The Creative

Process
SIMC Sem II
07.1.11
ICEDIP – Six steps to the big idea
I – Inspiration
C- Clarification

E – Evaluation

D – Distillation

I – Incubation

P- Perspiration

THESE CAN BE USED IN ANY ORDER.


What ICEDIP really is

Inspiration: In which you research and generate



many ideas
Clarification: In which you focus on your goals


Evaluation: In which you review your work and



learn from it
Distillation: In which you decide which of your


ideas to work on
Incubation: In which you leave the work alone


Perspiration: In which you work determinedly on


Clarification

• Clarification is necessary
…So you don’t lose sight of the larger picture


…So you know how the details fit the bigger picture


…So the end product is 100% effective and



workable
Typical questions you ask when you
‘clarify’

• “ How can I package this product?”

• “I need a new approach to painting the sky”
• “Staff turnover is too fast to get continuity on
long contracts”


• “I like this shape, what could I do with it?”

• “What sort of personality should I convey for this
character?”
• “How could I improve the efficiency of my
business?”
Types of clarification

• Closed Clarification
“ How can I package this product?”

“I need a new approach to painting the sky”

“Staff turnover is too fast to get continuity on long

contracts”


• Open Clarification
“I like this shape, what could I do with it?”

“What sort of personality should I convey for this

character?”
“How could I improve the efficiency of my

business?”
To get to the real need
You need to get to the real
reason

To get to the real reason

You need to ask WHY, HOW and
SO?
This can be done by Stepping
Three steps to CLARIFICATION

• Stepping down
• Stepping up
• Stepping sideways (Lateral thinking)
Stepping DOWN

• Ask the question HOW?

• Define plan/task/action

• Generate answers for ‘HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE

YOUR OBJECTIVE’



Stepping DOWN



Stepping UP

• This gets you to the real reason and therefore the

real problem
• Ask the question ‘WHY’?
• What causes this need?
• For what purpose?
Stepping UP
Stepping Down
Stepping up and down, together – Eg 1
I need to reduce waiting time for lifts
WHY? (Step up)

Because the lifts are inadequate Thought



SO? (Step down)



• So fit a new shaft Action




Stepping up and down, together. Eg: 2

I need to reduce waiting time for lifts



WHY?


Because the lifts are inadequate



WHY?


Because they are old fashioned



SO?


So modernise them



Stepping up and down, together. Eg: 3
I need to reduce waiting time for lifts
WHY?

Because the lifts are inadequate

WHY?

Because they are old fashioned

WHY?

Because they are in an old fashioned building

SO?

So move to a newer building


Stepping up and down, together.
The thought-action continuum.


 Thought


 Objective


 Action
Stepping sideways (Lateral thinking)

Asking the questions



•
• Unless I….
• Either or….
• No, that’s not true!
Stepping sideways (Lateral thinking)

I want to reduce the frustration of waiting



• No! It’s nice to rest and wait

• Unless….you make waiting interesting by
providing some sort of entertainment

Stepping sideways (Lateral thinking)

Either


I need to reduce the waiting time for lifts



……………………………………………………………………


…………………
• OR reduce the number of people using them
• OR encourage alternative ways for people to get
together
• OR put people who communicate with each other
a lot on the same floor
Clarification tools

1. Asking the clarification questionnaire

2. Walking the dog
3. Tolerating ambiguity
4. Research
5. Analysis
6. Brief
7. Mind mapping
•
•

Clarification Tool #1 – The
Questionnaire

The Clarification Questionnaire



• What am I trying to say

• How could I exploit this idea
• What has gone wrong exactly? Where?


•

Clarification Tool # 2 – Walking the dog

Walking the dog



Try clarifying somewhere where you cannot work –



in the bath
or when walking the dog or even while cooking



Clarification Tool # 3 – Tolerating
ambiguity

• Learn to live with ambiguity

• Don’t evaluate too fast
• Your mind is automatically thinking to sort out the
confusion



Clarification Tool # 4 – Research

• Actual research
• Do you have all the information you need
• Are you getting unbiased information
• Have you listened carefully?
• Have you talked to the people who will implement
your ideas



Clarification Tool # 5 – Analysis

• What are we going to do?

• Why are we going to do it?
• When are we going to do it?
• Where will it be done?
• Who is going to do it?



Clarification Tool # 6 – Brief

Eg: If your objective is ‘To write an article for the



Eco Times that gets accepted’

You can say,


• “ When I write this article, I don’t want to sound

casual’
• Or ‘ I want to use a lot of business words and
industry specific words’
• OR ‘ I want to write like the editor’
Clarification Tool # 7 – Mind mapping

• Start with a central image or word

• Write your thoughts spreading out from the

central word

• Key words can go in boxes or thick lines

• This gives you an at-a-glance map of your

thoughts, which can be later broken down

Pointers for Mind Mapping in
Real.
The five essential characteristics of
Mind Mapping

• The main idea, subject or focus is crystallized in a

central image.
• The main themes radiate from the central image
as 'branches'.
• The branches comprise a key image or key word
drawn or printed on its associated line.
• Topics of lesser importance are represented as
'twigs' of the relevant branch.
• The branches form a connected nodal structure.

How does a mind map look like
Mind maps in business

Mind Maps:


• improve brainstorming sessions

• organize and clarify thinking about an idea
• improve communication and collaboration
• optimize project planning
• save time and increase productivity
•
Your mind map should follow this.
Example 1 of mind mapping for ideas
Example 2 of mind mapping.
Like slide 34, you need not use pictures in the
mind map for the assignment.
Sonali Brahma
Creative Consultant
copycaat@gmail.com