Golf as the Inspiration for Ideation
(Scott) I was thinking about a golf drill this morning and thought it might be a great metaphor for an ideation exercise. For those of you who golf, this will sound familiar. For others, well, indulge me.
When I'm practicing putting, I like to put a ring of 4 golf balls around the hole - all of them one foot from the hole. It's like the hole is the center of a clock, and the balls are positioned 1 foot away at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. After I make all 4 putts, I do the same thing, but this time move the balls so they are 2 feet from the hole. Then again, but 3 feet, then 4 feet and finally 5 feet.
I like this as an approach to ideation. First identify your focal point (topic), which is akin to the hole. Then, generate ideas that are close-in... 1 foot from the cup. For example, if you're creating the latest, greatest frozen pizza, start with new toppings ideas. Then, take each of the ideas you just created and push them further out... perhaps new ways of putting the toppings on the pizza (i.e. they come in individual bags so you can spread the pepperoni around as you choose). Then, take that idea and push it further out... and further out... until you're creating wilder ideas.
This could be a comfortable way for a conservative culture to really shake up their thinking... baby steps. Or, a decent way to improve your putting.
How else could you move a group from close-in ideas to far-out ideas?
When I'm practicing putting, I like to put a ring of 4 golf balls around the hole - all of them one foot from the hole. It's like the hole is the center of a clock, and the balls are positioned 1 foot away at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. After I make all 4 putts, I do the same thing, but this time move the balls so they are 2 feet from the hole. Then again, but 3 feet, then 4 feet and finally 5 feet.
I like this as an approach to ideation. First identify your focal point (topic), which is akin to the hole. Then, generate ideas that are close-in... 1 foot from the cup. For example, if you're creating the latest, greatest frozen pizza, start with new toppings ideas. Then, take each of the ideas you just created and push them further out... perhaps new ways of putting the toppings on the pizza (i.e. they come in individual bags so you can spread the pepperoni around as you choose). Then, take that idea and push it further out... and further out... until you're creating wilder ideas.
This could be a comfortable way for a conservative culture to really shake up their thinking... baby steps. Or, a decent way to improve your putting.
How else could you move a group from close-in ideas to far-out ideas?
posted by ROInnovation at 11:20 AM
2 Comments:
I like it! what about baking as inspiration. you get all the ingredients you need, mix them up in various yet specific ways (like different exercises) but purposefully hold yourself back from creating the final product until you've had time to stop, wait, incubate, think, and let the brain do its own work......then allow the full idea to rise and be ready.
I often find that it's the incubation phase - letting the subconscious form its own connections, giving the brain a real rest - that we lose in creative workshops that are pushed for time.
Good idea, one possible way to do it is with a timeline. E.g. generate ideas for now - 12 months time (more rational), then 1 - 3 year etc. Then you can remove any blockers e.g. technology doesn't exist as you go further and further out.
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