Creative thinking techniques

Learning and applying creative thinking techniques that provide new ideas that seed creative thinking. 

Table C2 Some Major Creative Thinking Techniques...

Michalko, M. Thinkertoys A Handbook on Creative-Thinking Techniques. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA Ten Speed Press, 2006. 

The production of effective recommendations for the prevention of recurrence is unlikely to be straightforward in these complex accidents and incidents so that techniques such as Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) may be required to analyse the causal sequences. In addition, creative thinking techniques such as brainstorming and systems thinking may be required to generate a suitable range of recommendations. 

Creative thinking is important not only in new process development, but also in continually reviewing and reevaluating existing processes for opportunities to make the process inherently safer. Many of the tools and techniques discussed in Section 4.2, on Research, are useful in the process development stage as well. It is appropriate to revisit the basic chemistry to study alternate options. 

The what if/checklist is a broadly based hazard assessment technique that combines the creative thinking of a selected team of specialists with the methodical focus of a prepared checklist. The result is a comprehensive hazard analysis that is useful in training operating personnel on the hazards of the particular operation. 

So, in the final analysis, biocatalysis should not be considered in a separate sector available only to the specialist bioorganic chemist. It is one method, in the portfolio of catalytic techniques, that is available to all chemists for the solution of present and future problems in organic synthesis. To erect a Chinese wall between the natural and non-natural catalysts is totally illogical and prevents some creative thinking, particularly in the area of coupled natural/ non-natural catalysts11611 and biomimetic systems11621. 

Brainstorming is an excellent technique for tapping the creative thinking of a team quickly to generate, clarity, and evaluate a sizable list of ideas, problems, issues etc. The team leader stimulates the team to create numerous ideas irrespective of their quality, which are then clarified and evaluated. 

The generation of new ideas is key to opening up the vista for innovative research, so any methodology which helps the process is welcome and valuable. Over the last forty years an extensive and growing list of techniques for creative thinking have been devised, as illustrated in Table C2 [C-12]. 

Techniques like Random Stimulus initially might seem too disconnected in the way they lead to new ideas, but this disconnection from one s mental inertia is exactly what is needed. Humans naturally establish logic patterns as they process information over time, so creative thinking actually becomes unnatural. The only way to spark it is to move away from these patterns, and using Random Stimulus is one way to do that. 

Arciszewski, T. (1978). Systematic heuristic. In A. Goralski (Ed.), Problem, Method, Solution. Techniques of Creative Thinking, pp. 150-165. Warsaw Polish Scientific-Technical. 

Via Positiva. The problem is identified, fuUy accepted and broken down into its various components using the vast array of creative and critical thinking techniques which engineers possess. What is to be solved For whom is it to be solved ... 

Risk assessment techniques such as HAZOP, design reviews and fault and event trees are systematic methods to guide and record the process of creative thinking. They are also often used to quantify the chance of failure. That step is only legitimate if we are certain that all models of failure have... 

There are several operational techniques that may he used to help a group or individual to produce original ideas. These techniques are designed to enable the group or individual to overcome obstacles to creative thinking such as those described in Chapter 4. 

Everybody can develop some kills in creativity by thinking laterally and by using specific techniques for idea generation. 

Some call this technique a Concept Fan, or Concept Abstraction and Alternatives. For more information, see "Generation of Alternatives" in Lateral Thinking Creativity Step by Step, by E. de Bono, New York Harper Fbperbacks, 1973. 

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