Method of Creative Thinking

This week, the lecturer taught us about mind mapping. Wikipedia states that a mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.

The elements of a given mind map are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts, and are classified into groupings, branches, or areas, with the goal of representing semantic or other connections between portions of information. Mind maps may also aid recall of existing memories. By presenting ideas in a radial, graphical, non-linear manner, mind maps encourage a brainstorming approach to planning and organizational tasks. Though the branches of a mindmap represent hierarchical tree structures, their radial arrangement disrupts the prioritizing of concepts typically associated with hierarchies presented with more linear visual cues. This orientation towards brainstorming encourages users to enumerate and connect concepts without a tendency to begin within a particular conceptual framework.

The mind map can be contrasted with the similar idea of concept mapping. The former is based on radial hierarchies and tree structures denoting relationships with a central governing concept, whereas concept maps are based on connections between concepts in more diverse patterns.

An example of a mindmap :

















Then, as a homework, we are required to do a mindmap about ourselves. This is what I did.

Novelty, Creativity, Innovation and Invention

This week, the lecturer gave a lecture about these 4 words - novelty, creativity, innovation and invention. The first is novelty. Novelty is the quality of being new or unusual. According to wikipedia, the term novelty can have pejorative sense and refer to a mere innovation.

Example of Novelty

A chair in the shape of a hand

source : http://www.furnitureinfashion.net/images/blue-novelty-chairs-fu126bl.jpg



Second is creativity. Wikipedia states that creativity is a mental process involving the discovery of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the existing ideas or concepts.

Example of Creativity :

An ad for the "Zen" mp3 player

source : http://www.creative.com/images/products/mp3/zenvisionm/wallpapers/wp800_zenvisionm_1.jpg



Third is innovation. Innovation is the act of introducing or doing something new. According to wikipedia, innovation may refer to an incremental emergent or radical and revolutionary changes in thinking, products, processes, or organizations.

Example of innovation :

A billboard ad

source : https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbC1bP1apfFyyhhm2ZqG7bp29IypQ-QoiZa875GO69HzpdOOvZyuuFFjQT2dlI5pP5uuM9c4RJy2RP3eekbCSjGS7ng56Eo3VX3U3fBOOhaQVRcjtAnL9LucDKtBi0XF8geOxTgEmSbRqi/s400/billboardAd.jpg


Fourth is invention. An invention is a new device, method, or process developed from study and experimentation. Inventions often extend the boundaries of human knowledge or experience.

Example of invention :

An invention of a tea-bag holder

source : http://www.dailycognition.com/content/image/8/MakingTeaInvention.png


The lecture is basically explaining the importance of novelty, creativity, innovation and invention. We must not miss out these 4 important "concepts" in our works (as a designer).