What do you do when you feel stuck at the beginning or middle or even the end of a project? How do you resolve the situation? What tactics do you use to refresh your creative thinking?
When we reach our limitations with creating new ideas we can become frustrated and lose valuable time and focus. A common and quick creative technique called random input, can lead you out of the darkness of frustration and help you to successfully reach your projected end goal.
Coined as a creative thinking strategy, random input, is a lateral thinking technique that helps to generate new ideas and perspectives during a problem solving process.
Originally associated to the lateral thinking programs developed by Dr. Edward de Bono, random input has become one of the top creative thinking techniques currently being used in online and physical classroom structures, today. Efficiency in problem solving, finding new ways to improve businesses, and innovative creativity are various situations that have benefited from utilizing the random input technique.
Random input calls for using a random word or picture to create and inspire new ways of thinking. The idea is not to completely solve the problem by using the random word, rather, the intention is to assist your mind with thinking in a new direction. This variation in thinking is the key to random input because it allows for creative and innovative ideas to flourish outside of the logical way of thinking.
Random input was born out of the ideology supporting the theory of lateral thinking. The intention of thoughts to continue moving not only in a linear way but to new and innovative directions and places.
There are several names and/or creative thinking techniques that encompass the methodology of random input. It can be referred to as: random words, forced relationships, or random word brainstorming technique.
Essentially, random input works much like the technique of brainstorming. However, when applying the random input technique, the premise is to find as many solutions to the problem as possible, without determining whether or not the solutions are valid. The essence of lateral thinking and random input is to get you thinking in nonconventional ways.
- Random input can be used in a team or in an individual dynamic. To utilize the random input method, one must start with a clearly defined problem.
- Once the core problem is identified, a random word or short phrase or even a single picture is chosen. Understand that the randomness of this particular word is essential to the method being successful. Currently, there are several online word generating applications and websites that have been created for the sole purpose of generating words and/or phrases at random, to further support the use of this technique. It is one of the quickest and simplest ways to use technology in the beginning of a new creative process.
- Follow the associations and functions of the generated word, as well as using aspects of the word as a metaphor or even creating a scenario. The information created from brainstorming around this particular word is gathered and given new connections to resolving the original problem. This creative process of associating often times will lead to unique outcomes.
It goes without saying that occasionally, the way the random input associations are made, it may be difficult to tie these to the original problem. Nevertheless, the insights gained may still be of value because of the new directions developed via the thought process, which undoubtedly will result in useful solutions at a later time.
The random input method is utilized in a great number of the classes at GBSB Global. Many of the professors engage their students with group thinking activities and lead into group topics with this inclusive methodology. By starting with a single base, students are able to include their individual experience in the overall development of a class or group specific project. The collaborative effort of each student in the group to find a common resolve is key to utilizing the random think method. To create an idea to be utilized by a larger group, occasionally needs to be initiated by group think. GBSB Global Business School fosters to a dynamic and innovative learning environment and believes in allowing individual creativity to flourish.
At GBSB Global Business School, students are armed with the tools to enhance their creative genius and to achieve there professional goals. If you are looking for a creative learning environment to further your educational goals, contact a GBSB Global representative for more information.
