Interesting ways to boost creativity...

Dan Violet Sagmiller · 2013-02-20T13:36:11

I'm looking for ways to get people to start thinking more creatively. Fun activities, typically unrelated to the real work, to get the brains flexing and stretching. At one job I worked at, they took their top devs, put them in a room with a bunch of legos, and said build something that does X, Y and Z. It was a lot of fun, but honestly, I don't think this was as creative, since we were given legos (tools/building blocks) to accomplish, and we didn't need to think outside the box. (clarification, they gave us almost the exact legos we needed, so it was more an exercise in following directions) In classes on Game Design I run, when covering brain storming, I do two things commonly. 1) I split students into teams 3, give them a few die, paper and pencil, and tell them to create a game that 3 people can play, with clear rules to figure out who wins and how to play. I give them 5 minutes. 2) Another thing I do, is to write down 3 entirely random things, like "an ogre, a can of asparagus and a tuning fork" (walk into a bar) and tell them to come up with a game idea that involves all three. Do you have anything to add to this list? Things to help people to start having fun by thinking creatively, before you start a brain storming session or other activity where you want them thinking creatively?

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by Dan Violet Sagmiller February 17, 2013 06:23 PM

11 comments, last by Woland 11 years, 10 months ago

Dan Violet Sagmiller

Author

1,024

February 20, 2013 12:10 PM

@Woland. Thanks :) I mistook your original sentences as an attempt to sum up the whole point of the video, not add an extra two cents about part of your take on it. I can see that you have more insight than your original statement. The video was awesome.

Moltar - "Do you even know how to use that?"

Space Ghost - “Moltar, I have a giant brain that is able to reduce any complex machine into a simple yes or no answer."

Dan - "Best Description of AI ever."

Dan Violet Sagmiller

Author

1,024

February 20, 2013 12:11 PM

I would include this though, the lego seminar thing I went to, we had over an hour. which certainly went past the 30 minute mark. But I see your point that most are not.

Moltar - "Do you even know how to use that?"

Space Ghost - “Moltar, I have a giant brain that is able to reduce any complex machine into a simple yes or no answer."

Dan - "Best Description of AI ever."

Woland

372

February 20, 2013 01:36 PM

I would include this though, the lego seminar thing I went to, we had over an hour. which certainly went past the 30 minute mark. But I see your point that most are not.

I envy you - I've never had a chance to see something like that.

Interesting ways to boost creativity...

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Interesting ways to boost creativity...

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