• To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
• To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
Participants
Small groups of four to seven people each
Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
• For each group: markers, two flip charts, and masking tape for posting flip-chart sheets
• For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots (1?2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
Handout
• We Have Met the Problem and It Is We Handout
Time
30 minutes
Related Activities
• Stereotype [10]
• Imaginary Mentor [42]
• What if. . . ? [49]
Procedure
1. Distribute the We Have Met the Enemy and It Is We Handout, review the example with the participants, and answer any questions they may have.
2. Recite the following instructions to the groups: “Think about what your problem would say, think, and feel about itself and its relation to its environment. What bugs it? What does it like? What are its major concerns, challenges, and opportunities? Write down your responses on a flip chart.”
3. Tell them to use their descriptions as stimuli to brainstorm ideas, write them on Post-it® Notes, and place them on the flip chart for evaluation.
Variation • Have individual group members take turns speaking the part of whatever object is chosen.
Debrief/Discussion
This is an especially useful exercise for people who are good at fantasizing and being playful. Because it requires users to suspend belief about inanimate objects talking, not everyone may excel at using it. However, most groups will have one or two people who can, and that’s usually all it takes. Other group members then can use their thoughts to ignite ideas.
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?
Taken From : Pfeiffer 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity
