Launching the Imagination / Pg. 111-123 / 355
Concepts and Critical Thinking
The Creative Process
-Learn about the problem, research.
-Experiment with solutions using multiple combinations, proportions and materials.
-Determine what revisions are required.
-Implement the idea.
Problem Seeking and Problem Solving
Four simple steps
-Ask yourself, "What do we need?"
-What existing designs are similar to the design we need?
-What is the difference between the existing designs and the new design?
-How can we transform, combine, or expand these existing designs?
The Fine Art Process
-Begins when a client requests help or the designer identifies a social need.
-While creating you invent your own aesthetic problems.
-Ideas arise from personal experience and from the cultural context.
-Working independently and with fewer deadlines, artists can explore ideas and issues of personal interest.
Sources of Ideas
-Artists and designers constantly san their surroundings in an omnivorous search for images and ideas.
-The most improbable object or idea may provide inspiration.
-Transform a common object
-Study Nature
-Visit a Museum
-Scan the Internet
-Scan Social Media Sites
-Look at works done by others in the same genre.
Characteristics of a Good Problem
-It is Significant
-Identifying your major goals can help you determine the significance of a job.
-It is Socially Responsible
-What resources will be require for a major project, and how will you dispose of resulting waste?
-Consider the environmental as well as the economic implications of each project.
-It is Comprehensible
-Ask questions if the assignment specifications and objectives are unclear to you.
- It is Open to Experimentation
-It is important to distinguish between clear definition and restrictive limitations.
-If you find yourself in a straitjacket, rethink the problem and try a new approach.
-It is Authentic
-Every person approaches each problem on his or her own terms.
-Each of us has a unique perspective and the connections we make will vary.
Convergent Thinking
In convergent thinking, the end determines the means. You know what you are seeking before you begin.
-Define the problem
-Do research
-Determine your objective
-Devise a strategy
-Execute the Strategy
-Evaluate the results
Convergent thinking is most effective when
-The problem can be defined clearly
-The problem can be solved rationally
-The problem must be solved sequentially
-Firm deadlines must be met
Divergent Thinking
In divergent thinking, the means determines the end. The process is more open-ended; specific results are hard to predict but it is a great way to generate new ideas.
Major differences between convergent and divergent
-Divergent thinking: the problem is defines much more broadly, with less attention to "what the client wants"
-Because the convergent thinker discards weak ideas in the thumbnail stage, the final image is more pre-planned and predictable.
-The Divergent thinker generates many variables, is less methodical, and may have to produce multiple drafts of a composition in order to get a polished result.
-Convergent thinker: more efficient
-Divergent thinker: more inventive
Divergent Thinking is most effective when
-The problem definition is elusive or evolving.
-A rational solution is not required.
-A Methodical approach is unnecessary.
-Deadlines are flexible.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming plays a roll in both way of thinking.
-Make a List
-Use a Thesaurus
-Explore Connections
-Keep a Journal
-Classify, arrange and record information
-Develop new ideas
-Examine your current beliefs and analyze the beliefs of others
-Record your responses to critiques
-Make connections among your various classes
Seven characteristics of effective group brainstorming.
-Sharpen your focus
-Use playful rules, such as "write it down" and "think bigger"
-Number your ideas
-Build and jump. As the momentum builds, more and more ideas burst forth.
-Fill your brainstorming space with 22x30 in post-it notes covered with ideas the group has developed.
-If you are working with a completely new group, it may be necessary to provide an icebreaker to build trust.
-A wide range of simple materials opens up possibilities, especially if you are brainstorming a three-dimensional design problem.
The Creative Process
-Learn about the problem, research.
-Experiment with solutions using multiple combinations, proportions and materials.
-Determine what revisions are required.
-Implement the idea.
Problem Seeking and Problem Solving
Four simple steps
-Ask yourself, "What do we need?"
-What existing designs are similar to the design we need?
-What is the difference between the existing designs and the new design?
-How can we transform, combine, or expand these existing designs?
The Fine Art Process
-Begins when a client requests help or the designer identifies a social need.
-While creating you invent your own aesthetic problems.
-Ideas arise from personal experience and from the cultural context.
-Working independently and with fewer deadlines, artists can explore ideas and issues of personal interest.
Sources of Ideas
-Artists and designers constantly san their surroundings in an omnivorous search for images and ideas.
-The most improbable object or idea may provide inspiration.
-Transform a common object
-Study Nature
-Visit a Museum
-Scan the Internet
-Scan Social Media Sites
-Look at works done by others in the same genre.
Characteristics of a Good Problem
-It is Significant
-Identifying your major goals can help you determine the significance of a job.
-It is Socially Responsible
-What resources will be require for a major project, and how will you dispose of resulting waste?
-Consider the environmental as well as the economic implications of each project.
-It is Comprehensible
-Ask questions if the assignment specifications and objectives are unclear to you.
- It is Open to Experimentation
-It is important to distinguish between clear definition and restrictive limitations.
-If you find yourself in a straitjacket, rethink the problem and try a new approach.
-It is Authentic
-Every person approaches each problem on his or her own terms.
-Each of us has a unique perspective and the connections we make will vary.
Convergent Thinking
In convergent thinking, the end determines the means. You know what you are seeking before you begin.
-Define the problem
-Do research
-Determine your objective
-Devise a strategy
-Execute the Strategy
-Evaluate the results
Convergent thinking is most effective when
-The problem can be defined clearly
-The problem can be solved rationally
-The problem must be solved sequentially
-Firm deadlines must be met
Divergent Thinking
In divergent thinking, the means determines the end. The process is more open-ended; specific results are hard to predict but it is a great way to generate new ideas.
Major differences between convergent and divergent
-Divergent thinking: the problem is defines much more broadly, with less attention to "what the client wants"
-Because the convergent thinker discards weak ideas in the thumbnail stage, the final image is more pre-planned and predictable.
-The Divergent thinker generates many variables, is less methodical, and may have to produce multiple drafts of a composition in order to get a polished result.
-Convergent thinker: more efficient
-Divergent thinker: more inventive
Divergent Thinking is most effective when
-The problem definition is elusive or evolving.
-A rational solution is not required.
-A Methodical approach is unnecessary.
-Deadlines are flexible.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming plays a roll in both way of thinking.
-Make a List
-Use a Thesaurus
-Explore Connections
-Keep a Journal
-Classify, arrange and record information
-Develop new ideas
-Examine your current beliefs and analyze the beliefs of others
-Record your responses to critiques
-Make connections among your various classes
Seven characteristics of effective group brainstorming.
-Sharpen your focus
-Use playful rules, such as "write it down" and "think bigger"
-Number your ideas
-Build and jump. As the momentum builds, more and more ideas burst forth.
-Fill your brainstorming space with 22x30 in post-it notes covered with ideas the group has developed.
-If you are working with a completely new group, it may be necessary to provide an icebreaker to build trust.
-A wide range of simple materials opens up possibilities, especially if you are brainstorming a three-dimensional design problem.
Works Cited:
Steward, Mary. Launching the Imagination: A Comprehensive Guide to Basic Design. 4th ed.
New York, Ny: McGraw-Hill, 2012, 2008, 2006, 2002. Print
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