Parts Purge uses both related and unrelated problem stimuli. This can make it a versatile activity to apply to a variety of types of problems with a variety of brainstorming personality types (that is, people who prefer one type of stimulation over another). The required free associations and reliance on all group members can help push out thinking boundaries and engage the participants more than in less structured brainstorming activities.
Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
• What was most helpful about this exercise?
• What was most challenging?
• What can we apply?
• How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
• Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
• What did you learn?
• What will we be able to use from this exercise?
• What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
Parts Purge Handout
Suppose you want to improve a table lamp. First, list major attributes and subattributes:
• Name: table lamp
• Parts: base, bulb, cord, shade, switch
• Shapes: round, cylindrical, pleated
• Functions: illuminates, heats, collects dust
• Material: cloth, metal, rubber
Next, free-associate using one or more of the attributes. For example:
• Table lamp: lantern, cow, tipsy, shed, fire, Chicago
• Base: acid, soda, water, bottle, drink
• Switch: spank, paddle, ping pong, table, games
• Illuminates: lights, sky, stars, rockets, gravity
• Metal: heavy, light, air, breath, oxygen
Finally, use these free associations to generate ideas to improve a table lamp:
• Alampshade with shutters to create different lighting effects (from “lantern”)
• Alamp with a swivel base to allow reading light adjustments (from “tipsy”)
• Lampshades with panoramic pictures of major cities (from “Chicago”)
• Alamp with video games built in (from “games”)
• Amagnetically levitated lamp (from “gravity”)
• Ahovercraft lamp that can be moved easily around a large table (from “air”)
Taken From : Pfeiffer 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity
