Cheatsheet: Original Creativity: Generate Ideas Beyond the Obvious
One-page lookup for the full course. Use it while you work, not instead of the exercises.
The Core Loop (1.1)
flowchart LR
A["🔀<br/>Divergent"] --> B["🧩<br/>Cluster"] --> C["🎯<br/>Convergent"] --> D["🧪<br/>Test"] --> A
| Mode | Goal | Rules | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divergent | Quantity, range | No judging, no editing, build on others, wild is fine | Long messy list |
| Convergent | Quality, choice | Criteria first, kill options, commit | One chosen direction |
| Test | Evidence | Small, fast, defined pass/fail | Learning |
- Alternate modes deliberately, never at the same time. Mixing them produces bland ideas and mushy decisions.
- Timebox each mode. Example: 10 min divergent, 5 min cluster, 5 min converge.
- Convergent criteria examples: cost, feasibility, novelty, fit to the observation, testability.
| Symptom | You are stuck in | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| List is short and safe | Convergent too early | Restart divergent with a constraint |
| Endless list, no decision | Divergent forever | Set criteria, cut to 3, pick 1 |
| Ideas sound the same | No mode switch | Change prompt (SCAMPER, analogy) |
Observation (1.2)
Rule: notice before you explain. Description first, interpretation second, in separate columns.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| What | Concrete behaviour, words, objects, sequence |
| Who | Person or role, not a judgement |
| Where / when | Context, time, environment |
| Friction | Where something took longer, failed, or got worked around |
| Surprise | Anything that contradicted your expectation |
| Assumption | What you assumed, written down as a claim |
- Hunt for workarounds: tape, sticky notes, spreadsheets, private messages. Workarounds signal unmet needs.
- Look for "walked past" details: repeated actions, hesitations, abandoned objects, improvised fixes.
- Observation log template:
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