Let's Improve The Wheel
Why Reinvent the Wheel?
Sometimes starting from scratch leaves people with a blank, but having something to improve is much easier to deal with. There's already a framework in place to hang things on. With that in mind, I found a Think Tank already in existence and thought perhaps people could improve on what is there - with an eye toward bringing forward the advantages of this group's unique contributions.
Is anyone else here is interested on improving or adopting similar or
differing features of a "think tank" group that already exists at
www.gocreate.com called "brainline"?
Of course, what would make our group different is we have the benefit of thinking tools to help generate ideas through more formalized (and better!) lateral thinking channels.
Check out this creative thinking service and give feedback what you "like" or descriptions about what you notice on some of the specific pages. Having this example solves many of the logistical problems of how to organize 1000 brains and tap their advantages while minimizing the work of "harvesting" and organizing results.
In particular, on that website under "Sample Brainlines," there are two very nice examples of how creative ideas are requested with the various goals of
naming a product
adding sales ideas
What do you think of these two examples in particular? How could they be improved?
Can we use the Six Thinking Hats on this topic?
hR = Red Hat - feelings
hB = Black Hat - cautions
hG = Green Hat - creative
hW = White Hat - facts
hY = Yellow Hat - benefits
hH = Blue hat - process
Sometimes starting from scratch leaves people with a blank, but having something to improve is much easier to deal with. There's already a framework in place to hang things on. With that in mind, I found a Think Tank already in existence and thought perhaps people could improve on what is there - with an eye toward bringing forward the advantages of this group's unique contributions.
Is anyone else here is interested on improving or adopting similar or
differing features of a "think tank" group that already exists at
www.gocreate.com called "brainline"?
Of course, what would make our group different is we have the benefit of thinking tools to help generate ideas through more formalized (and better!) lateral thinking channels.
Check out this creative thinking service and give feedback what you "like" or descriptions about what you notice on some of the specific pages. Having this example solves many of the logistical problems of how to organize 1000 brains and tap their advantages while minimizing the work of "harvesting" and organizing results.
In particular, on that website under "Sample Brainlines," there are two very nice examples of how creative ideas are requested with the various goals of
naming a product
adding sales ideas
What do you think of these two examples in particular? How could they be improved?
Can we use the Six Thinking Hats on this topic?
hR = Red Hat - feelings
hB = Black Hat - cautions
hG = Green Hat - creative
hW = White Hat - facts
hY = Yellow Hat - benefits
hH = Blue hat - process
Tags: Comparison, Tank, Think, design
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Franis on -
Mike Biggs asked this in the general thread. Since it's related to "Re-inventing the Wheel" thought it was appropriate to move over to this thread...
Mike:
I saw this over at Thinkaloo.com. The site is not particularly productive in my mind, however I thought this little concept may be a catalyst for some output in our discussion.
Gum Ball Machine Ideas
http://www.thinkaloo.com/ideas/view/view_idea.php?id=1745
To me, I would ask:
Can we operate on a similar concept? What components transfer well for our use?
What clearly does not work in this concept?
Anyone have any further feedback on the idea?
Ideas delivered in this way cannot be tailored to a specific topic.
Perhaps explaining the contributions as a provocative operation would be more productive.
It could be used as "random word" generator with productive results.
This Gumball Idea Machine is maybe similar to a way to encourage people to use trash cans by putting various recordings that would play as something was tossed into the trash can - little things like this would randomly encourage people to think!
Perhaps it could be used as a way to jog the generation of a "bucket list" of things you'd like to do with your life before you die...
Charging a very small fee to be able to contribute or submit an idea is interesting. -
-
Permalink Reply by Franis on
-
Yes, nice paradoxical question. Think I'll explore it...
PO: people tend to value something in direct proportion to what they pay for it.
If something is free, it is trivial. Yet, every great idea starts out as an imaginative "baby" seed. Sometimes the most trivial is what later becomes the most valuable. How does one determine the seed from the chaff on the front end? How can a person recognize value: the diamonds in dirt?
PO: brilliant ideas are made and not found
Then, the "making" of ideas into value is what takes "work" (not the "finding" or "generation" of ideas.)
Perhaps this creative team should specialize in winnowing out the "great" idea(s) from the "many"? -
-
Permalink Reply by Franis on
-
Another couple of websites that deal in ideas:
I've been a part of for a long time on a website called: http://www.globalideasbank.org
It has languished for lack of administration recently - with lots of spam on it, but still is an interesting attempt at adversing social change with good ideas that affect social change.
Also http://www.creativitypool.com (Warning! The Java sidebar feature on this website is unstable for some slower connections.There used to be a way to deactivate the java feature. ) -
-
Permalink Reply by William Jack Jordan on -
I too have been active on the globalideasbank for quite a number of years.
It focuses on 'social inventions' rather than technological ideas.
I subscribe to anideaaday (you receive an email per day re a new idea) -
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Biggs on -
another idea that I took from the Gumball Machine was that like the operator of that particular machine, the first idea that came out was a self perpetuating one.
For our 'infinite brain machine', we could have a self perpetuating component in the structure as to ensure its continued use and uptake by both users of the service, and of brains to supply it.
There are a few ways to achieve this: prestige to the user/contributor, a benefit or commission based referral..
Ideally it would be great for the system to get to a point where a user can simply pop in their 20c (or a quarter in the US) and get exactly the answer they need.
PO: the user gets the right idea just by using the gumball machine. -
-
Permalink Reply by Cal on -
Franis,
On your comment Of course, what would make our group different is we have the benefit of thinking tools to help generate ideas through more formalized (and better!) lateral thinking channels. - a couple of thoughts, based on my experiences in marketing:
Outright claiming 'better' can be a bit of a sell, as it's considered a claim made by most. Maybe this is already obvious to you, but 'suggesting' 'better' through what is done (and not done) tactic and strategy wise could be an approach to consider.
I'm thinking your direction of 'different' is a good starting point for this. A website page from one of the pioneers of the marketing concept 'positioning', and the importance of differentiation:
http://troutandpartners.com/work/concepts.asp?language=
Finding that one successful 'different' tactic to form a good strategy around can be the most difficult part. For example: A lot of people have already been formally trained up in some de Bono techniques - eg. such as a brother-in-law, who learned Six Hats years ago through his company. So it may not have as much impact as it once did. Also, a lot of people haven't yet heard of, or heard enough of, six hats, lateral thinking, ..... . So those techniques may not stand out in their minds too readily. And then there's the techniques created/being created and marketed by others. They may not be as good, but perceptions of the buyer rules their buying, not necessarily what's really real.
One thing that could be considered is to use words/concepts already in the mind that could 'capture' their interest, and which can't be easily copied by competition. One example - a differentiating tactic that comes to mind, based on the thinking of don't rule out the seeming obvious - those can more quickly make the most sense and be more quickly accepted by the marketplace, if it's a good differentiating tactic :
Depending on how far Mr. de Bono wants to go in being involved in this/lending his name to this, one thing other creative groups can't claim is their being the creative team of 'the father of thinking about thinking'. Maybe something along the lines of 'The XYZ Group | Creative team of the father of thinking about thinking'. Or 'The XYZ Group | Creative team created by the the father of thinking about thinking'.
Those are just initial thoughts. There could be better tactic possibilities, but it's one possible I'm thinking of right now. -
-
Permalink Reply by Franis on
-
Inspiring link from the "trout" business in marketing presentation! Great example.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Cal on
-
Btw, Franis,
In case you haven't come across it yet, the term 'the father of thinking about thinking' I mentioned in my previous post is something I remember coming across in a de Bono book, and/or an article about him, where someone had labeled him that.
------
Add-on:
Found it on the back of Serious Creativity: Dr. Edward de Bono may one day be known as the father of thinking about thinking. USAir magazine
I think I've seen it used elsewhere as well. -
-
Permalink Reply by Franis on
-
Wondering who's the "mother of thinking..." ?
(Besides the Mothers of Invention!) -
-
Permalink Reply by Cal on
-
I don't think there's anyone yet. At least no one who firmly holds it in people's minds. Care to try for the position? :)
But this does bring up an interesting point when it comes to marketing. If everyone is trying to be 'the father', then maybe trying to be 'the mother' could be a better avenue to consider pursuing. Especially if the name was linked to a type of service/products looking to be offered - such as ones where a 'mother's touch' could be perceptually 'sold'/seen to be preferable. Eg. - 'creative thinking for solving women/children issues'. -
-
Permalink Reply by Franis on
-
Here's another interesting example of a creative thinking website that would be similar to what we're after:
http://think-tank.ie/ -
-
Permalink Reply by Franis on
-
Here's another website that provides ideas: http://www.ideas4all.com/
(Juan, it's also in Espanol!!) -
© 2013 Created by Administrator.
Powered by
