Are you feeling a bit stuck for new ideas? Do you need to get your creative juices flowing again? We’ve put together a list of our favourite, quick ways to get out of creative ruts and spark new ideas:
Osborn’s checklist
From the father of brainstorming, Osborn’s checklist is a simple, powerful tool to help you build on existing ideas to come up with new ones. It’s easy. Just take an existing idea or solution, and ask yourself these questions:
- adapt? What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? What could I copy?
- modify? New twist? Change meaning, colour, motion, odour, taste, form, shape?
- substitute? Who else instead? What else instead? Other ingredient? Other material? Other process? Other approach?
- magnify/minimise? What to add/subtract? More/less time? Greater/lesser frequency? Duplicate? Multiply/divide?
- rearrange? Interchange components? Other pattern? Other layout? Other sequence?
- combine? How about a blend, an alloy, an assortment, an ensemble? Combine units?
- any other use? New ways to use as is? Other uses if modified?
Stattys
Stattys are like post its that use static to stick to walls. Since they’re not relying on adhesive, you don’t have to worry about them falling off and they are super easy to move around as your ideas develop. They are great for organising your thoughts and ideas visually. We are Statty addicts at Make Happy HQ and never brainstorm without them!
Walk and Talk
Grab a colleague and go for a walk. Talk through the problem/challenge you’re trying to tackle. You’ll be amazed how much a bit of exercise and a change of scenery will help you get a fresh perspective and start thinking of new approaches.
It’s easy to get stuck when you’re trying to come up with new ideas and solutions. Try these three tips and see if they help you move past your creativity rut.