IDEA DNA - the secret to creative thinking

Designers don't simply produce designs, they create ideas.

And what are ideas? They are new combinations of old elements which you may not have considered before. The process of coming up with these new combinations is accessible to anyone who wishes to pursue it. It's not a walk in the park but I firmly believe that anyone can do it and should be encouraged to do so.



Clients who come to me asking for ideas or concepts for marketing campaigns are usually empty handed. They come seeking solutions because they are too busy to stop their work and think about their business and how to promote it. The first thing I do is start to ask them questions and get them to think about their issues in a way that they may not have done before. Whether they like it or not they are dragged into the creative thinking arena. A designer needs information, and needs to extract as much information as possible in order to have the raw materials for the creative thinking process. The only person who knows their business or product inside out is the client themselves.

In order to be able to come up with ideas there are a series of clear steps or stages that you need to go through. The desired outcome of being able to come up with a new combination of old elements is linked to being able to see relationships or similarities between different pieces of knowledge. Your ability to make a tangible leap and connect things which at the outset appear separate is vital to the process. As an example, a designer working on any sales and marketing campaign must be able to fully understand the product or service in a meaningful way in order to be able to communicate it to the wider audience. The potential buyer or recipient of the information may not be aware of the benefits of the subject or even realise that they want or need it. The designer must therefore have a good grasp of the audiences psyche to be able to make the golden connection between the subject and the mind of the buyer.

The following technique is taken from a book by James Webb Young called 'A Technique for Producing Ideas' originally published in the 1940s. It is still relevant today because it is founded on very simple principles of psychology and understanding how the brain works.

The technique for producing ideas follows a six step process. None of the steps can be avoided, sidetracked or skipped over. They are all vital steps towards producing a creative idea.

1. The first step is to gather raw material - this is the stage where you find out all the facts and relevant information around your subject. The more raw data you gather the more informed your solution will be. Do not try and avoid this step. Research is vital and this is your foundation for everything you build. Many designers often make the mistake of sitting around searching for inspiration too early on and rack their brains wondering why it just doesn't come to them.
2. The second step is an ongoing one of education. In order to be able to make new connections you need to be able to have something to connect your subject to. If you have lived in a cave devoid of input then you will have nothing to output. This stage is about gathering general information about the world at large. Daily news, history, psychology, sport, modern art - anything and everything you can absorb will become a potential source of inspiration. Explore all life and events - keep a scrapbook. The more individual pieces information you have gathered and stored in your brain from step 1 and step 2, the more possible combinations you will be able to come up with.
3. Your mind is now a melting pot. During this stage of the process you need to wander off in a daydream like state and ponder your information and facts. Thinking about this information too intently will not help. You need to remind yourself of things you have absorbed and consider how thy might relate to another unrelated item. If they don't seem to fit then put them down and try another combination. The important thing here is write down all the little thoughts that pop into your head. They may not make sense or be the actual idea but they are the path and the signs which take you there. Keep going at this process until you feel you have exhausted all the avenues that you think you can possibly come up with. You may even find that you get a second wind and have another go after a short break but the feeling that you have burnt out will return again quickly.
4. The next stage is to drop the subject and make an effort to move onto something else. The idea is to get the whole subject out of your mind. Go and do something else to help get it out. Watch a movie, go to a concert, go out with friends - go and get stimulated by something else unconnected but whatever you do put your mind onto something different. The reason for this is that you  have done the groundwork and its time to hand the job over to your subconscious. Your brain will be working on it even when you don't think it is - mainly while you sleep. Anyone who has learnt to juggle (or any other physical activity) will have seen this in action. Practice and practice and practice a move and you make small amounts of progress. Sleep on it and the following day you find that things you were struggling with before seem to come naturally all of a sudden. This is because the conscious mind has passsed the short term memory over to the unconscious mind which has committed it to long term and physical memory. Whilst you have slept your mind has made connections which were 'almost' complete and made them concrete.
5. If you have followed all of the previous stages properly and thoroughly then this stage will simply come to you when you least expect it. Your unconscious mind will deliver the Idea like a surprise package when you least expect it. It can come at any time so try and keep a notepad handy. It could be the middle of the night or when you first come too in the morning - chances are it wont be at the exact time when you're ready and waiting for it!
6. Shaping and developing your idea. The last stage is the reality check. Scary for some, especially if they feel that this new idea is their baby. You have to look at your idea for what it is and see it's flaws - does it really fit the situation or are you just making a leap of faith because you have followed its progress? Don't worry if it doesn't fit - it probably just needs some refining and adapting to make it work. If you can't see how to do this - seek opinions of others. Asking for input can mean that a good idea will be added to by others - making it grow and flourish.

This is a process that has worked for me over the years and its not something that just 'creative' people can do. Anyone can follow this process and like anything, practice makes perfect.

How do you come up with ideas?