Osborn: Creative Problem-Solving Process
Alex Osborn is the "O" in the agency BBDO. In 1953, he wrote a book entitled "Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem-Solving." He was one of the first - if not the first - to write about the practical application of brainstorming and creative problem-solving (CPS). Here is how he outlines the CPS process...
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The creative problem-solving process ideally comprises these procedures: (1) Fact-finding. (2) Idea-finding. (3) Solution-finding.
Fact-finding calls for problem-definition and preparation. Problem-definition calls for picking out and pointing up the problem. Preparation calls for gathering and analyzing the pertinent data.
Idea-finding calls for idea-production and idea-development. Idea production calls for thinking up tentative ideas as possible leads. Idea-development calls for selecting the most likely of the resultant ideas, adding others, and reprocessing all of these by such means as modification and combination.
Solution-finding calls for evaluation and adoption. Evaluation calls for verifying the tentative solutions, by tests and otherwise. Adoption calls for deciding on, and implementing, the final solution.
Regardless of sequence, every one of those steps calls for deliberate effort and creative imagination.
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Reactions
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succinct, but in my mind the process needs to loop back from evaluation to fact finding. subsequent cycles should shorten. without testing and iteration, end product is weaker. messier diagram, i know :)
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Posted by: davidicus | October 24, 2007 3:29 AM
I agree with Davidicus.
In my creative thinking, I always try to work around insights. Insights are the basis of ideas. Insights are the result of fact-gathering.
The more surprising and bold this insight is, the better it serves as a basis for ideas. I think the insight is the thing that forms the transition between strategy and creation.
I don't think however that Insights should be thought of as "the big ideas". Insights should be evaluated based on their ability to create a rich idea universe...
or something like that :-)
Posted by: Tom De Bruyne | October 28, 2007 2:06 PM
