Brainstorming!

A good way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas from which to choose! Brainstorming is a Creativity Supertool!

1. Brainstorming is a team sport ... support your team members!
2. No criticism ... no "devil's advocates" allowed!
3. Anything goes … wild, crazy, impractical, ingenious ideas encouraged!
4. Go for quantity, not quality, of ideas!
5. All ideas encouraged!
6. Piggyback, improve, combine ideas ... be an "angel advocate"!
7. Record all ideas so nothing gets lost!
8. Filter ideas later, not during the brainstorming session!
9. Set a time limit for the session, then stick to it!

Variation ... brainwriting: the general process is that, in a group, ideas are recorded by each individual who thought of them ... they are then passed on to the next person who uses them as a trigger for their own ideas.

Creativity Kindling Exercises

• Level 1 ... Explain, Demonstrate, Identify, Illustrate, Translate, Show, Label
• Level 2 ... Solve, Organize, Construct, Generalize, Examples, Relate, Summarize
• Level 3 ... Compare, Contrast, Classify, Dissect, Analyze, Categorize, Take Apart, Sequence, Group
• Level 4 ... Design, Hypothesize, Predict, Combine, Originate, Compose, Improve, Invent
• Level 5 ... Create, Modify, Forecast, Restructure, Initiate, Imagine, Substitute, Change
• Level 6 ... Justify, Criticize, Judge, Recommend, Evaluate, Propose, Defend, Appraise

Types of Creativity

• Expressive ... Very common form of creativity.  Example: Doodling, short notes, humming a new melody.   Useful for communications, advertising, sales.
• Productive ... Common form of creativity.  Example: Finding a better way of doing a job.  Useful for process improvement, cost reductions, efficiency, improvement.
• Inventive ... Userful for new product development.
• Innovative ... Applied creativity.  Better solutions than competition.  Competitive advantages.   Useful for marketing, new product development.
• Emergenative ... Very rare form of creativity.  Example: Einstein's Theory of Relativity...opened the door for space travel, nuclear fusion.  Useful for developing entirely new industries.

Customer Perception of Value

From the choices usually available in a marketplace, customers determine which supplier offers the best value. Different customers have different needs, different wants, different desires. Hence, multiple competitors may well exist in the same marketspace. However, seldom do competitors have the same market share. Typically, one company wins the vote for "best value" from a plurality (or majority) of potential customers

In a nutshell, customers determine value by which supplier offers the best benefits at the optimal price.

Value = Benefits/Price

Great value, super bargain!: the benefits greatly exceed the price ... Value = ++
Good value: the benefits outweigh the price ... Value = +
Fair value: the benefits match the price ... Value = OK
Bad value: the price outweighs the benefits ... Value = -
Rip off!: the price greatly exceeds the benefits ... Value = --
To increase value, either add benefits or decrease price.
The "quick and dirty" way to enhance value is to have a "Sale!" ... "50% off, limited time only!"

Customers make their buy decisions primarily based on their perceptions of value, comparing the options offered from several sources. How many sources are included is a customer decision, and not always entirely logical. One of the key values of a brand is to make the buying decision easy for the customer ... "I'll just by an Apple computer rather than explore other options."

Some benefits are determined objectively ... fit, form, function, feel, features, performance ...
Some benefits are determined subjectively ... color, smell, brand name, shape ...
Some aspects of the price are direct ... the cost ...
Some aspects of the price are indirect ... warranty, convenience of purchase ...

Ways to deliver value to a customer:
- Product: performance, quality, features, brand, selection ...
- Price: fair, visible, consistent, reasonable
- Access: convenient, location, nearby, at-hand
- Service: ordering, delivery, return, check-out
- Experience: emotional, respect, ambiance, fun, intimacy ...
- Process: ways of doing business that are consistent and comfortable

Tips for Better Presentations

When considering what type of visual representation to use for your data or ideas, there are some rules of thumb to consider:

1. Use visuals (slides) sparingly. One of the biggest problems in some presentations is the overuse of visuals. A useful rule of thumb is one visual for every one to two minutes of presentation time. Fifteen minute presentation means fifteen slides!
2. Use visuals pictorially. Graphs, pictures of equipment, flow charts, etc., all give the viewer an insight that would require many words or columns of numbers.
3. Present one key point per visual. Keep the focus of the visual simple and clear. Presenting more than one main idea per visual can detract from the impact.
4. Make text and numbers legible. Minimum font size for most room set-ups is 18 pt. Can you read everything? if not, make it larger. Highlight the areas of charts where you want the audience to focus.
5. Use color carefully. Use no more than 3-4 colors per visual to avoid a rainbow effect. Colors used should contrast with each other to provide optimum visibility. For example, a dark blue background with light yellow letters or numbers. Avoid patterns in colour presentations; they are difficult to distinguish.
6. Make visuals big enough to see. Walk to the last row where people will be sitting and make sure that everything on the visual can be seen clearly.
7. Graph data. Whenever possible avoid tabular data in favor of graphs. Graphs allow the viewer to picture the information and data in a way that numbers alone can’t do.
8. Make pictures and diagrams easy to see. Too often pictures and diagrams are difficult to see from a distance. The best way to check is to view it from the back of the room where the audience will be. Be careful that labels inside the diagrams are legible from the back row also.
9. Make visuals attractive. If using color, use high contrast such as yellow on black or yellow on dark blue. Avoid clutter and work for simplicity and clarity.
10. Avoid miscellaneous visuals. If something can be stated simply and verbally, there is no need for a visual.

[Thank you, Ian McKenzie]