UNIT-IV Creativity in Innovation

 Meaning of creativity
 Creativity Process
 Components of Creative Performance
 Types of creativity & Techniques of creative problem
solving(workshops & Exercises)
 Design Thinking : Solution based Approach to problem Solving

What is creativity?

 Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something somehow new &

somehow valuable is formed.

 Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality.

 Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new

ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly
unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions.

Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing.

 If you have ideas but don’t act on them, you are imaginative but not
creative.

— Linda Naiman

“Creativity is a combinatorial force:

it’s our ability to tap into our ‘inner’ pool of resources –

knowledge, insight, information, inspiration and all the fragments populating

our minds

– that we’ve accumulated over the years just by being present and alive and
awake to the world and to combine them in extraordinary new ways.”

— Maria Popova, Brainpickings

“Creativity is the process of bringing something new & valuable into being.

Creativity requires passion and commitment.

It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life.
The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy.”

— Rollo May, The Courage to Create

Here’s the catch: If your creation is too far ahead of its time it will likely be
judged as absurd and be rejected.

Someone once said, you want to be 15 minutes ahead of your time, not 20 years.

“A product is creative when it is (a) novel and (b) appropriate.

Example: Laminations : Manish Malhotra Creations

A novel product is original not predictable.

The bigger the concept, and the more the product stimulates further work and
ideas, the more the product is creative.”
—Sternberg & Lubart, Defying the Crowd

One thing I know for sure is that we are all creative, just in different ways.

We can all enjoy what psychology professor Ruth Richards, calls “everyday
creativity.”

Everyday creativity has to do with making things that give you pleasure, like
cooking or gardening or DIY projects.

Richards says, “Engaging in creative behaviors, makes us more dynamic,

conscious, non-defensive, observant, collaborative, and brave.

Creativity provides opportunities for self-actualization.

It makes you more resilient, more vividly in the moment, and, at the same time,
more connected to the world.”

What is Innovation?

Innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved

product, service or process that creates value for business, government or
society.

Some people say creativity has nothing to do with innovation— that innovation
is a discipline, implying that creativity is not.
Creativity is also a discipline and a crucial part of the innovation equation.

There is no innovation without creativity.

The key metric in both creativity and innovation is value creation.

Why does creativity matter?

In today’s world, creativity is becoming increasingly important due to the rapid

pace of change and the need for new and innovative solutions to complex
problems.

Creativity is what makes us human.

Creativity is the lifeblood of progress and without creativity we would stagnate.

Creativity gives us a competitive advantage in the age of AI.

While AI is undoubtedly a powerful tool, it cannot replicate our human

perspective, intuition, and creativity that comes from experience, expertise, and
empathy.

Nor can it develop the soft skills that are essential for creativity and innovation,
such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and adaptability.

Creativity is the most crucial factor for future success

IBM’s 2010 Global CEO Study stated:

The effects of rising complexity calls for CEOs and their teams to lead with
bold creativity,

connect with customers in imaginative ways and

design their operations for speed and flexibility to position their organizations
for twenty-first century success.

The Creativity Gap

A 2012 Adobe study on creativity shows 8 in 10 people feel that unlocking

creativity is critical to economic growth and nearly two-thirds of respondents
feel creativity is valuable to society, yet a striking minority – only 1 in 4 people
– believe they are living up to their own creative potential.
Can creativity be learned?

The short answer is yes.

A study by George Land reveals that we are naturally creative and as we grow
up we learn to be uncreative.

Creativity is a skill that can be developed and a process that can be managed.

How to be more creative

 Creativity begins with a-

 foundation of knowledge,
 learning a discipline, and
 mastering a way of thinking.

You can learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring, questioning

assumptions, using imagination and synthesizing information.

Learning to be creative is akin to learning a sport.

It requires practice to develop the right muscles and a supportive environment

in which to flourish.

Sir Richard Branson has a mantra that runs through the DNA of Virgin
companies.

The mantra is A-B-C-D. (Always Be Connecting the Dots).

Creativity is a practice, and if you practice using these five discovery skills
every day, you will develop your skills in creativity and innovation.

“Creativeness is the ability to see relationships where none exist.”

For example you can make comparisons between your company and others
outside of your industry.

Questions I ask my clients’ teams in advance of our creativity and innovation

ideation sessions are:

What companies do you most admire and why?

What are they doing that you could adopt or adapt to your own company?
Studies by Clayton M. Christensen and his researchers uncovered The
Innovators DNA:

Your ability to generate innovative ideas is not merely a function of the mind,
but also a function of five key behaviours that optimize your brain for
discovery:

1. Associating: drawing connections between questions, problems, or ideas

from unrelated fields.

2. Questioning: posing queries that challenge common wisdom.

3. Observing: scrutinizing the behavior of customers, suppliers, and

competitors to identify new ways of doing things.

4. Networking: meeting people with different ideas and perspectives.

5. Experimenting: constructing interactive experiences and provoking

unorthodox responses to see what insights emerge

We are all creative, just in different ways. The research shows us we can all
learn to be creative.

CREATIVITY PROCESS

The creative process is made up of 5 steps:

1. Preparation, 2. Incubation, 3. Illumination, 4. Evaluation, 5.

Implementation.

Example of the creative process: An author would like the following fr writing a

story.
1. Preparation: Author begins to collect research, resources, and general ideas

for their story.

2. Incubation: the author goes about their daily life, doing some dedicated work

for brainstorming their story as well as letting their subconscious play with plot

possibilities.

3. Illumination: Author has a moment of inspiration which gives them clarity

for the direction that they want to take their story.

4. Evaluation: Author tests their newly refined idea and makes sure their plot

holds up and will make a good story. The author may use this process to refine

their ideas and direction.

5. Implementation: Author begins their drafting process and brings it to

completion.

Stages of the Creative Process

The creative process takes place through five stages.

1. Preparation: The preparation stage is the first stage of creativity, and it

starts with gathering information and data, such as resources and ideas.
2. Incubation: The second stage, incubation, is where the creative idea is
incubated in an environment without any pressure or stress. It's a period
where one can free their mind from any distractions, allowing their
thoughts to flow freely.
 3. Illumination: The third stage, illumination, is when the work done in the
first two stages come together. This is where one can begin developing a
plan of action and a more concrete idea of the end result.
4. Evaluation: The evaluation stage can actually take place before or after
the project. One might even opt to evaluate both before and after the
implementation phase. In short, the evaluation stage is when one weighs
the success of the stages, and also how developed the creative idea is -
and if it is ready for implementation or publication - or if the idea needs
to be recast or scrapped altogether.
5. Implementation: The implementation stage is when all of the ideas,
plans, and evaluations from the previous stages come together, and one
begins and finishes the project.

Creative Process: It is a series of steps that creative professionals go

through to generate ideas.

Preparation is the first step in the creative process, and it involves activities such
as brainstorming, research, and planning before writing.

 Brainstorming: This is when one attempts to generate as many ideas as

possible by coming up with different concepts and possibilities. One can
also use this time to come up with a story or an idea for their project.
 Research: This is where one gathers information about the topic to
provide more detail and come up with better content.
 Planning: This is where one plans out what needs to be done for the
project such as creating a timeline, outlining their project's structure,
creating graphs, etc.

For example, an animator might prepare a project as follows:

  Creative idea generation
 Mood board : It is essentially an arrangement of images that evoke
certain feelings or emotions.
 They can be made up of anything from photos to drawings to textiles —
anything that conveys the desired “vibe” or feeling.

 They can be physical or digital collections of materials that relate to the

theme or message of the project.

 For example, if you were designing a movie set, your mood board might
include photos of different places that match the aesthetic you want to
create on screen.

 This allows you to convey your vision in an organized way without

having to explain it in words.
 Mood boards are often used when creating art or design projects as it can
help give direction and provide inspiration.

 It helps narrow down the focus of your project and serves as an important
reference point throughout the creative process.

Character sketches

character sketch is a detailed description of a character's traits, background, and

goals that will drive their actions in the story, especially if you’re aiming to
introduce a proactive protagonist, which is a major goal in writing fiction.

Think of character sketches as blueprints or roadmaps for your fictional people.

It helps you flesh out your character and make them more complex and realistic
ahead of time.

You are planning your characters, just as you would plan your plot with a novel
outline. Thinking ahead will also help you avoid stereotypes and caricatures,
and create more nuanced, multi-dimensional characters. When you have a clear
understanding of your character, you can make them behave in a more authentic
and believable way, and readers will empathize and care about them more. This
leads to increased reader engagement with your entire story.

Visual artwork

visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or

imagination. The term art encompasses diverse media such
as painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts, photography, and
installation.

Storyboarding

A storyboard is a visual representation of a film sequence and breaks down the

action into individual panels.

It is a series of ordered drawings, with camera direction, dialogue, or other

pertinent details.

It sketches out how a video will unfold, shot by shot.

It's is similar to a trial-run for your finished film, video, or commercial, laid out
in a comic book-like form.

A storyboard is a graphic portrayal of a narrative, concept, or script, divided

into sequential scenes (panels).

They are generally used to map out how a script or story will look once it is
animated or acted out, but people utilize them for a variety of situations.

Think of the classic parable, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” If you were to
create a storyboard for this tale, perhaps the first panel would show Goldilocks
looking a little worse for wear in front of the bears’ house.

The next few scenes would portray her eating different porridges with a sour
look on her face, followed by a drawing with her eating yet another bowl of
porridge, this time with a smile.
The images break down the story into bite-sized scenes and help people
visualize how it will come to life.

“Storyboarding” is simply the act of creating a storyboard.

For the best results, you’ll need to strike a balance between providing enough
visual information to be able to tell the story so others can understand it and
making it overly detailed.

Some storyboards can be very rough and simple; other times, they can be very
elaborate. It depends on the situation, how much time you have, and what
stakeholders (your team, clients, etc.) are looking to use them for (more on that
later).

Incubation in the Creative Process

The second step in the creative process is called incubation.

This is when the creative idea takes shape and comes to life.

It's a time when the creator takes their inspiration and runs with it, letting their
minds wander and imagine what could happen next.

During this stage, the person or persons involved in the creative process are able
to focus on their ideas without any distractions or interruptions from other
people.

They are able to take their time with this stage because they aren't under
pressure from deadlines or clients.

In this stage, it is very important not to judge any ideas that come to mind.

The entire purpose is to allow oneself to process, sit with, and expand their
ideas. The structure will come later.

For example, an author's incubation process might look like the following:
Stage One: Preparation

The preparation stage is the brainstorming stage. By letting your mind wander
and finding inspiration, you can plant the seeds for your great ideas. Your
inspiration can be as specific as looking at work from other artists or writers
who you admire or as abstract as simply taking in the world around you. This is
where you gather the material to put together your ideas.

Stage Two: Incubation

While it may seem counterproductive at first, the second stage of the creative
process is walking away from all of the brainstorming that you have just done.
While you take a break from your ideas and do something else, your
subconscious continues to mold all of the prepared information into your new
idea.

Stage Three: Illumination

This is the stage that everyone likes the most: the “Eureka!” moment.

This is the moment where your solution or idea moves from your subconscious
to the forefront of your mind. Contrary to many stories we hear, this doesn’t
have to be anything dramatic. Your idea may come to you while you are eating
breakfast, doing laundry, or even studying for an exam.

Suddenly, you know what the next verse of your song should be, how your book
should end, or what the solution is to your problem.

Stage Four: Evaluation

After the initial idea has been generated, this stage involves thinking critically
about the new idea and weighing it against other solutions.

You may seek feedback from peers, conduct marketing research to test the idea,
or
compare it to the original problem to see if it really works as a solution.

After this stage, you will either return to stages one and two if the idea does not
hold up or continue ahead with confidence in this idea. Don’t stress though! Not
every idea is going to be great, but that doesn’t mean the next one won’t be.

Stage Five: Verification

The final stage of the process is where you bring your idea to fruition. This is
where you actually write your story, paint your picture, or create your new
invention. You are finally ready to share your new idea with the world.

Creativity techniques:

• Creative techniques divided into intuitive creative methods and systematic

analytical methods.

• The intuitive- creative techniques try mostly in a group to simulate

spontaneous ideas, associations, and analogies to overcome blockades of
thought in a rather free design.

• The principles of decomposition and abstraction are increasing the applied

to systematic analytical techniques.

• It should be noted that not every creativity technique is a suitable for every
question and for every team.

• Creativity is ultimately very individual, everyone has their own idea,

experience habits, preferences as well as strengths and weaknesses.
• In this respect one should experiment with his creativity techniques

Creativity Techniques:

Institutive creative techniques

Systematic -analytical techniques

• Brainstorming

• Osborn Checklist (SCAMPER)

• Brain Writing

• Mind Mapping

• Random Word Techniques

• Synectic

• Semantic intuition/ the perfect prefix

• Bionics

Techniques Of Creative Problem-Solving

1. Brainstorming

Brainstorming is one of the most popular techniques of creative problem-

solving. It is an individual as well as a group activity. When the city’s
municipal corporation needs to come up with measures regarding safety and
health, citizens are often asked to brainstorm and suggest innovative ideas.
Brainstorming is a blend of creativity and problem-solving.

2. Mind-Mapping

Mind-mapping is a useful creative problem-solving process.

A mind map is a graphic representation of ideas and concepts.

It is a visual tool for creativity and problem-solving. Mind maps help you
categorize and structure information.

They aid comprehension, analysis, and help generate innovative ideas.

Seeing the problem and possible solutions represented in visual form helps
many of us see the bigger picture and connect the dots.

3. Counterfactual Thinking

When Rosie has to take a call on a problem, she thinks about all her previous
decisions. She thinks of the things that have gone wrong and the
opportunities that she missed out on.

Such counterfactual thinking helps her face the current problem and find a
solution.

Counterfactual thinking is one of the smartest examples of creative problem-

solving at work. However, it is important not to channel negative emotions
while going down the counterfactual thinking route.
Use your past experiences to ensure you don’t repeat mistakes, seize
opportunities, and measure how far you’ve come.

Be present and future-focused, and don’t use counterfactual thoughts to get

trapped in the “What ifs” of your past.

4. Abstraction

Abstraction is a great booster for creativity and problem-solving. When a

creative director in an advertising agency has to design a campaign for a
brand of fruit drinks or evening wear, he uses abstraction.

He thinks about the emotions associated with the drink or the evening, such
as camaraderie, romance, taste, health, joy, and so on.

5. SWOT Analysis

The SWOT technique is used during the strategic planning stage before the
actual brainstorming of ideas. It helps you identify strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats of your project, idea, or business. Once you
analyze these characteristics, you are ready to generate possible solutions to
your problem.

6. Random words

This technique is one of the simplest to use for generating ideas.

It's often applied by people who need to create a new product, for example.
You need to prepare a list of random words, expressions, or stories and put
them on the desk or board or write them down on a large sheet of paper.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

All of the techniques and tools above represent creative problem-solving

methods.

Recap: Creative Problem-Solving Techniques

Creative problem-solving is a skill based on the development of divergent

thinking combined with altering our state of consciousness. Due to our early
conditioning, our “normal” waking state of consciousness is often filled with
biases, limitations, blind spots, and negativity. This causes us to perceive
problems rigidly.

What is Creativity?

Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something somehow new and somehow

valuable is formed.

The created item may be intangible or a physical object. Creativity.

Innovation. Meaning. Creativity is an act of creating new ideas, imaginations
and possibilities. Innovation is the introduction of something new and
effective into the market. 4.2. Components of creativity The Three
Components of Creativity Within every individual, creativity is a function of
three components: expertise, creative-thinking skills, and motivation 4.3.
Creativity Process and Techniques Creativity ―Creativity is the capability
or act of conceiving something original or unusual. Innovation is the
 implementation of something new. Invention is the creation of something
that has never been made before and is recognized as the product of some
unique insight. If you have a brainstorm meeting and dream up dozens of
new ideas then you have displayed creativity but there is no innovation until
something gets implemented.

Somebody has to take a risk and deliver something for a creative idea to be
turned into an innovation. An invention might be a product or device or
method that has never existed before. So every invention is an innovation.
But every innovation is not an invention. When some company first
published its website that was a major innovation for the company even
though many other websites already existed, it helped in innovation.

Generative research on creativity

Generative research shows that everyone has creative abilities.

The more training you have and the more diverse the training, the greater the
potential for creative output.

Research has shown that in creativity quantity equals quality.

The longer the list of ideas, the higher the quality of the final solution. Quite
often, the highest quality ideas appear at the end of the list.

Behavior is generative; like the surface of a fast flowing river, it is inherently

and continuously novel… behavior flows and it never stops changing. Novel
behavior is generated continuously, but it is labeled creative only when it has
some special value to the community… Generativity is the basic process that
drives all the behavior we come to label creative.” – Robert Epstein
PhD, Psychology Today July/Aug 1996

Overcoming myths about creativity

Beliefs that only special, talented people are creative (and you have to be born
that way) diminish our confidence in our creative abilities.
The notion that geniuses such as Shakespeare, Picasso, and Mozart were
`gifted’ is a myth, according to a study at Exeter University.

Researchers examined outstanding performances in the arts, mathematics, and

sports, to find out if “the widespread belief that to reach high levels of ability a
person must possess an innate potential called talent.”

The study concludes that excellence is determined by:

 opportunities
 encouragement
 training
 motivation, and
 most of all, practice.

“Few showed early signs of promise prior to parental encouragement.” No one

reached high levels of achievement in their field without devoting thousands of
hours of serious training.

Mozart trained for 16 years before he produced an acknowledged masterwork.

Moreover many high performers achieve levels of excellence today that match
the capabilities of a Mozart, or a Gold Medallist from the turn of the century.”
(The Vancouver Sun, Sept.12/98)

Fostering creativity at work: Rules of the garage

Follow these simple rules and you will foster a culture of creativity and
innovation:

These were defined by HP, which in fact started in a garage.

Believe you can change the world.

Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked, work whenever.
Know when to work alone and when to work together.
Share – tools, ideas.

Trust your colleagues.

No politics. No bureaucracy. (These are ridiculous in a garage.)
The customer defines a job well done.
Radical ideas are not bad ideas.

Invent different ways of working.

Make a contribution every day. If it doesn’t contribute, it doesn’t leave the

garage.
Believe that together we can do anything.
Invent.
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