Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success

Last Updated on 27 April 2023

Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success will equip you with a ‘tool-box’, introducing you to a selection of behaviours and techniques that will augment your innate creativity. Some of the tools are suited to use on your own and others work well for a group, enabling you to leverage the power of several minds. You can pick and choose which of these tools or techniques suit your needs and interests, focusing on some or all of the selected approaches and in the order that fits best for you.

Course Duration

Approx. 20 hours to complete, flexible schedule.

Course Content

Offered by Imperial College London, the practical approach of this course enables you to acquire an essential skill-set for generating ideas, with plenty of:

• Fun e-tivities and exercises
• Practical lectures and tips
• Video representations of the techniques in action

Introduction to the Principles of Creativity
In the first week, we focus on the basic principles of creativity and highlight its importance in tackling global challenges. Creativity is explored and applied at two different levels, lower and higher-level creativity.

Creativity Tools
In this week, we will look at how we can augment our creativity using different methods of Brainstorming, a creativity approach that aids the generation of ideas in solving a stated problem. We particularly focus on the application of brainstorming tools in group activities, with the aim of enabling you to understand, evaluate and apply different types of brainstorming techniques in your own context.

Thinking Styles
There are many thinking styles which can be helpful in creativity. We will focus on the principles as well as application of a variety of thinking approaches that can be used at both at an individual level and in a group, under various professional and personal situations, allowing you to develop competency and accelerate proficiency in the use of some different thinking styles.

Morphological Analysis
You will become familiar with the Principles of Morphological Analysis and learn how to apply it in various life scenarios, from design to developing movie plot-lines, whilst developing a more systematic approach to idea generation.

Course Outcome

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Pick a type of brainstorming you think will be useful to apply to a challenge
• Use alphabet brainstorming in tackling a challenge
• Use grid brainstorming in tackling a challenge
• Use a morphological chart to synthesise a solution to a challenge
• Use the TRIZ contradiction matrix to identify recommended inventive principles
• Apply SCAMPER to a range of challenges

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