BeCreative
A toolbox of 23 creative problem-solving techniques for business and engineering problems. Rebuilt from becreative.city.ac.uk and its Web Archive copies so it loads instantly.
23 techniques
Problem definition
Analogical Reasoning
Analogical reasoning is a process of generating ideas from similarities between your problem and something else – a different domain, product, service or even world…
1–Many people · Exploratory, Combinational
Problem definition
Assumption Busting
Assumption busting is a simple technique that involves listing all of the assumptions that are important to your problem, including the obvious ones, and then challenging the correctness of each assumption in turn…
1–6 people · Exploratory
Problem definition
Backwards Forwards Planning
Backwards forwards planning is a simple creativity technique that helps you to discover, scope and define a complex problem most appropriately, by creating a hierarchy of problems and solutions…
1–6 people · Exploratory
Problem definition
Boundary Examination
Boundary examination is a simple creativity technique that does exactly what its name suggests – it guides you to explore the boundaries of your original problem and, as needed, change them to support and enable more creative thinking…
1–5 people · Exploratory, Combinational, Transformational
Idea Generation
Brainsketching
Brain-sketching is a problem solving technique during which people sketch to illuminate a problem statement or solution concept then build on other peoples' sketches…
4–8 people · Exploratory, Combinational
Idea Generation
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a group problem-solving technique that involves gathering spontaneously contributed ideas from all members of the group to find a conclusion for a specific problem…
3–12 people · Exploratory
Idea Selection
Consensus Mapping
The Consensus Mapping technique supports a facilitator and group to reach consensus about how to arrange a network of 20–30 different activities into a possible solution to a problem…
2–12 people · Exploratory, Combinational
Idea Implementation
Customer Journey Map
The customer journey map is a graph that describes the journey of a user by representing the different touchpoints – any point of contact (physical, virtual or human) between a customer and the service provider – where s/he interacts with the service…
2–6 people · Exploratory, Combinational, Transformational
Idea Generation
Desktop Walkthrough
A desktop walkthrough involves stakeholders in acting out a service experience using small, hand sized toys and some paper touchpoints – any point of contact (physical, virtual or human) between a customer and the service provider – on a desktop or table top…
2–10 people · Exploratory, Combinational
Problem definition
Dimensional Analysis
The Dimensional Analysis technique provides a simple checklist with which to undertake a first-cut examination of the problems, in particular an examination associated with the social and human nature of the problem…
1–Many people · Exploratory
Problem definition
Do Nothing
The Do Nothing technique encourages you to think through what might happen if you do nothing to solve your current business or engineering problem…
1–5 people · Exploratory
Problem definition
Expectation Map
An expectation map is a collection of pictures and sketches that chart stakeholder emotional reactions to a current service, prior to the redesign of that service…
1–6 people · Exploratory
Idea Generation
F-R-E-E Writing
F-R-E-E-Writing is a simple creativity technique that can be used to generate ideas in small groups. F-R-E-E stands for: Fast, Raw, Exact-but-Easy…
3–6 people · Exploratory
Idea Generation
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame is a simple and effective creativity technique that allows a problem solver to explore how a well-known persona (either fictional or real) would solve a particular problem…
1–6 people · , Combinational
Idea Generation
Heuristic Ideation Technique (HIT)
Heuristic Ideation Technique (HIT) is a technique that uses the components of 2 items to create new ideas using a combinatorial matrix…
1–8 people · Exploratory, Combinational, Transformational
Idea Selection
Idea Advocate
Idea Advocate is a simple technique in which different participants champion different ideas that have already been generated in a creative process, in order to share, understand and choose between these ideas…
2–12 people · Exploratory
Idea Implementation
Negative Brainstorming
Negative brainstorming is a technique helping with the analysis of a final short-list of existing ideas and forcing perspective shifts, from positive to negative to positive ideas/solutions…
3–12 people · , Combinational
Problem definition
Other Peoples Definitions
Other People's Definitions is a technique that seeks to discover views of the problem that are different from the client perspective on it, in order to challenge the client's views about the problem.
3–12 people · Exploratory, Combinational
Idea Generation
Parallel worlds
Parallel Worlds is a simple lateral thinking technique that moves the participant into a different world in order to allow the participant to solve their current problem in a more creative way…
2–12 people · Exploratory
Problem definition
Paraphrasing Key Words
Paraphrasing Key Words is a simple technique in which key words in a sentence are substituted with other with similar meaning, one at a time, to evolve the meaning of sentences that describe a current problem or possible solutions …
1–6 people · Exploratory, Transformational
Idea Generation
Random pair-wise combinations of ideas
The Random Pair-Wise Combinations of Ideas technique guides you to connect already generated ideas in order to generate new ideas…
1–5 people · , Combinational
Idea Generation
Role Play
During role-play, human actors who are either the sample users or the designers themselves perform a hypothetical service experience, already developed using other techniques, in front of a small audience of other stakeholder…
4–15 people · Exploratory
Idea Generation
Rough Prototyping
Rough prototyping is a quick method to build prototypes using all the objects and materials available in that specific moment and location…
2–12 people · Exploratory, Combinational, Transformational