Week 4: How and Where to get good ideas
Week 4 How and where to get good ideas
Research and reading
are fundamental tools for creating good ideas. By immersing ourselves into
diverse sources of information, we can significantly expand our knowledge base,
which is essential for creative thinking. Reading books, articles, and research
papers provides exposure to a wide array of perspectives, ideas, and new
insights. The process of continuous learning helps us stay abreast of the
latest trends, breakthroughs, and methodologies in their field. Moreover,
thorough research allows for a deeper understanding of complex topics. It
encourages critical thinking and the ability to draw connections between
seemingly unrelated concepts (Legitwriting, 2023). This analytical approach is
crucial for idea generation, as it enables the synthesis of new solutions from
existing information. In addition, reading widely across different genres and
subjects can lead to interdisciplinary thinking. Many groundbreaking ideas
emerge at the intersection of different fields were unique combinations of
knowledge lead to innovative solutions (Kim, 2020). For example, the fusion of
technology and healthcare has given rise to telemedicine and wearable health
devices. In essence, research and reading are powerful catalysts for generating
good ideas. They not only broaden one’s intellectual horizons but also foster a
mindset of curiosity and continuous improvement, essential for innovation in
any field.
Brainstorming is a skill used to
generate good ideas. This is because it stimulates imagination, creativity, and
diverse perspectives (Halme, 2022). If we want to create new ideas, we can use
SWOT analysis. First, use SWOT analysis to identify the relevant strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your project or idea. SWOT analysis
helps you understand what strengths you have, what needs to be improved, what
opportunities you can take advantage of, and what threats need to be mitigated
(Smart, 2024). Next, use a mind map to organize these insights in a visual way.
Start with a central idea in the middle of the map, then expand to include the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats you've identified. This
visual representation can help you see the connections and relationships
between different aspects of an idea, sparking new ideas and directions (Wilson,
2021). Finally, use the Starbursting technique to explore your ideas from
multiple angles, asking six key questions: “who, what, when, where, why, and
how”. This technique can provide a structured yet creative way to generate
ideas, thereby increasing the depth and breadth of your thinking (Rudy, 2023). By
promoting active participation and iterative improvement, brainstorming helps
in developing innovative and well-rounded solutions to complex problems.
3) Interviews (Matthew qua jin chuanTP079471)
Interviews are one of the crucial forms of generating ideas. An interview can be variously defined as “as conversation with purpose”(Lune and Berg 2018) and an attempt to understand the world from the point of view of the person being interviewed. It is a form of active listening in which the interviewer steers the conversation to subjects and topics of interest to their research but also manages to leave enough space for those interviewed to say surprising things. For example, if we were to start up a business of any kind and we are not too sure of where to start. Interviewing someone who has start up a business can give us insights or a different perspective to deal with situations as their more experienced and have already gone through the path. Not only that but generating ideas through interview allows the success rate of those ideas to increase as those ideas have been used and is true.We can also get various type of ideas through interviewing multiple people. Hence, interview is a major method in generating good ideas as it allows us to get multiple insights from people who are more experienced making those ideas more effective and true.
WHERE:
1) Books and Articles ( Chew Wei Bin TP078770)
Book and articles are where people get ideas and information since long time ago. The wide variety of books and articles will enable people to gain good ideas no matter in which aspects or which sectors. The wide variety of books and articles will also help to open people’s eyesight if they just don’t have any specific topics to search for and look on a random reading material.
To gain ideas from books and articles effectively, there are
few ways to do so. The first way is to read widely and diversely. We should not
limit ourselves to explore other genres of books or articles beyond those
genres that we used to (Allison Tait, June 2027). Different genres of
books and articles will open someone’s eyesight in various perspectives. Cross-
Disciplinary readings will also lead to unexpected connections.
Besides reading different books and articles, we could also
apply active reading techniques to gain good understanding and ideas from the
reading material (Settles, 2009).
By annotate and highlights those topic or points that you are interested in,
you have a better understanding of the reading material. After that, summarize
all the point and ask yourself some questions such as how it related to you or why
you found that point interesting. We will eventually get some good ideas after
doing all these because we have a deep understanding of what we have read.
2) Communication and Observation (Lai Mun Tao TP078470)
Communication
and observation are essential ingredients in the creation of good ideas. We always
try to find a glimpse of inspiration out of nowhere, but it often results in
waste of time. Actually, the key to maximizing our own creative potential is
inside of the process of observation itself. If we observe our surroundings and
start looking at everyday objects and situations with our eyes, we could always
find inspiration in the most unusual places.
The possibilities are endless if creativity can be
stimulated by examining the surroundings and the events we encounter on a daily
basis (Wendland, 2019). We could gain more experiences and insights by paying
attention to people and objects around us and utilize them in making future
decisions or solving crucial problems. We see the world through the lens of our
own experiences in everyday life. This perspective or these experiences may
cause us to become intensely aware of a problem or issue that we were
previously unaware of. (Gupta, 2023).
On the other
hand, communication is more important than ever in the digital age due to the exponentially
increasing velocity of change and the complexity of technology (Goryachev, 2018).
By communicating with others, including colleagues, friends or even family
members, we could listen to others’ opinions about a certain topic or issue and
see things in different perspectives. Sharing of information and thoughts might
help us to spark new ideas and come up with a more creative solutions. Gathering
feedbacks from different individuals is also an useful way to identify
strengths and weaknesses of an idea or solution.
3) Online learning (Liang Wei Hern TP079373)
Continuing advances in technology have played a crucial role in fueling the development of online learning. The spread of the internet has made it possible for students to access online courses and learn new skills from home or anywhere using their computers or smartphones. Digital learning platforms such as Coursera and edX offer a wide range of online courses covering different subjects and disciplines. Video conferencing tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams also allow students to interact in real-time with their teachers and fellow students. There are also many video sites like YouTube through which people can learn about and be inspired by whatever field they want to learn about. These technological innovations have made it easier to acquire knowledge through online courses, video tutorials, and other learning resources.
Online self-learning allows individuals to learn at their own pace and according to their interests, without being restricted by time or location. This autonomy makes it easier for people to find inspiration, as they can engage in learning and exploration when they are most creatively stimulated. The internet offers a vast array of learning resources covering a wide range of topics and fields. Through search engines, online courses, video tutorials, and more, individuals can easily access the knowledge and information they need, providing ample space for finding inspiration. The rapid pace of knowledge updates online enables learners to stay informed about the latest information and developments. By continuously learning and updating their knowledge, people can better keep up with the times and discover new opportunities and ideas. (Salah Alkhafaji, Sriram B, 2015)
REFERENCES
Goryachev, A. (2018, February
5). Three Reasons Why Innovation Is All About Communication. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/02/05/three-reasons-why-innovation-is-all-about-communication/
Gupta, M. (2023, March 2023). Where do Ideas Come from? LinkedIn.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/where-do-ideas-come-from-mukesh-gupta
Halme, J. (2022, January 17).
What is brainstorming?
https://info.orchidea.dev/innovation-blog/what-is-brainstorming
Kim, T. (2020, September 20). 5 Benefits of reading.
Junior Learning USA. https://juniorlearning.com/blogs/news/5-benefits-of-reading
Legitwriting. (2023, October 24). The advantages of doing
research. - legitwriting - Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/@tuphyvanily/the-advantages-of-doing-research-775cb8ca51d7
Rudy, L. J. (2023, August 28). 19 top brainstorming techniques to generate ideas: Envato tuts+. Business Envato Tuts+. https://business.tutsplus.com/articles/top-brainstorming-techniques--cms-27181
Salah Alkhafaji, Sriram B. (February 2015). Using Online Learning Resources: A Self Learning Tool. (PDF) "Using Online Learning Resources: A Self Learning Tool"(researchgate.net)
Settles, B. (2009). Active Learning
Literature Survey. https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/60660
Smart, J. (2024, February 19). 43
brainstorming techniques and games for creating new ideas. SessionLab.
https://www.sessionlab.com/blog/brainstorming-techniques/
Wendland, D. (2019, April 8). Creativity
Begins With Observation. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/04/08/creativity-begins-with-observation/
Wilson, J. (2021, July 14). 10
effective brainstorming techniques for teams. Ideas (en-GB).
https://www.wework.com/en-GB/ideas/professional-development/effective-brainstorming-techniques
What does it mean to “read widely”? | Allison Tait.
(2022, June 27). Australian Writers’ Centre. https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-read-widely/
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