unnecessary 20 minutes just to
cross the Mississippi River.
• [Aim] This transportation predicament can be alleviated
with the construction of a bridge spanning between the
two cities.
• [Modus Operandi] The need for this bridge to be
constructed will become apparent through a summary of
traffic reports, government publications, and strong
recommendations from the public.
COM ASSIGNMENT 1
Introduction 2
COM ASSIGNMENT 1 Ryan Anderson
[opening statement] Speed limits on Iowa's
Interstates should be increased.
[motivation] Traveling across the state is not
efficient. Improvements in transportation need to
be made to meet the needs of society now, and
in the future.
[modus operandi] Statistics and experiments
compiled in this report will show that raising the
speed limits will increase the efficiency and
safety of our Interstates.
Introduction 3
COM ASSIGNMENT 1 Rachel Stearns
(Background) When the Iowa State University
(ISU) campus was first laid out, the designers
couldn't have anticipated the automobile
congestion of today's fast paced society.
(Problem/aim) To help accommodate today's large
student and faculty body, the school should
develop more parking areas close to campus.
(Method of Approach)
Through facts and figures provided by the ISU
Department of Public Safety, the need for more
parking will be shown. Designs from other
universities will also be used to show better
layout ideas.
Introduction 4
Com Assignment 1
Stephen Norton
(Background) From the creation of automobiles and
manufacturing plants, human beings have been releasing
harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.
(Problem) The releasing of these chemicals are having harsh
effects in the areas of global warming, ultra violet radiation, and
air pollution. Slowly these chemicals are increasing our
planet’s temperature that is melting the polar ice caps,
increasing the amount of ultra violet radiation that causes
skin cancer, and increasing the amount of toxic pollutants in
the air that cause health problems.
(Solution) Various studies, experiments, first hand accounts, and
>interviews with experts will be used throughout this report to
examine how the release of chemicals is having such harsh
effects.