Perspectives On Social Psychology Of Creativity

Problem solving vs problem finding

Discuss about the Perspectives on Social Psychology of Creativity.

The contemporary business world today is about creating solutions to problems. Taking a Design Thinking course is a unique learning experience for me because it shows me how to develop ideas through creatity (Barringer & Ireland, 2016). Its practical approach is an opportunity for me to sharpen my personal and professional skills. Competence in design process starts with the ideation process. It is not enough to learn about DT because applied design thinking adds more value. However, the process of developing ideas is systematic and uses techniques. Through this process, I have learnt to approach creativity from a different angle of professionalism, team work and result oriented thinking. This report describes this learning process of reasoning and learning with suggestions for further professional development ( Blog post #3 August 16 2017).

Before this course, I used to think that creativity is an art subject that comprises of talented perfomances, artistic drawings, fashion, and sculpture. I had no idea that everyone has the ability to express creativity through the mind. In fact, I saw myself as a scientific person that was not really creative. However, DT has made me realize my inner strengths through thinking ( blog post # 1 30 July 2017). It is amazing how the world of thinking can give birth to numerous unique ideas. I feel motivated by the fact that innovation spearheads entrepreneurship because I have a business mind as a person (Liedtka & Ogilvie, 2011). The group workshops have unveiled this truths in an amazing way.

I am a visual person and I often channel this creativity to my social media page. However, this course has taugt me how to use blogs for sharing serious ideas that other people can understand (Shresta, 2017). I used to take photos and post on Instagram and Facebook just for fun. This has changed because now I develop images through visualization, brainstoring and spotting the obvious. Using design thinking tehcniques I can create a spiral of tens of ideas through one single thought. I find it amazing that finding one solution leads to the discovery of another. It is easier to create quality ideas now because of the visualization, journey mapping, mind mapping, and brainstorming processes. These define what the idea is made of  and its alternatives.

I am a principled person and it was a relief to learn that a designer is someone with values. My focused is to use my graphic design skills to create a product that is appealing to the customer. I have in mind a plan on how to do this through mind mapping ideas and consultations from my team and professionals in the field ( blog post #5 27 August 2017) . As I keep talkin about the idea, I receive new insights. I alighn myself with the right people in order to build the right mindset. Every day, I need a stimulus so I peruse through quotes for inspiration. This allows me to follow up on my idea and plan.

Professional development

Being analytical, creative and logical is important because people have different ideas. I realized that when sharing one idea with one individual, I often pick another idea from them. I am open minded so I brainstorm on new ideas for different perspectives. As a divergent thinker, I have ideas that flow freely. However, I need to channel them into a linear form through convergent thinking techniques.

While doing my research on design thinking, I realized that professionnal training programmes are now offering creative tinking as a continuing education for professional development (Harvard University, 2017). Such course benefit leaders, business strategiest andcreative thinkers in business. I used to marvel at other people’s ideas especially in the world of innovation. I would look at different car models and wonder how someone would come up with an idea like the BMW X6 series. It looks like an aeroplane, has great performance yet operates on road networks. Technological innovations like Facebook, the TV, and smartphones are just out of the ordinary. Now I know how these come about because creativity influences all industries in product and services (Glen, Suciu, Baugh, & Anson, 2015).

Learning about concept development is important because it enables me to create a story that is different from others for a competitve edge. From personal research, I can confrim tha business organizations tackle their challenges through creativity (Sekeran & Bougie, 2013). Although I now know how to visualize and brains took torm, I also have to train myself on how to utilize design thinking principles such as prototypying, research and co-creation. This process teaches me to identify what works and what does not.

The world today is solving business problems through creativity (Hull, 2013). In order to fulfill my mission, I need a plan on how to get my idea into the market. The design thinking process facilitates for research, negotiation and value enhancement.  It gives me a simple guide on how to get started and progress to the launch. Below is a plan on how I intend to do this. However, for a professionally proven approach, I choose to implement Liedtka & Ogilvie (2011) formula of ten tools for designing growth in stages. I still have challenges settng exact timelines but the plan covers a six months period.

Creative Thinking Technique	Principle	Task
Visualization	Concept development	Definition of the idea
Mindmapping	Value Chain Analysis	Drafting ideas using maps
Story boarding	Prototyping	Sketching sequence ideas
Brainstorming	Co-creation	Making consultations
Research	Assumption Testing	Analyzing systematic ideas

To start, I need to keep my ideas simple. I am aware that my success solely depends on my ability to break down information into simplified ideas. My favorite techniques for this process are storyboarding and the use of photographs as seen in my blogs (blog # 1 July 30 2017). This is the use of imagery or graphic experiences as representation of a product or service. Its focus is on the benefits to the end user. My idea is to carry out an assessment of the customer experience then generate an idea from that.

Value Chain Analysis

I will put into use the graphic presentation of ideas in posters with the customer in mind. This will take a systematic process of journey mapping that identifies a process for the work schedule. I learnt how to do this during workshops. At this stage, value creation is important because the customer is at the center of the idea generation. My idea of problem solving is to identify gaps and challenges in original ideas. This creates a simpler framework for journey mapping. Using my background in research, I intend to create colorful themes and interviews that describe the process (Mind Maps Unleashed, 2017).

I view a value chain analysis as critical in the development of a business idea because the modern consumer finds motivation in value. If I am to succeed in business, my focus in design thinking should be on producing products that make a difference. One way of adding value is to cross check the cost and benefit factors for profit margins at every stage of the idea development (Davila, Epstein, & Shelton, 2012).  I have already done some background research using four mental states of divergent thinking, convergent thinking, analysis, and synthesis (blog # 3 16 August 2017).

Thinking deeply about some the business value network identifies competitive advantage as an inspiration. Companies stand out because of their business ideas. A comparative study between popular brands and beginners reveals interesting models designed as strategic ideas (van der Heijden, 2011). From this I realize that I should not limit my ideas to products and services only. Instead, I should also appreciate the value of ideas as stategic solutions for business challenges ( blog #5 25 August 2017). This technique identifies alternatives by appreciating th role of competitors.

In all business ventures, research based design thinking is beneficial. In my plan, I have in mind a collection of theories with concepts of what I want to design. I prefer to use a systematic approach because it has proven record of failure experiments and successes. Learning from past mistakes calls for the use of qualitative and quantities deductions in the hypothesis (Zott, Amit, & Massa, 2011). In my 5^th blog of August 2017, I give evidence of journey mapping and mind mapping tools which are critical in concept development. Presently, I am planning on how to find resources for this stage because I understand its cost implications.

In between the projects development stage is the sourcing of data from interviews, focus groups and consumers. Currently, I hold the assumption that research provides answers to some of the most complicated ideas and challenges. However, I cannot deny the fact that the internet has compromised data that is not credible. Recently, I came across a YouTube page that had an interesting video of how to develop a product. I later noticed that the producer was not competent enough. I resolved to test all assumptions that I have about a product or consumer need. I know of brands, which have failed in business because of designing products that the consumer does not find useful (Jihee, 2017).

In my planned design, I incorporate aesthetics in the design. This is as important as performance because people are visual first, before they can accept the usefulness of products. I learn a lot from technology designers who continue to develop new computer devices like iPads and laptops using sleek designs. Prototyping combines the design theory with logic reasoning of what the design is about and how its design happens (Liedtka & Ogilvie, 2011). I will make use of prototyping to explain this notion while proving tested result. Quick thinking is necessary because it facilitates for faster analysis of ideas.

In my professional journey, I have worked with teams in different projects. This has instilled in me a team spirit that probes ideas without neglecting the user and other industry players as part of the process. I view customers as informed people who have the ability to create just as I can. Appreciating what other designers have done is also important because it iterates and deliberates on different ideas. The process of developing a blog was challenging for some of my team members but we were able to assist each other by thinking through their own thoughts for suggestions on the best approach to take ( blog post #3 August 16 2017) .

My final planned stage is the launching. From my studies, I know that it is possible to plan a launch more than once. Therefore, I will not ignore any criticism from consumers because they boost the launch of the process. My execution plan looks out for the prelaunch, which seeks to obtain cues on customer satisfaction through a feedback process. I take it as a learning process therefore I will not be skeptical about criticism (Jihee, 2017). I purpose to concentrate on the relevant data and behavioral interpretation in order to avoid making mistakes.

I have always believed that failing to plan is setting up for failure. Therefore, I look forward to making the most of this process because ideas can build empires. By taking customers feedback seriously, I am sure of capturing important information by refining the idea. Prototyping activities can be costly but I am prepared to make the sacrifice. I will use multimedia recordings as a reminder for future improvement. I have learnt the value of confidentiality in gathering information because it protects new ideas from leakage.  Before I can settle down to a concrete solution, I will weigh the strong points against weaknesses for the best possible solution (Bruton, 2011).

Conclusion

Design thinking is an intensive course for polishing creative minds into competent processionals. I am a creative person but not in the artistic sense. I like to solve problems through ideas. Before pursuing Design Thinking as a professional, I had many assumptions about ideas and creativity. I would appreciate the beauty of products but I did not have insight into its learning process. However, today, I feel confident to venture into the business world using my ideas. This report explains this journey of turning a talented mind into a business mind with limitless possibilities. I value the process of brainstorming on an idea as an individual or in a group because it maps numerous solutions for real life applications.

References

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