Purpose

The purpose of this exercise is to get the delegates think creatively about the future of technology. Invariably, people are affected by technology and many great ideas originate from people who are not necessarily working on the technical aspects of a new domain, but those who might simply see a need for something and think why a particular service or product has not already been made.

This creativity process benefits companies to become more innovative as they can use all their staff’s brain pool to get creative ideas.

This exercise is by design rather general. Based on your own specific domain you can focus the exercise on specific topics.

Objective

Use your preferred method to come up with new creative ideas and get inspired by others methodologies.

What You Need

• Flipcharts
• Colour pens

Setup

• Divide the delegates to two groups.
• Give each group a blank flipchart.
• Ask each group to think of as many futuristic concepts or products as they can think of and write them on their flipchart. This is a free flow exercise. Delegates are allowed to use any mechanism they like, such as drawing, mind maps, hierarchies, futures wheel, etc.
• Example of such future technologies are:
  • Wireless power (which is already getting implemented)
  • A costume that consists entirely of cameras so you can see 360 degrees around you
  • Display contact lenses
  • Regenerative dentistry
  • Production of any organs of your body using any cell, such as your skin.
  • Direct-to-home manufacturing
  • Thin shock absorbent material that can be molded into any shape
• Allocate 10 minutes for this part.
• Ask groups to swap their flipcharts and get inspired by what the other group has done. Next, ask them to expand the original group’s ideas with their own new ideas.
• Allocate 10 minutes for this phase.
• Bring back everyone and ask them to share their new creative ideas.
• Follow with a discussion.

Timing

Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes.

Activity: 10 min Phase 1 + 10 min Phase 2 = 20 minutes.

Group Feedback: 10 minutes.

Discussion

How many creative ideas did you come up with? Were you inspired by the methodology used by the other group? Did it influence you in the second phase? Was your own method effective? Did you collectively come up with novel ideas that you really think are going to be groundbreaking? Was mixing the isolated group ideas helpful in coming up with even more concepts? What methods work best in such creative group brainstorming sessions?