Linking Problems, Solutions, and Activities 25
- Picture Tickler [17] (Uses unrelated pictures to generate ideas. Many people
respond well to visual stimuli, especially stimuli unrelated to a problem.) - I Like It Like That [55] (Analogies have been used for years to resolve especially
difficult problems, have been researched by academicians favorably, and help
users create novel perspectives.) - What if...? [49] (This simple “sentence trigger” helps push us to explore the lim-
its of our imagined possibilities and reduces restrictions imposed by conventional
assumptions.) - PICLed Brains [16] (Based on 476 words unrelated to a problem. The number and
variety of stimuli seem to help trigger free associations naturally. So it will be
especially useful for those who can free-associate easily but also for those who
cannot.) - Turn Around [52] (One of my all-time favorites due to its ability to force us to con-
sider even the most basic assumptions that may be blocking us and to use them to
provoke ideas.) - Exaggerate That [39] (A cousin to Turn Around [52], this activity provides another
way to easily surface unwarranted assumptions and transform them into ideas.) - Tickler Things [21] (This relative of Picture Tickler [17] and PICLed Brains [16]
provides participants with unrelated, tangible objects they can touch, see, and use
as idea triggers.) - Get Crazy [5] (The ideas we normally might label as “crazy”—such as the tele-
phone originally was—often are the ones that force us to expand our perspectives
and then look for something practical out of the initially absurd. The deliberate
search for “crazy” ideas often can move us in new directions.) - Preppy Thoughts [32] (One great thing about this activity is that it helps spark
visual thinking by placing random prepositions between a problem statement’s
verb and objective, thus providing a unique combination of multiple idea stimuli.)
Top Ten Group Activities- What’s the Problem? [70] (When other activities fail in their ability to spark
unique ideas, this activity can be a savior, although the setup for the stimuli
involve a little more effort. Its most powerful feature is the ease with which it can
eliminate preconceived notions and spark novelty.) - Drawing Room [59] (Three positive features are the use of unrelated stimuli, the
number of stimuli, and the requirement for people to walk around a room and
look at various drawings. Research shows that movement can facilitate creative
thinking.) - The Name Game [97] (Although it is somewhat more complex and time-consum-
ing than many activities, it’s game-like format and focus on transforming suppos-
edly improbable ideas into workable ones makes this exercise a potential winner.) - Brain Purge [82] (If you need a lot of ideas in a short time and can depend on the
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