DESIRE – International Summer School "Theories of Creative Design” Sept. 2009 1
bad ideas:for creativity and design
Alan Dix
Lancaster University
www.hcibook.com/alan/www.alandix.com
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background
• 1995 – teach research methods in computingHELP!
• change title “research techniques”• I could do it, but had to think about it
• professionals things• academics know about them
… becoming an academic about academia
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understanding and intervention
• many things like magic:creativity, innovation, debugging
• understand how they work=> can make aids/tools
• examine aids/tools=> understand how they work
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today
• some techniques for your own innovation
• (some) reasons why they work
• meta-design and understanding meta-design(meta meta design ??!)
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kinds of creativity
H-creativity vs. P-creativity (M. Boden)
• P-creativity – new for you
• H-creativity – new for the world
know your field: P-creativity => H-creativity
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creative steps – the ant
• lots of small steps• incremental• evolutionary• convergent• slow and safe
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creative steps – the flea
• great leaps• unguided• revolutionary• divergent• fast and often wrong
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creativity is hard
avoiding crocophants
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formula for creativity!
structure + diversity
innovation
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puzzles and problems
puzzles (newspaper puzzle or university exam)
– single ‘right’ solution– all and only the relevant information– problem/puzzle statement fixed
problems (real world)
– many or no solutions– incomplete and irrelevant information– problem requirements negotiable, re-definable
differentheuristicsandtechniques
fun!
work
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chicken and egg
• understanding (or re-defining) the problem is the first step to finding a solution
– often ‘solution’ trivial
how to understand the problem?• understanding the problem with ‘solutions’
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making a place for creativity
intellectual and physical
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design exercise (an example)
Collaborative or Social Networking Thing* for babies and/or parents of babies …
… but … design a bad one / silly one
* at least some physical token or device, not purely web/digital
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prompts …
THE BAD1 what is bad about this idea?2 why is this a bad thing?3 are there any other things that
share this feature but are not bad?
4 if so what is the difference?
try different contextsused car salesman – how would you
sell it to someone?
THE GOOD 1 what is good about this idea?2 why is this a good thing?3 anything that shares this feature
but is not good?4 if so what is the difference?
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make it a good idea
• What is good - keep it• What is bad - change it• Change context• Learn from aspects
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why bad ideas?
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Good Ideas
why bad ideas?
training: – low commitment => easier to critique
design:– large jumps through the design space
??
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Bad Ideas
why bad ideas?
training: – low commitment => easier to critique
design:– large jumps through the design space
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why bad ideas?
training: – low commitment => easier to critique
design:– large jumps through the design space– understanding of the design space
Bad Ideas Meta-level
dimensionscriteria properties
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plus ...
• other divergent techniques:– random metaphors, putting ideas together
• arbitrary constraints:– time, materials, etc.
• externalisation
• personality prostheses
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critical transitionsand generating examples
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critical transitions and bad ideas
• good uses of bad feature: “what’s the difference”
• similar yet critical difference (good/bad)
• helps articulate (externalisation):dimensions, facets, concepts, criteria
• general technique ...
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critical transitions
• construct a boundary case …– example A in category B not in category– make ‘path of small changes from A to B– where does it ‘cross’ the boundary– good for ‘felt’ categories
in category not in category
A B
criticaltransition
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boundaries
• where the action is (wild west, sea shore)
• reductionist – define and delineate• intuitive – life is fuzzy, categories meaningless
a different way• define and delineate
– for what you learn not the result• wholeheartedly seek but hold lightly the outcome
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but how to find examples?
• generating examples – hard• examples from experience easy ??? or is it ???
past now
oldconcept
experience
need
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but how to find examples?
• generating examples – hard• examples from experience easy ??? or is it ???
past now
newconcept
experience
need
generateexamplesimilar surface
characteristics
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but how to find examples?
• generating examples – hard• examples from experience ... actually harder!
but .. generating examples ...• take arbitrary concrete example• morph to new concept• constant concrete – abstract movement
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externalisation
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different kinds
• drawings and sketches• models• diagrams• mathematical formulae• spoken words (learn to listen to yourself)• written words (on paper, or screen)• computer programs• acting
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why externalise?
• informational• passing on to others already formed ideas
• formational• ideas become clearer by the process of externalisation
• transformational• thinking using materials
• transcendental• our thoughts and ideas become the object of thought
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informational
passing on to others already formed ideas
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formational
ideas become clearer by the process of externalisation
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transformational
thinking using materials
e.g. measure length on diagram
c.f. external/distributed cognition
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transcendental
our thoughts and ideas become the object of thought
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multiple classifications
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why multiple classifications?
• taxonomy:– things
• circles– red circles– yellow circles
• squares– red squares– yellow squares
similarity clear
similarity obscured
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multiple classification
– shapes• circles• squares
– colours• red• yellow
shape
colourred yellow
circle
square
tell you in what ways things are similar and in what whay they differ
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using multi-classifications
• to spread literature search
X
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using multi-classifications
• to spread literature search• to identify gaps
somator other
thing-amibob
somatelse
?
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using multi-classifications
• to spread literature search• to identify gaps• to discover trends
thing-amibob
somatelse
??
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using multi-classifications
• to spread literature search• to identify gaps• to discover trends• to uncover abstractions
somator other
thing-amibob
somatelse
differentagain
? ?
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using multi-classifications
• to spread literature search• to identify gaps• to discover trends• to uncover abstractions• to synthesise solutions
somator other
thing-amibob
somatelse
?
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personality prostheses
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a researcher is …
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a researcher is …
• interested• active• confused• geek• optimist
• organised• diligent• insightful• fluent• creative
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imagine …
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selling cars …
• make pink cars• make people like pink
thnx 2 flickr: zwierz, foxp2, texassadie, lightpainter
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eShopping
• requirement: plan a week’s food in advance• make people organised
thnx: http://www.carolyn.topmum.net/tutbury/church/church.htm
DAY TIME FOOD QTYMon 7:45 grapefruit 1/2 tinMon 7:45 tea cupMon 10:30 choc. bsct 3Mon 10:30 coffee 2 cups
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why do it to yourself!
research ...• the goal/outcome is fixed (sort of)• the process involves you
GOAL
papers
data
thesisargument
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who you are
• physical capabilities– maybe go to the gym
• cognitive capabilities– maybe take evening classes
• personality and cognitive style– time management, tidiness, divergent, convergent thinking– slow/hard to change if possible ... and do you want to?– often treated as moral failure– only ever apologise for what you do, never who you are
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakerome/2241606732/
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tools to help you given who you are(NOT to change who you are)
• physical prosthesis– forklift
• cognitive prosthesis– calculator
• personality prosthesisN.B. Csíkszentmihályi – creative thinkers extreme at both ends of personality traits
– convergent thinker – bad idea helps divergence– divergent thinker – prompts help convergence
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don’t say:if only I were like XI could reach my (research) goals
do ask:given the way I amhow do I do things
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bad ideas prompts
externalisation
explicitdesign space
criticaltransitions
divergence convergence
examples(multiple)
classificationsboundaries
personalityprosthesis
breakingbounds
commitment