To Think the Unthinkable

Creativity – How to do it.

How do they do it? How do people think of things that are ‘new’ and ‘original’? We’ve been on this planet for about 7 million years now, surely we have thought of everything there is to think of!

We’ve got people who are going to live on Mars…

Commercial space travel…

Computers that work without touch (like in minority report, you know the one)…

And the Zip...

What else do we need…?

But people are constantly coming up with new ideas in product creation, design, and marketing. How can you do the same? Here's my few little tips to get your brain kick started into creativity and beyond.

Firstly, what inspires you? What makes you think? Does your brain work best while you lie in bed solving all political problems of the world, or does it tend to give you the meaning to life when you’re out for a long walk? Whatever it is that makes you mentally move, get going and let your mind wander around the different possible approaches to your problem. Einstein once said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, so why would you sit there and do the same thing over and over and expect one of those times to summon an answer to your problem?

The key to creative thinking is the very first thing you think of. Scrap it. It popped into your head. It probably also popped into everyone else’s head. It may seem like a good idea but, unfortunately, it’s also the most obvious one, and if you’re in a competitive market then you’ll want the element of originality.

Take a look at all the different areas that make up your product/idea and pick one of those? What could you do with that? How many different angles can you approach that from? For example, take Wimbledon. Instantly, I think of tennis, strawberries and white clothes. But what else is there? How about those quick fire ball boys, the crowds’ pendulum eye movements or that ever present Wimbledon logo. Once you’ve picked one of those areas then divide that up again. Could I have a ball boy experience day? What does the ball boy training consist of? How does one move up the ranks of ball boy to become ball boy overlord?

So that’s it. My best advice I have to bestow on you, and it’s short and sweet: inspirational surroundings, scrap the first thought and keep thinking.

Here’s hoping it helps you think a million miles away from that metaphorical box.