Reflection on Creative Thinking

Reflection week 2 8
This Reflection contains information about different Creative Thinking strategies. It will explain different concepts and scenarios that have been discussed in tutorials. This report will also describe how creativity is used in the Todays society,

Reflection on Creative Thinking

Reflection on Creative Thinking

Reflection week 2 8

Introduction:
In todays society the role of creativity has played a huge part on what we consider to be normal items and services. What we may take for granted today, has not always been around, and thanks to people who are thinking outside the box, we now have inventions that make things like communication, traveling and living a whole lot easier. Lets take the telephone as an example. Back in the early 90s you where barely able to send an sms, and the size of the phone itself was almost as big as brick, not to mention the weight of it. Already, just after two decades we now have internet, camera, gps systems, Bluetooth, social networking, instant messaging, calendars, music, photos etc. The list goes on, and it is all thanks to the creative entrepreneurs, and their ideas coming to life. It is important however, to know that creative thinking doesnt always come easy. Luckily there are a lot if different strategies created by people who believe that ideas are worth spreading. And by using these different strategies, your idea might become more purposeful towards the main objective, and maybe it will give a new light over the whole idea. In this Reflection, I will be using a lot of different theories and strategies, and see how they effect my creativity, either in a positive or negative way. I will connect different experiences and ideas. And integrate my learning towards my final project.

Motorola - 1990

Nokia - 2000

Samsung galaxy - 2012

Ola Falck 10274133 1

Reflection on Creative Thinking

Week 2:
08/08-2012 Creative Theories:
This lecture was very informative and interesting. Our task was to come up with an idea that would be beneficial for the environment. By using different Creative thinking tools, we where able to come up with an idea that would save the city money, time and at the same time create jobs. In order to come up with our idea, we used a couple of different thinking tools. Mainly the thinking map since we all decided we worked best with that one. At the same time we where seeing connections and combined ideas. We thought of possibilities and where open and flexible to new thoughts. Problem solving was a big part of the discussion, but the main part was having fun. When having fun with an idea, you easily open up more to the people you work with. Yes, in some cases there might be too much fun, but that only creates a stronger bond between the creative minds, and ideas are more likely to come out if all the people in the group feel comfortable. We ended up creating a type of transport that gives you your own cube to travel in. It takes you to whatever suburb you want, and travels so fast and quietly that any other way of transportation would be a waste of time. It was environmental friendly, since it was powered by sun and wind; two of the things Perth has a lot of. By constantly giving each other feedback, we were able to find our main problems and solve them, without too much hassle. This really was a great learning experience, and I will definably keep what I have learnt from this, in mind till the next time I have to brainstorm ideas. Like Erica said in the lecture; This unit is really about reframing thinking, in general, as a skill to be learnt like driving, but specifically creative thinking.

What this activity has taught me:

- - - Work better with others Keep a positive mindset on every idea How to use different perspectives to create my own.

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Reflection on Creative Thinking

Week 3:
15/08-2012 TRIZ:
If there is one thing I learnt from this tutorial and lecture, it is that every thing is a remix. It is actually true that all pop songs sound the same, because they all share common denominators. TRIZ is a combination of different tools that make remixing easier. It is a system for problem solving and uses the principle that all people share a common universal principle of creativity. In this tutorial we created a music festival by using TRIZ as our main helping tool. We created a concert where the Beatles would be reincarnated with the help of technology and a holograph. (like the one they used on 2pac) We where able to come up with this idea, since we combined our rational thoughts and asked our selves: What would be the most awesome concert to go to? we both figured out that the Beatles was not only big in their time. But still are in today`s society. By using this concept, we have to keep in mind that when doing something, there are always consequences. For instance, this technology is expensive to use, so tickets would probably be expensive. These are some dilemmas TRIZ help solve and create at the same time. I feel that in order to be creative, you have to stop thinking so much about the consequences, because they will always make you go away from ideas, instead of tweaking them, and making them useful. Then again, it is hard to actually control your creativity, since it usually comes when it feels like it. The task we where presented with were a great way to understand how TRIZ works. Not only in theory, but also by using it to create something that a lot of people would find interesting. My partner and I are confident that the festival would have sold out, and that it would have been a success. And what more can you ask for?

What this activity has taught me:

- - - Remix of ideas Solve dilemmas with TRIZ tools Create ideas worth sharing

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Reflection on Creative Thinking

Week 4:
22/08-2012 Film, radio and television:
In This lecture we were suppose to create a 10 minute short film with a partner, keeping in mind that there is only a 5000 dollar budget, we created a short movie with different characters, in an interesting setting. In order to create ideas and a cleaver plot, we used multi-dimensional thinking and mind mapping to create the essential elements. For me personally, multi-dimensional thinking worked best to create ideas and an exciting plot. When using Multi-dimensional thinking it is important to have variety and diversity to be able to come up with the best ideas. By creating a short movie with five different characters my brain are constantly working, and I am able to borrow, combine and create personalities to fit my characters. With this I also used mind mapping to find out what may come of this short movie. The end result was a short movie where four characters get deceived by the last one. The twist was that the fifth character was not a real person, but the combination of lust and egoism by the other four characters combined. I think it would look better on screen, but what was important was that I was able to create a short movie with another person in just a couple of minutes, using mind mapping and multi-dimensional thinking. When using the mind map, I started writing the word (conflicts) in the center of the page. From there I started drawing lines between different associations, and ended up with a page full of characters, personalities and plots. For me this is a good way to constantly refresh the thoughts, and make the best out of each idea and thought, one idea, might lead to ten good ones. Doodling also creates a vantage point when it comes to graphical thinking. I am able to visualize what is going to happen, when and where in the movie. I do however need to be more open to other peoples ideas, and be able to understand and connect with their point of view. By doing that, we could probably make it to the Cannes film festival.

What this activity has taught me:

- - - Create characters to a movie How to learn from other ideas Work under pressure and still be creative.

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Reflection on Creative Thinking

Week 5:
29/08-2012 Six thinking hats:
Todays tutorial was about the six thinking hats. We had a class discussion on Snus, or Chill and used the thinking hats to combine ideas and thoughts about the whole process. The six thinking hats are basically six different tools to become more creative. It is also called Lateral thinking, and is known to be the opposite of logical and vertical thinking. Logical thinkers tend to go from one concept to another, just like a pair of steps. They constantly look for answers, and while creative people ask the questions. This is what we did today. We were the lateral thinkers, but we combined it with logical thinking at the same time. In creativity, nothing is impossible. Before our discussion, we used the thinking hats to create ideas and theories about what product we wanted in Australia. The hats have different colors, and it is usually more beneficial if you use them in the right order. By starting of with the blue hat, which is used to set the agenda and continue with the white one to collect the different information on the subject. The green hat generates ideas, so that the red had to analyze and share feelings about the ideas. The yellow hat and black hat are used to look for possible problems, and the whole proses can be repeated till you have youre product. With the help of the thinking hats we were able to figure out how snus; a Scandinavian tobacco product could be introduced to the Australian marked. By changing the name to chill seems to be the most important change for the Australians. It was very exiting to listen to what Australians thought about this product, compared to what Scandinavians think about it. Down here almost every one would make a face when they smelled it. In Norway the box would probably be empty when it was returned. So it becomes clear that during this tutorial, we all had different ideas and mindsets about the product, but we ended up creating a pretty good idea on how to introduce it to Australia. That is what creative thinking is all about.

What this activity has taught me:

- - - Problem solving Generate ideas quicker Understanding cultural differences.

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Reflection on Creative Thinking

Week 6:
05/09-2012 Creative software applications:
In todays tutorial we were discussing different apps that are available on Smartphones. My partner and I discovered an app that was called panic button, which basically sets of an alarm, and sends your location together with a pre written text to your ICE (in case of emergency) contacts. I believe that the app was created as a safety mechanism for woman, so that they can feel safer walking home alone etc. We thought that the concept of this app is brilliant, since there have been a lot of attacks, and blind violence in Norway the last couple of years. (A Norwegian company originally created the app) Personally I think that apps for smartphones in some cases ignore the potential they have. You can download millions of games and puzzles, but when it comes to protection and safety, almost every app you find is either fake or just nonsense. It is easier to fulfill the consumers needs by giving them simple entertainment and creating games. And there is nothing wrong about that, and most apps are actually really creative, and innovative. I do however feel that a smartphone should make your life easier, and apps are the main tool to make this happen. By using some of the theories from creative thinking, I have come up with an app that I feel would benefit a lot of people, and at the same time make everyday tasks easier. By using ideas from other apps, and other peoples ideas, I combine them and came up with an invention I call MyLife The idea is to combine a router (which almost every household have), electric stickers, and your smartphone. The stickers are specially designed for your house, and you can order them from a secure website. The main idea is that you place the stickers on for instance your light switch, and you will be able to control the light from your Smartphone. The router sends out the signals, and there you go. I feel that this tutorial exercise really taught me how to easily create ideas by surrounding yourself with how other apps are built up, and what their purpose is. It also makes it easier if you use different concepts such as the thinking hats, mind mapping, TRIZ etc.

What this activity has taught me:

- - - The process behind app making How to inspire other thinkers Rethinking ideas and concepts

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Reflection on Creative Thinking

Week 7:
12/09-2012 Writing and publishing:

This tutorial consisted of three different tasks; free writing, group writing and Persuasive Dialogue. Personally I feel that both Free writing and Group writing was a bit waste of time. It is fun, and there was a lot of laughter when the stories were presented, but for me it was a time consuming activity that I cant say I gained a lot from. The concept of free writing is great for people who find it hard to start writing, or having trouble finding creative solutions or ideas. The word is very self-explanatory; you just write down whatever comes to your head. As a creative thinker, I feel that the first two tasks where something taken out of a children book. With that said there is the saying that states; the creative adult is the child who survived. I can see how some people would benefit from these exercises, since you constantly have to come up with new material to write within a short period of time. For me, unfortunately it was not very beneficial, since I usually dont have a problem creating new ideas, but rather sorting out which ones are worth pursuing. The final task was Persuasive Dialogue, and I feel that if this task was changed in certain ways, I could benefit more from it. My first two stories from the previous tasks where not very academic, so for me the last task followed the footsteps of the previous tasks. Fortunately, I have found a way to make these tasks more beneficial for me, and even though the original exercise is altered with, I feel that I am able to learn, create and speed up my creativity. So this is my own version of the exercise (it might resemble a mind-map, but its a bit different): First I think of a word, it can be whatever I want, but it should

What this activity has taught me:

- - -

Combining different exercises Get the brain warmed up How to create tension between be a word close to what I want to accomplish. When I have a ideas. word, lets say its Technology I start associating the word with what my original idea is. In this example my idea is how can technology make my life easier by

constantly thinking about these two, and write down whatever comes to my mind, I am able to create new ideas towards one question. By combining the other two task, I can get other peoples views, and figure out what they think, and use our different ideas to find a solution to the original question. Ola Falck 10274133 7

Reflection on Creative Thinking

Week 8:
19/09-2012 Architecture:
The topic for this tutorial was Architecture, and the task was to design an apartment or house that fits with my lifestyle. By creating a list on what I do on a weekly basis, I was able to figure out what my dream house would look like, and what needs to be a part of my apartment. From my list I realized that I would need a pretty big apartment, and in order for me to be able to design my dream apartment I have to take ideas from places Ive been, and modify them for my own benefits. There are four things from the list that I feel I actually need to have; a kitchen, a bedroom, a bar and an entertainment room. My original thought was to combine the kitchen and the bar. But instead of doing that, I decided to have the bar out on the terrace, and let the kitchen be for itself. By doing this I save both money and space, and it will fit my lifestyle better. My philosophy is that the smaller place you have, the less there is to clean, and I really dont like cleaning. For me a medium apartment with a decent kitchen, nice bedroom and a living room would be perfect. As you can see the apartment is not very big, but just enough for one person, and the couch is a pull out as well, so if someone comes to visit, they can sleep there. The bedroom is on the right, and a king size bed was supposes to be there, but it disappeared. My bedroom is a study room and a place where I can work out. The Bedroom is located right across the bathroom, so I wont have to go through the whole apartment when I wake up/go to bed. The living room is simple, but it has all the necessary things like a TV, bookshelf and a couch. And it has a door to Ola Falck 10274133 8

Weekly activities:
- - - - - - - - - Driving Bar / socialize Entertainment Cooking Longboarding Study Work out Sleep Terrace

Reflection on Creative Thinking the terrace, where I can BBQ and enjoy the sunset. There is also an outdoor day bed there, where I can just be lazy and socialize with friends when they come over.

What this activity has taught me:

- - - - Solution orientated decisions Planning, creating and arranging Making ideas suited for me Connecting ideas and concepts

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