Our Second Task was to learn about three idea generation tools so that we could coach other group members as to how to use this tool. One of the tools that our group used was Random word I will try to give some information about this tool.

Random Word Technique When to use it Use it to stimulate open and divergent thinking and seek creative new ideas. Use it to re-ignite creative thinking when you are running out of ideas. Use it to get people out of a rut when their thinking is still rather conventional. Quick X  Long Logical X  Psychological Individual X  Group How to use it 1. Find a random word Find a random word that will be used as a stimulus for new ideas. You can do this in a number of ways, including: Look around you. What can you see? Can you see any words? What about things? What else is happening? Open a book at a random page. Run your finger around the page and stop at a random point. Look for a suitable word near your finger. Ask the people you are with to give you a random word. Select a word from a prepared list of evocative words (fire, child, brick, sausage, etc.) Good random words are (a) evocative and (b) nothing to do with the problem being considered. Ambiguity also helps. Nouns are usually best, but verbs and adjectives can also be used effectively. 2. Find associations Think about other things about which the word reminds you. Follow associations to see where they go. Think openly: associations can be vague and tenuous (this is creativity, not an exam!). When working with a group of people, you can write these down on a flipchart as people call them out. It can be useful (but not necessary) to leave a space after each associate for use in stage 3. 3. Use the associations to create new ideas Now create new ideas by linking any of the associations with your problem. Again, the linkage can be as vague as you like: what you want is ideas! Write the ideas either next to their associations from step 2 or on a separate page. If other people give ideas that trigger further ideas from you, then you can go off down that route to see where it goes. As a variant, you can do stages 2 and 3 together, finding an association and an immediate idea from this. Example I am seeking a way to reduce discomfort for passengers on trains. With a group of passengers, we look out of the window and see a school. Associations from school are learning, bullying, exams, playtime. Ideas include teaching the rail company how uncomfortable the seats are, taking a firm stance in this, giving marks for different trains and seats and having games on trains so passengers do not notice the uncomfortable seats. How it works Random Words works in particular by making you go elsewhere for ideas, and hence pushes you out of your current thinking rut. It uses the principle of forced association to make you think in new ways and create very different ideas.

Reference: http://www.creatingminds.org/tools/random_words.htm

Edward

Edward

Thank you to all the coaches who assisted our group throughout the course. I must say I learnt a lot of new things and met many interesting people. Our group did a good job and I say a big kudos to everyone who made the a success.  If you wondering if you should participate in Inno 58h I would say yes, because its a whole new experience that help equip you for the challenging working world outside studies. 

Edward

Starting the assignment

Finally, we received the assignment from Paroc. Our task is to create "New products using Building Demolition Waste or Building Site Waste from stone wool insulation products". Something like that we were already thinking after the visit in the company.

Our first workshop in the camp was about thinking "which are the questions we need to find answers to in order to create new products using Building Demolition Waste from stone wool insulation products?" We used Einstein's five questions method and after that, concentrated on the defining the needs of the company.

We came up with many questions and chose five that we considered the most important (as explained in the video):

1. What is our goal? What motivates the company?

– economic benefits

- environmental benefits, CSR

- improved customer service

 

2. What kind of products can be made of stone wool?

3. Who are the customers?  

4. Where is the production going to take place?

- at the site

- at Paroc factory

5. How are we going to commercialize it?

NEEDS:

- Paroc needs a competitive advantage to distinguish from its competitors -> offer service for customers to get rid of construction waste

- Paroc needs to minimize its landfilling costs -> invent how to use the waste

Our colleagues gave us good advice such as that the important thing for us is to  convince the customer that the quality of our recycled products is as good as of new products.

Aleksi, Edward, Elina, Amaia, Luigi & Javier

Welcome to the innovation camp!

This is our room...

Aleksi, Edward & Elina