Idea Generation
Hall of Fame
Overview
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. It seeks to provide problem solvers with support from famous and relevant characters such as a designer, famous chef or superhero. The technique is suitable for unstructured problem solving with open questions and answers.
It is a simple and effective technique that allows problem solvers to explore how a group of famous people will help solve their challenge using their unique knowledge and practices. To do this, it uses quotes from these people to inform creative thinking by the problem solvers that can be sourced from books, newspapers, magazines, and other media. It also recommends the use of web searches, in which the problem solver uses the main verb of the problem they are trying to solve to find appropriate quotes, such as to minimise something or improve something.
What to do
The technique can be undertaken in 3 basic steps:
- Define the challenge to be solved by the team and choose some famous people to act as advisors. Select some appropriate sentences from the Web. For example, how could
- Rupert Murdoch
- help solve your problem using his uncompromising style to running and acquiring businesses?
- Seek to solve the challenge using the Internet-based advice from the famous person – in this case
- Rupert Murdoch
- . Use the results of web searches to inform your understanding of what Murdoch would do, then apply this understanding to solve the problem;
- Repeat the exercise several times with new quotes by different people. Three famous people, two sentences each (six quotes overall) is a good number to ensure that new and creative ideas are generated.
Software support
Moreover, a website has been developed by our
COLLAGE
project. The website is called Bright Sparks, and you can access it here
People
You can use this technique as an individual, with small groups of people, or in large workshops with information about selected personas displayed to all participants.
Problem solving characteristics
Use the Hall of Fame technique to generate and explore a large number of new ideas to solve your business or engineering problem. It is more effective if your project has either clients and/or project team members that could be personas generated with the Hall of Fame technique.
Creative phases
The Hall of Fame technique is more useful when you are seeking to explore a space of possible solutions, to generate lots of new ideas with which to solve the problem.
Location
You can use this technique anywhere, individually at your desk or collaboratively in workshops.
Equipment
This technique is more effectively used with you a device that is connected to the Internet. Have pens, paper and post-it notes to allow the participants to document and share new ideas.