Creative Thinking

Dr. Mohamed Elchime

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What is Creative thinking?

Creative thinking encourages students to

use a variety of approaches to solve
problems, analyze multiple viewpoints,
adapt ideas, and arrive at new solutions.
Sometimes it is referred to as divergent
thinking.
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 Creative thinking means looking at something
in a new way. It is the very definition of
“thinking outside the box.” Often, creativity in
this sense involves what is called lateral
thinking, or the ability to perceive patterns that
are not obvious. The fictional detective
Sherlock Holmes uses lateral thinking in one
famous story when he realizes that a dog not
barking is
an important clue in a murder case. 4
 Creative people have the ability to devise new
ways to carry out tasks, solve problems, and
meet challenges. They bring a fresh, and
sometimes unorthodox, perspective to their
work. This way of thinking can help
departments and organizations move in more
productive directions. For these reasons, they
are extremely valuable to a company.

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 Some people are naturally more creative than
others, but creative thinking can be
strengthened with practice.
 You can develop creative thinking by solving
riddles, being aware of (and letting go of) your
assumptions, and through play. Play connotes
anything unstructured and relaxing such as
daydreaming.

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 Strategies can be introduced using direct
instruction in creative problem solving models
and creative thinking processes. The processes
are generally considered to be fluency,
flexibility, originality, and elaboration. There
are a variety of models available.

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Vertical thinking V lateral
thinking
De Bono talks about two distinct types
of thinking, which as an introduction to
the subject should serve as a useful
starting point for your workshop. Vertical
thinking is what De Bono describes as
the type of thinking we engage in most of
the time.

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 It is about making decisions based primarily
on what we already know to be right, and
normally in the same way that anyone else
would, offering a high degree of certainty or
predictability. In a process based task one step
follows another in a predictable sequence
(think about changing the wheel on a car or
completing a jigsaw puzzle).

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 The objective is often to get to the end point in
the most efficient way or in the least amount of
steps. Lateral thinking (which is completely
synonymous with ‘creative thinking’) is not
focused on the fastest route to the endpoint,
but rather it is focused on generating more,
and perhaps more interesting routes to the
endpoint.

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 In fact its primary aim is to generate new ideas
or new ways of doing things, based far more
on probability than certainty. We can look at
these two types of thinking side by side to see
their differences, though it is worth keeping in
mind that neither is superior and that we need
to exercise judgment on which type of thinking
to apply, depending on the

situation. 1
Imagine getting though a day if you
only applied lateral thinking.
Similarly imagine trying to arrive
at creative ideas / solutions if you
only applied vertical thinking, in
which all of the results were already
known to you.
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 How do you see your
thinking(Vertical) or ( lateral) ?

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 Some people ask how they can be creative if
they are simply following ‘rules’? It is
something that can (and perhaps should) be
openly discussed. Indeed the answer to this
question comes in two parts. The first is that
the creative thinking methods you will work
with are not strictly ‘rules’.

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 Most often they are suggestions or very broad
guiding principles that help us to generate new
ideas.
 They are there to be changed, adapted,
stretched, challenged etc. to suit the current
situation. If they are ‘rules’ then they are very
flexible rules designed to serve the user.

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 Secondly we have to recognize that if we applied creative
thinking (or lateral thinking) methods on their own, we
would likely end up with a chaotic collection of ideas that
are never tested against their functional objectives
(usefulness). As we have seen earlier, vertical and lateral
thinking approaches are required to achieve ‘original
thinking ... with purpose’ (as Sir Ken Robinson puts it).
Therefore a certain amount of structure afforded by a
formal process ensures we maximize our creative efforts
and remain on task.

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Creative Thinking
Lecture 2

Dr. Mohamed Elchime

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Creative Thinking and
Critical Thinking

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Creative
 Involves calling into question the assumptions
underlying our customary, habitual ways of
thinking and acting and then being ready to
think and act differently based on the critical
questioning.

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Components of Critical
Identifying and challenging
assumptions.
Recognizing the importance of
context.
Imagining and exploring alternatives.
Developing reflective skepticism.

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Creative Thinkers

• Consider rejecting standardized formats for

problem solving.
• Have an interest in a wide range of related and
divergent fields.
• Take multiple perspectives on a problem.
• Use trial-and-error methods in their
experimentation.
• Have a future orientation.
• Judgment.
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 Receptivity
 "Creative people are open to new ideas and
welcome new experiences." Judgement is
something we project on people due to
conditioning we've received whether that be
by others or our own observations. While we
can determine probability based on past
events, we have to be open to the idea that
we may be missing information.
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 Just because someone is short one day,
doesn't mean this person is inherently ill-
tempered, it means that for that encounter
their reaction was situational, and temporary
to you. However, it could very well mean that
they have adapted this temperament. What's
clear is, we don't know. Be open to new ways of th

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 Curiosity
 "Researching unfamiliar topics and analyzing unusual
systems is a source of delight for most creative
people." While undertaking unknown concepts, with
the intent to fully understand, can be scary, it's
necessary if you want to learn, what you have set
out to learn. This thing has to be self-realizing or self-
serving, it cannot be what someone else wants you
to learn, or what you think someone else thinks you
should know, you have to want to learn it.
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 Because you might reach a learning curve
doesn't mean you should abandon this
journey. Conflict or tension is present in
almost everything in my opinion.
During your process of learning, it's important
to be honest with yourself.

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 Wide Range of Interests
 "...an artist who has a background in literature, geology,
archery, music and history can make more connections
than a narrow-minded specialist." Stewart makes being a
specialist sound unworthy, while it can be the opposite,
however, creative people have the propensity to learn
about various different areas of life. This assortment of
knowledge enables us to make more connections. It's
important while learning to make clear goals for your self
and organize effectively.

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 Attentiveness
 "Realizing that every experience is valuable, creative
people pay attention to seemingly minor details." My
belief is that everything is interconnected. I'm
constantly finding myself connected to objects like
paper or materials like cement, because i think, how
they can be transformed. Pay attention to the
details, they're how you get to a functional big
picture.

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 Connection Seeking
 "Seeing the similarity among seemingly
disparate parts has often sparked a creative
breakthrough." This harks back to making
connections, once we are receptive to new
ideas, we see how even opposites are
connected.

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Conviction
"Creative people value existing
knowledge". Our knowledge base is built
upon. Scientists build upon old ideas to
extend their work, sometimes
transforming those older ideas and
creating something new. I've always
hated the adage "Don't re-invent the
whee 1
". I've always felt as though the wheel
needs to be re-invented, especially as
time progresses, however, there is
something to leaving the wheel the way
it is. There are some fundamentals that
might not be absolutely true, albeit they
can give us direction nonetheless.

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 Complexity
 "The risk-taker gets the job started; the safe-
keeper gets the job done." There are a
plethora of things/emotions that occur when
completing a project. There's excitement,
there's fear, there's passion, there's critical
analysis, you may have to start over a few
times.

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you might abandon the project, you
might need to follow certain steps to get
the work done, the project might require
you to experiment. Either way you must
continue to have focus, determination or
direction and consistency. Whatever you
need to do to regroup- do it.

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Creative Thinking
Lecture 3

Dr. Mohamed Elchime

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Creative Thinking and
Critical Thinking

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Phases of Critical Thinking
 1. Trigger Event
 An unexpected happening that prompts a sense
confusion
 2. Appraisal
 A period of self scrutinizing to identify and clarify the
concern.
 3. Exploration
 Search for ways to explain discrepancy of to live with
them
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 4. Developing alternative perspectives.
Select assumptions and activities.
 5. Integration
Becoming comfortable with, and acting, on
new ideas assumption and new ways of
thinking
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 The coronavirus has not only decimated our
populations, its spread has also attacked the very
nature of truth and stoked inherent tensions
between many different groups of people, both
at local and international levels. Spawning
widespread conspiracy theories and obfuscation
by governments, the virus has also been a vivid
demonstration of the need for teaching critical
thinking skills necessary to survive in the 21st
century.
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 The stage theory of critical thinking
development, devised by psychologists Linda
Elder and Richard Paul, can help us gauge the
sophistication of our current mental approaches
and provides a roadmap to the thinking of
others.
 The researchers identified six predictable levels
of critical thinkers, from ones lower in depth and
effort to the advanced mind-masters, who are
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always steps ahead.

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 As the scientists write , moving up on this pyramid of
thinking "is dependent upon a necessary level of
commitment on the part of an individual to develop
as a critical thinker." Using your mind more
effectively is not automatic and "is unlikely to take
place "subconsciously." In other words – you have to
put in the work and keep doing it, or you'll lose the
faculty.
 Here's how the stages of intellectual development
break down:
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Stage One: The Unreflective Thinker

 These are people who don't reflect about

thinking and the effect it has on their lives. As
such, they form opinions and make decisions
based on prejudices and misconceptions while
their thinking doesn't improve.
 Unreflective thinkers lack crucial skills that would
allow them to parse their thought processes.
They also do not apply standards like accuracy,
relevance, precision, and logic in a consistent
fashion.
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How many such people are out there?
You probably can guess based on social
media comments. As Elder and Paul
write, "it is perfectly possible for
students to graduate from high school,
or even college, and still be largely
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unreflective thinkers."

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Stage Two: The Challenged Thinker

 This next level up thinker has awareness of the

importance of thinking on their existence and knows
that deficiencies in thinking can bring about major
issues. As the psychologists explain, to solve a
problem, you must first admit you have one.
 People at this intellectual stage begin to understand
that "high quality thinking requires deliberate
reflective thinking about thinking", and can
acknowledge that their own mental processes might
have many flaws. They might not be able to identify
all the flaws, 1
 A challenged thinker may have a sense that solid
thinking involves navigating assumptions, inferences,
and points of view, but only on an initial level. They
may also be able to spot some instances of their own
self-deception. The true difficulty for thinkers of this
category is in not "believing that their thinking is
better than it actually is, making it more difficult to
recognize the problems inherent in poor thinking,“
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explain the researchers.

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Stage Three: The Beginning Thinker

 Thinkers at this level can go beyond the nascent

intellectual humility and actively look to take
control of their thinking across areas of their
lives. They know that their own thinking can have
blind spots and other problems and take steps to
address those, but in a limited capacity.
 Beginning thinkers place more value in reason,
becoming self-aware in their thoughts. They may
also be able to start looking at the concepts and
biases underlying their ideas.
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 Additionally, such thinkers develop higher
internal standards of clarity, accuracy and logic,
realizing that their ego plays a key role in their
decisions.
 Another big aspect that differentiates this
stronger thinker – some ability to take criticism
of their mental approach, even though they still
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have work to do and might lack clear enough
solutions to the issues they spot.

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Stage Four: The Practicing Thinker

 This more experienced kind of thinker not only

appreciates their own deficiencies, but has skills to
deal with them. A thinker of this level will practice
better thinking habits and will analyze their mental
processes with regularity.
 While they might be able to express their mind's
strengths and weaknesses, as a negative, practicing
thinkers might still not have a systematic way of
gaining insight into their thoughts and can fall prey
to egocentric and self-deceptive reasoning.
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 How do you get to this stage? An important
trait to gain, say the psychologists,
is "intellectual perseverance." This quality
can provide "the impetus for developing a
realistic plan for systematic practice (with a
view to taking greater command of one's
thinking)."
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Stage Five: The Advanced Thinker

 One doesn't typically get to this stage until college

and beyond, estimate the scientists. This higher-level
thinker would have strong habits that would allow
them to analyze their thinking with insight about
different areas of life. They would be fair-minded
and able to spot the prejudicial aspects in the points
of view of others and their own understanding.
 While they'd have a good handle on the role of their
ego in the idea flow, such thinkers might still not be
able to grasp all the influences that affect their
mentalit 2
 The advanced thinker is at ease with self-critique and
does so systematically, looking to improve. Among
key traits required for this level are "intellectual
insight" to develop new thought habits, "intellectual
integrity" to "recognize areas of inconsistency and
contradiction in one's life," intellectual empathy" to
put oneself in the place of others in order to
genuinely understand them, and the "intellectual
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courage" to confront ideas and beliefs they don't
necessarily believe in and have negative emotions
towards.

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Stage Six: The Master Thinker

 This is the super-thinker, the one who is totally in

control of how they process information and
make decisions. Such people constantly seek to
improve their thought skills, and through
experience "regularly raise their thinking to the
level of conscious realization."
 A master thinker achieves great insights into
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deep mental levels, strongly committed to being
fair and gaining control over their own
egocentrism.

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 Such a high-level thinker also exhibits superior
practical knowledge and insight, always re-
examining their assumptions for weaknesses,
logic, and biases.
 And, of course, a master thinker wouldn't get
upset with being intellectually confronted and
spends a considerable amount of time
analyzing their own responses.

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Creative Thinking
Lecture 4

Dr. Mohamed Elchime

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Planning of Creative
Thinking

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How to organize the creative
process
 Over here, we dig a little deeper into the kind of creative
process we are contemplating arriving at more
practical decision-oriented considerations. We describe
this process by taking a closer look at four components:
the psychological attitude or mood that is involved and
how this relates to planning, the way action-creativity
might take a place in innovative organizations, the social
character of the creative process, and the meaning of
“orality.”

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1. The creative mood

 In one of his books about creativity, Csikzentmihalyi

describes the work of an artist – a poet – who
balances between two contrasting moods: a “relaxed,
receptive, non-judgmental openness to experience”
with a “highly concentrated critical assessment.” The
poet expresses both “passionate involvement” and
“sardonic detachment”.

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 The core of how to preserve creativity in life (including
organizational life) lies in this balance: we must accept the
existence and interplay of such diverse moods. To provide
conditions that allow the first, creative mood to flourish we
should separate it from rational, analytical activities. Similarly
also in alternative approaches to planning, novel ideas must be
made explicit, open for external, critical judgment and debate.
The need to separate the creative from the rational-analytic can
be illustrated by describing the essence of what is called the
creative mood. worked to distinguish the most
discriminating characteristics of “being creative.”

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 Ideas come to the fore in a random manner steered by
a hidden entity that makes certain associations
possible. The rational-analytic mood is characterized
by the opposite:
 Elements of deliberation are separate .
 There is no sense of distance from the environment;
and .
 The conscious parts of decision making (e.g.
arguments) are dominating.

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 Several books concerning specialized tasks such as
writing, suggest a clear awareness of the differences in
mood that are required and the consequences. An
interesting example comes from an old book about the
writing process, in which Tichy proposes four steps:
 (1) plan;
 (2) write;
 (3) cool; and
 (4) revise.

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 In her view, the creative part (writing) is separate
from the rational-analytic parts (planning, revising),
with an extra guarantee that moods will not merge
ensured through the use of a cooling down period. In
organizational activities, we should be aware at the
moment we get involved if they are creative or not.
Therefore, we have to keep in mind the differences in
mood in order to preserve their specific qualities.

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2. Cognitive and conative creativity

 Stressing action as an important element in

alternative planning approaches gives rise to renewed
reflection on how we perceive creativity. As stated
earlier, creativity can be present in “thinking before
we act” – what traditional planners do – but it can
also be found in the action itself (which they typically
do not). We argued that, by means of experimental
behavior (doing things in a new way) we receive
impulses which we could never get through thought
alone.
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 Now, we will explore in more depth the difference
between what we term cognitive and conative
creativity. The inspiration for grasping this difference
comes once again from the study of creativity in
artistic domains. A German psychologist on music,
Bahle found that composers of his time had quite
different ways of composing music. Some
composers worked in intense contact with their
instrument, usually the piano.

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 Others worked “freely” without experimentation
through something like producing music. Prior to the
time of Bahle we have two classic examples, that of
Beethoven who was a restless composer creating
music in enduring interaction with his pianoforte, in
contrast to Mozart who could write a symphony
while traveling in a coach. The same distinction can
be found with writers or filmmakers

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 The conclusion could be that some people are more
cognitive creative, while others need action. But
most people are not so extreme: they are both. We
also encounter this in artistic work. For instance, De
Sade, a French liberal writer who, in his ideas about
writing novels in the introduction to his book (1800)
“Les Crimes de l’amour” (The Crimes of Love),
stressed the point that a good design is required
before production begins.

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3. The social dimension of
creativity and planning
 Alternative approaches to planning underline the need for a
common sense of direction and widespread contributions from
those engaged in efforts to imagine new fits between the
organization and its environment. As a consequence, the
creative process should be a social affair. Here, we face a
potential problem that came up earlier. In many writings,
creativity is situated in an individual mind that must deal with
an unwilling group. For instance, Seitz defines “creative
temperament” as a “problem solving attitude, perseverance in
the face of social opprobrium ...” Really creative people can
bare such criticism.

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 We can neither deny the importance of individual
contributions (to the contrary), nor the social constraints that
exist in organizations. However, by describing creativity as
“social” we might move towards more positive accounts of
people interacting creatively. One explanation for the
emphasis on individual creativity may be the way in which
the social is generally depicted. Often, we find a false
distinction between a dynamic, experimentally-minded
individual and a passive, conformity-minded social
environment that coerces the individual “back to normal.”

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 This distinction underrates the importance of a
lively, dynamic social environment for
nourishing individual creativity that we also
see in the artistic domain. Of course, the social
can be considered dynamic and experimental
as well, and this is what we would like to
maintain as both possible and necessary.

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 However, we cannot neglect danger of a social anti-
creative attitude. West convincingly demonstrates the
effects of social cohesion on creativity. On the one
hand, “it increases feelings of self-actualization and
psychological safety.” The feeling that “... one is not
alone responsible for possible failure ...” These are
the merits. The risks, on the other hand, are an
“unwillingness to question group decisions” and “a
focus on relationships rather than on tasks”

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Creative Thinking
Lecture 5

Dr. Mohamed Elchime

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Basics of Creative Planning
Learning Objectives
 Identify communications process elements
 Communication may be defined as a process
concerning exchange of facts or ideas between
persons holding different positions in an organization
to achieve mutual harmony. The communication
process is dynamic in nature rather than a static
phenomenon.
 Seven major elements of communication process
are: (1) sender (2) ideas (3) encoding
(4) communication channel (5) receiver (6) decoding
and (7) feedback.
 Distinguish between client & agency
responsibilities in creative development
 In today’s marketing communications world, there are many new, younger,
less experienced managers responsible for interacting with and even
directing the agency services provided to advertisers. Then when adding in
the relatively recent, increased involvement of procurement professionals
with the selection, contracting, compensating and evaluation of agencies,
there is a need to clearly spell-out the roles and responsibilities of each
party to the client/agency relationship. It is only with that understanding
that maximum efficiency and accountability can be achieved, engendering
a trusting, long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
 On the following page the reader will find outlined the respective
responsibilities of both client and agency under the four major components
of any successful marketing communications program:
 Business Review
 Objectives, Strategies and Long-Range Plan
 Creative Concepts and Communications Plan
 The Plan Execution
Learning Objectives
 Explain creative development stages
 So to recap we have The Five Stages of Creativity:

 1. Preparation

 2. Incubation

 3. Insight

 4. Evaluation

 5. Elaboration
 1. PREPARATION
 The first stage is the idea of PREPARATION, the idea that you are
immersing yourself in the domain. If you area musician you are absorbing
a lot of the music that is inspiring you to create this new piece. If you’re a
writer you are reading other writers in this area. If you are an artist you are
looking at other artist’s work in the area that you are looking at creating
something in. If you are a scientist you are looking at all the background
research. And if you are an entrepreneur or marketer you are looking at all
the previous market research and what other companies have done before.
 So this stage is normally best carried out in a quiet environment. It’s really
this stage that you are trying to absorb as much information as possible
because this information will go into your sub- consciousness where it is
very important for the second stage, or second level.

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 2. INCUBATION
 The second stage is what we call the INCUBATION stage. In
incubation this is when all the information that you have gathered in the
PREPARATION stage really goes back. It starts to churn in the back
of your mind, in the sub-consciousness. This is an extremely
important stage because sometimes it can takes days, or weeks, or
months or sometimes even years. That idea that you’ll think about
writing about a book or piece of music, and you’re writing about it and
you just leave it to the side for a while and then you come back to it.
Now the interesting thing about the incubation stages it that to a certain
extent it is not really under your control how long that stage will take. It
is something you cannot really rush because what it leads to is the third
stage.

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3. INSIGHT

 The third stage is what most of the public think is a

classic signal or sign of a creative person, what is
called the INSIGHT stage or the insight step. With
insight it is really the idea of the ‘Aha’ moment, the
‘Eureka’ moment. Although it is probably the
smallest part of the five steps, it is possible one of the
most important parts.

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 A quick thing I would say here is that they most often
happen when you are doing some kind of low-level
physical activity; going for a shower, driving a car,
having a walk. This is because your
subconsciousness in the previous stages is bubbling
away and this insight stage really allows the mind to
work on something else. And then bring these ideas
to the forefront of your mind. So that’s the third
stage, the insight’s stage. And now we go on to the
fourth stage.
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 4. EVALUATION
 The fourth stage is this idea of EVALUATION. This is
something I have a problem with. I think it is an area that a lot
of creative people struggle with because often you have so
many ideas and you have a limited amount of time. So the
evaluation stage is important because this is where it requires
self-criticism and reflection. It is asking yourself questions
like:
 “Is this a novel or new idea or is it one that is just re- hashed
and has been done before?”
 It’s the idea of going out to a small group of trusted
friends and saying:
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 “I’ve had this idea, what do you think about this?”
 It is very important part because we only have a
limited amount of time to do certain things. Often you
find that people who are called the most ‘creative
people’ are often very good at this stage, the
evaluation stage. They have all these ideas but they
can use self-criticism and reflection to say “these are
the ones that have the most merit and that I’m going
to work on”.

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 5. ELABORATION
 And then we have the final stage. This is called ELABORATION. This is
where Edison said that it’s “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”. Now
the elaboration stage is the 99% perspiration stage. This is where you are
actually doing the work. So many people out there think that the creative
process is that insight, that ‘Aha’ moment, or the preparation part. But
really a creative individual isn’t complete, and I don’t think they can
do anything that really lasts, unless they can go through that and actually
put in the hard work. The elaboration; testing the idea, working on the idea,
those late nights in the studio, working at your desk, those hours in the
laboratory if you are scientist, those days testing and micro-testing
products. This is the elaboration stage.

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Creative Development Process
Learning Objectives (cont.)
Identify and distinguish among creative
objectives, strategies and execution
Describe appeal techniques
Identify the various execution techniques
used for presenting messages
Explain measurement techniques for
evaluating creative
Advertising Plan

 Is divided into two distinct yet connected

sections
 Creative Plan
 Devise message

 Media Plan
 Devise media strategies
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 Step 1. Definition of Strategy Attributes
 In strategic planning, the level of highest abstraction
is one where we discuss the mission, vision, and
values. .
 Organizations create mission/vision statements (see
below for some thoughts about the difference
between the terms) for two main reasons:
 A formal one: follow the common trend and have
something to show to investors;
 A practical one: use them as building blocks of
corporate culture and focus the team’s efforts.

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 Step 2. Strategy Formulation
 As demonstrated by the authors of “Strategy Safari,”[3] there are at least 10
schools of strategy that explain different approaches to the strategy and the
ways to formulate it. You can be a follower of a certain strategy school, but
there are some key components that exist in any good strategy.
 According to Richard Rumelt (“Good Strategy. Bad Strategy”), a good
strategy includes three components (called “kernel” by the author):
 A diagnosis – a hypothesis about the reason of the challenge that
the company face,
 A guiding policy – a hypothesis about the solution to the challenge, and
Coherent action – a hypothesis about what might help, e.g., a company’s
response to the challenge.

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 Step 3: Strategy Description
 We started with the mission that defined a goal of the highest
level of abstraction. Then we discussed the strategic priorates
that are on the lower level. What’s next? Business goals!
 Business Goals and Objectives
 Business goals are more specific parts of a company’s
strategy.
 They formulate a hypothesis about how an organization
can achieve desired results
 There is a cause-and-effect logic that can connect them and
form a strategy map.

1
 Step 4. Strategy Cascading
 In simple words, a strategy alignment
(cascading) is a discussion around business
goals that helps participants to understand how
desired business outcomes can be achieved on
a certain business level (alignment of business
objectives, initiatives, and action plans), and
how the success/failure can be measured
(alignment of respective measures).

2
 Strategy is not just for the top management
(Tier 1) only. The idea is that everyone in the
company, including
business units (Tier 2) and
employees (Tier 3), are aware of the
strategy and understand how their job is linked
to the ultimate goal (achieving company’s
vision).

2
2
 Step 5. Strategy Execution
 Once a strategy is formulated and cascaded, we can
start the strategy execution. A well-defined and
described strategy in front of your eyes will be your
company’s navigation system.
 Strategy map will help to focus the company’s
resources on the important objectives
 Leading and lagging metrics will help managers to
track the execution process
 Aligned/cascaded objectives will make strategy
everyone’s job

2
Agency Responsibility

 Understand the marketplace

 Develop a more precise creative strategy
 Creative execution details
Client- Agency Responsibility
Content of a Creative Brief
 Market Information
 Market profile
 Product profile
 Competitor profile
 Target market profile
 Budget

Continued…
Content of a Creative Brief (cont.)
 Problem Identification
 Identification of problem or
 Overall communication goal

Continued…
Problem Identification
 A few generic examples of overall
communication goals:
 To create or increase brand awareness
 To position or reposition a product in the
customer’s mind
 To present a new image (re-image of brand)
 To attract a new target market
 To introduce a line extension
Content of a Creative Brief (cont.)
 Advertising Objectives
 Awareness
 Interest
 Preference
 Action
 New image
 New targets
Continued…
Content of a Creative Brief
(cont.)
 Positioning – Strategy Statement
 Brand benefits, personality or desire image
 Creative Objectives
 Message content objectives
 Key benefit statement
 Support-claims statement

Continued…
Content of a Creative Brief
(cont.)
 Creative Strategy
 Buying motivation
 Tone and style
 Theme
 Appeal techniques

Continued…


Creative Strategy
How will the message be communicated to
the target audience?
 Here are some common creative appeal
techniques:
Positive
Negative
Factual
Comparative
Humorous
Emotional
Lifestyle
Website Examples
www.levis.com
www.dairygoodness.ca
www.olympuscanada.com

What creative strategies have these firms

used on their websites?
Through which marketing
communications activities and media?
Content of a Creative Brief (cont.)
 Creative Execution
 Tactical considerations
 Production considerations
Creative Execution
Tactical Considerations
 What is the best or most convincing way to
present a product so the consumer will be
motivated to purchase it?

Testimonials Torture tests

Endorsements Product as hero
Product Product
demonstrations comparisons
Continued….
Creative Execution (cont.)
 Production Considerations
 Message content and media decisions
 Budget available
 Mandatory content
Creative Evaluation
 Does the ad reflect the positioning statement?
 Does it mislead or misinterpret the intent of the
message?
 Is the ad memorable?
 Is the brand recognition effective?
 Should the ad be researched?
Research Techniques
 Creative Research
 Is to measure the impact of a message on a
target audience.
 Pre-test: evaluated before final production or media
placement
 Post-test: evaluating during or after its placement
Recognition and Recall Testing
 Recognition testing
 Testing for awareness
 Recall testing
 Testing for comprehension and impact
Common Research Methods
 Starch Readership test
 Noted
 Associated
 Read most
 Day- After Recall Testing
 Research is conducted the day after an audience
has been exposed to the ad for the first time
Other Research Methods
 Opinion-Measure Testing
 Physiological Testing
 Inquiry Tests (Split-Run tests)
 Controlled Experiments
4
4
Creative Thinking
Lecture 6
Dr. Mohamed Elchime

1
Creative Thinking and
Brainstorming

2
1. Brainstorming – probably one of the
most popular creative techniques
 This is the most obvious creative
techniques and endless whiteboard is just
perfect for it. The basis of brainstorming is a
generating ideas in a group situation based on
the principle of suspending judgment – a
principle which scientific research has proved
to be highly productive in individual effort as
well as group effort.

3
State the problem you are trying to
solve. Use Post-its , images and videos–
anything that can help you generate
ideas. Write down every idea even if it is
odd, encourage people to build on the
ideas of others. Follow 12 basic rules to
4
make the session effective .

5
2. Negative Brainstorming
 This is another example of creative
techniques. It uses brainstorming to generate
bad solutions to the problem and then see
how those could be transformed into good
solutions. The method is a two-step process,
that consists of generating the worst ideas
first and then transforming them into good
solutions.
 The process is the same as described above.
6
 For example, you are trying to solve the question
‘How to make teamwork more effective’.
 These are examples of bad solutions:
 – To build a wall between team members so
they never meet each other.
 – To put them in 5 different buildings.
 A transformed bad solution can be:
 – To move to another building/office with the
common space where all the team can gather
together and discuss ideas.
7
 Here is a list of 25 brainstorming techniques. Pick the
best method for the issue you are facing and apply it.
1. Time Travel. How would you deal with this if you were in a
different time period? 10 years ago? 100 years ago? 1,000
years ago? 10,000 years ago? How about in the future? 10
years later? 100 years later? 1,000 years later? 10,000 years
later?
2. Teleportation: What if you were facing this problem in a
different place? Different country? Different geographic
region? Different universe? A different plane of existence?
How would you handle it?

8
3. Attribute change. How would you think about this
if you were a different gender? Age? Race? Intellect?
Height? Weight? Nationality? Your Sanity? With each
attribute change, you become exposed to a new
spectrum of thinking you were subconsciously closed
off from.
4. Rolestorming. What would you do if you were
someone else? Your parent? Your teacher? Your
manager? Your partner? Your best friend? Your
enemy? Etc?
9
5. Iconic Figures. This is a spin-off of rolestorming. What
if you were an iconic figure of the past? Albert Einstein?
Thomas Edison? Mother Theresa? Princess Diana? Winston
Churchill? How about the present? Barack Obama? Steve
Jobs ? Bill Gates? Warren Buffet? Steven Spielberg? Etc.?
How would you think about your situation?
6. Superpowers.This is another spinoff of rolestorming.
What if you suddenly have superpowers? Superman?
Spiderman? Wonderwoman? X-Men? The Hulk? One of
the

Fantastic Four? What would you do? 1

7. Gap Filling. Identify your current spot – which is Point A – and
your end goal – which is Point B. What is the gap that exists
between A and B? What are all the things you need to fill up this
gap? List them down and find out what it takes to get them.
8. Group Ideation. Have a group brainstorming session! Get a
group of people and start ideating together. More brains are better
than one! Let the creative juices flow together!
9. Mind Map. Great tool to work out as many ideas as you can in a
hierarchical tree and cluster format. Start off with your goal in
the center, branch out into the major sub-topics, and continue to
branch out into as many sub-sub-topics as
needed. Source Forge is a free mind-mapping software you 10

can check out.

 10.Medici Effect. The Medici Effect refers to how
ideas in seemingly unrelated topics/fields intersect.
Put your goal alongside similar goals in different
areas/contexts and identify parallel themes and
solutions. For example, if your goal is to be an award-
winning artist, look at award- winning musicians,
educators, game developers, computer makers,
businessmen, etc. Are there any commonalities that
you can apply to your situation? What has worked for
each of them, and how can you apply this success
factor?
1
11. SWOT Analysis. Do a SWOT of your situation. What are
the Strengths? Weaknesses? Opportunities? Threats? The
analysis will open your mind up to new ideas.
12. Brain Writing. Get a group of people and have them write
their ideas on a sheet of paper. After 10 minutes, rotate the sheets
to different people and build off what others wrote on their paper.
Continue until everyone has written on everyone else’s sheet.
13. Trigger Method. Brainstorm on as many ideas as possible.
Then select the best ones and brainstorm on those ideas as
‘triggers’ for more ideas. Repeat until you find the best solution.

1
14. Variable Brainstorming.
1. First, identify the variable in the end outcome you look to
achieve. For example, if your goal is to achieve X visitors to
your website, the variable is # of visitors.
2. Second, list all the possibilities for that variable. Different
variations of visitors are gender / age / race / nationality /
occupation / interests / etc. Think about the question with each
different variable. For example, for Genre: How can you get
more females to your website? How can you get more males
to your website? For Age: How can you get more teenagers to
your website? How can you get more adults to your website?
And so on.

1
15. Niche. This is part two of the variable
brainstorming method. From the variations of the
variable you have listed, mix and match them in
different ways and brainstorm against those niches. For
example, using the example in #14, how can you get
more male teenagers to your website? (Gender and Age)
How can you get more American Male Adults to your
website? (Nationality, Gender, and Age)

1
16. Challenger. List all the assumptions in your situation
and challenge them. For example, your goal is to
brainstorm on a list of ideas for your romance novel which
you want to get published. Notice you have several
assumptions here. 1) Genre to write: Romance. Why must it
be that romance? Can it be a different genre? 2) Another
assumption is regarding the length of the writing, that it
must be a novel. Why must it be a novel? Can it be a short
story? A series of books? 3) Medium: Book. Why must be it
a book? Can it be an ebook? Mp3? Video? And so on.

1
17. Escape Thinking. This is a variation of Challenger method.
Look at the assumptions behind the goal you are trying to
achieve, then flip that assumption around and look at your goal
from that new angle. For example, you want to earn more income
from selling books. Your assumption may be ‘People buy books
for themselves’. Flip the assumption around such that ‘People
do NOT buy books for reading’. What will this lead to? You
may end up with people buy books as gifts, for collection
purposes, etc. Another assumption may be ‘People read books’.
The flip side of this assumption may be people look at books
(drawings). Escaping from these assumptions will bring you to a
different realm of thought on how to achieve your goal.
1
18. Reverse Thinking. Think about what everyone will
typically do in your situation. Then do the opposite.
19. Counteraction Busting. What counteracting forces are
you facing in your scenario? For example, if you want to increase
traffic to your website, two counteracting forces may be the
number of ads you put and the pageviews of your site. The more
ads you put, the more users will likely be annoyed and surf away.
What can you do such that the counteraction no longer exists or
the counteraction is no longer an issue? Some solutions may be to
1) Get ads that are closely related to the theme of your site, 2)
Get contextual ads that are part of your content rather than

separate, and so on. 1

20. Resource Availability. What if money,
time, people, supplies are not issues at all? What
if you can ask for whatever you want and have it
happen? What will you do?
21. Drivers Analysis. What are the forces that
help drive you forward in your situation? What
are the forces acting against you? Think about
how you can magnify the former and
reduce/eliminate the latter.
1
22. Exaggeration. Exaggerate your goal and see how you will
deal with it now. Enlarge it: What if it is 10 times its current
size? 100 times? 1000 times? Shrink it: What if it is 1/10 its
current size? 1/100? 1/1000? Multiply it: What if you have 10 of
these goals now? 100? 1000?
23. Get Random Input. Get a random stimulus and try to
see how you can fit it into your situation. Get a random word
or image from a
dictionary/ webpage/ book/ magazine/ newspaper/ TV and think
about how it can apply. Or a random object from your room
/house /workplace /neighborhood /etc. And so on.

1
 24.Meditation. Focus on your key question such as
‘How can I solve XX problem?’ or ‘How can I achieve
XX goal?’ and meditate on it. Have a pen and paper in
front of you so you can write whatever comes to mind.
Do this for 30 minutes or as long as it takes.
 25.Write a list of 101 ideas. Open your word
processor and write a laundry list of at least 101 ideas to
deal with your situation. Go wild and write whatever you
can think of without restricting yourself. Do not stop
until you have at least 101.

2
3. The Insights Game

Have you experienced one of those

moments when you suddenly realize
how the world works and the dots are
connected? The insights Game is about
these moments. Every insight gives you
one point. You need to have at least one
point every day, if not the game is over.

2
 Actually, it is a personal method, but you can do it with your
friends or team on different boards simultaneously
supporting each other.
 The goal and the reward of this game is that you will improve
your ability to see the big picture, process more complex
problems and challenge your beliefs.
 Use images, videos, post-its and whatever you want to put
your insights on the board. Back to the board every day and
look at the big picture. Try these for 21 days minimum, and
2
feel this magical moment! Use the Monthly Planner template
to start or put everything on a blank sheet.

2
4. Mood boards

Mood board is a type of collage that

may consist of images, text, videos
and samples of objects in a
composition of the choice of the
mood board creator.

2
Designers and others use mood
boards to develop their design concepts
and to communicate to other members
of the design team. They are used by
artists and are based on a particular
theme of their choice too. Here you can
2
find some more useful information about
mood boards.

2
5. Random Words (Random Input)

Random Words Creative technique

encourages your imagination to create
different perspectives and new angles on
your idea or the problem you are facing.
It is by far the simplest of all creative
techniques and is widely used by people
who need to create new ideas (for
example, for new products).
2
 Prepare with a lot of different random words, short stories or
tweets, put them on the board and start your brainstorming
session!
 Once you have chosen the word, list its attributions or
associations with the word. Then apply each of the items on
your list and see how it applies to the problem at hand.
 How does it work? Because the brain is a self-organising
system, and very good at making connections. Almost any
random word will stimulate ideas on the subject. Follow the
2
associations and functions of the stimulus word, as well as
using aspects of the word as a metaphor.

2
6. Storyboarding
 Storyboards go back to the very beginnings of
cinema and animation. As it is known, Walt Disney
and his staff developed a Story Board system in
1928. Disney wanted to achieve full animation and
for this, he needed to produce an enormous number
of drawings. Managing the thousands of drawings
and the progress of a project was nearly impossible,
so Disney had his artists pin up their drawings on the
studio walls. This way, progress could be checked,
and scenes added and discarded with ease.
3
 Now Storyboarding is a popular creative
technique and is widely spread in business.
Storyboards are used today by industry for
planning advertising campaigns, commercials,
a proposal or other business presentations
intended to convince or compel to action.

3
7. Metaphorical thinking
 A metaphor is a thinking method which connects
two universes of meaning. Examples: Food chain or
flow of time. Metaphorical thinking is based on
Similarity. Our mind tends to look for similarities. A
road map is a model or metaphor of reality and
useful for explaining things.
 Put everything that you may need on the board –
words, images, videos, icons, etc. to help you create
something new and exciting.

3
 Imaging within another conceptual frame can
help, eg. the visual images of spring which
inspired Vivaldi’s “Prima Vera”, the dream
that led to Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique,”
the art exhibition which Mussorsgy illustrated
in “Pictures at an Exhibition,” and so on.

3
8. Mind
 Mind Maps has been developed by Tony Buzan are
an effective technique of structuring information and
note-taking. They are also useful during the
brainstorming sessions. To Make a mind map , start
in the center of the board with the main idea, invite
your team and work in all directions, producing a
growing and organized structure using key
words/phrases and key images/videos.
 Use colorful links, post-its, shapes, icons, images and
videos – anything that can help you build a visual
ma 3
9. Brain
 Brain Shifter is one of creative techniques that is similar to
mind mapping, but you should act as if you were
someone else. The purpose is to create new ideas that
you never thought about before.
 Get in to character by changing your mindset and try to
think like another person. E.g imagine that you are a doctor,
a lawyer, a kid or why not a Batman? Start to write your
ideas on post-its thinking as your ‘superhero’. If you use the
method in group, you can give the roles to each other before
the session.
 After the session is finished, vote for the best ideas.

3
3
3
Creative Thinking
Lecture 7
Dr. Mohamed Elchime

1
Metaphorical Thinking

2
What is Metaphorical
 A metaphor means comparing two things that in reality
are not literally the same. This is the foundation of
Metaphorical Thinking. Metaphors were considered a
sign of genius by the Greek philosopher Aristotle .
According to him, the individual who can perceive the
similarity between two very different concepts, was
intelligent and had a special gift.
 By making a metaphorical comparison between a
complex problem and a recognizable situation, other
people can understand what’s meant right away.

3
Insigh
 Metaphorical Thinking might seem strange, but eventually it
will lead to more insight. Thinking in metaphors brings other
solutions to the surface.
 Using metaphors encourages creativity. It is a soft thinking
technique that connects and compares two different meanings.
After all, people tend to look for similarities. That helps them
to grasp complex issues.
 Trying to understand things through logic alone disrupts the
creative process. Metaphorical Thinking is a powerful tool for
looking at things in a new way. That’s why it is used a lot in
the world of advertising and marketing.

4
Solution-
 Metaphors conjure up lively images and help us to look at
things from a new perspective in order to understand
them better. It opens eyes and people are more able
comprehend problems and gain insight into solutions.
Metaphorical Thinking can help when considering a
problem and its solution.
 Thoughts are exposed to related concepts and those are
then compared to each other. Using comparisons
stimulate creative ideas to solve problems. The key to
Metaphorical Thinking is looking for similarities or
parallels.
5
Metaphorical Thinking
 Metaphors are used a lot in our everyday language. That
shouldn’t surprise anyone. A well-known one is ‘time is money’; an
expression that compares ‘time’ and ‘money’. At first glance, these
concepts seem to be unrelated.
 By thinking of time as money, you can conjure up some powerful
images. Wasting time is like throwing money down the drain and
spending time on something is making an investment for the future.
This way, Metaphorical Thinking opens people’s eyes to the
similarities between disparate things.
 Another example is comparing a badly-run organization to a sinking
ship. A sinking ship is beyond saving. That means that something
needs to happen if the organization wants to have

any hope for survival. 6

Outside of established
 Creativity starts to flow when you step outside of established
frameworks and think out of the box . When using a metaphor,
you combine two elements that have little or no logical
connection. Breaking the rules of logic like this allows
metaphors to access the creative side of our brains. This is the
part that is stimulated by images, ideas and concepts.
 That way Metaphoric Thinking can help you to come up with
creative solutions to problems or provide clear insight into
complex situations. Think for instance of a company that is
confronted with high production costs.

7
 They will first look for obvious solutions including a search
for new technologies or analysing the inefficient production
processes.
 That might eventually lead to cost reductions, but does it really
get to the core of the issue? The point is to reduce the high
costs. Now a metaphor can be made with an overweight
person who wants to lose weight. By doing this, the brain
starts to approach the problem from a completely different
perspective, which will lead to different solutions. Losing
weight is now compared to getting rid of excess ballast (too
high production costs). It’s explained further in the step-by-
step plan below:
8
1. Identify the metaphor for the
problem
 Losing weight (ballast) equals lowering the
high production costs.

9
 2. Solutions for the metaphorical problem
 How to lose weight. By brainstorming with the entire team,
new ideas will emerge about how someone can lose weight.
This is where the initial focus lies. Every extra kilo is
metaphorically equal to the extra euros spent on production
costs.
 In order to lose weight, someone could keep track of foods
high in calories and foods low in calories, eat less, only stick
to diet foods, drink a lot of water, exercise more to burn
calories or join a weight-loss club. Many of the ideas will be
linked to the actual problem in the end. That’s why it’s best
to come up with as many ideas as
possible during this phase. 1
 3. Translating to real solutions
 The metaphorical solutions can now be linked to the real
problem and provide insight into actual solutions. Counting
calories for instance can be translated to stricter monitoring of
what goes into the company. Burning calories through
repetitive exercises leads to more recycling or reusing of raw
materials in the production process.
 By keeping better track of what one should and shouldn’t eat,
an organization can monitor the inflow of products and raw
materials much more strictly.

1
 Limiting certain foods leads to better supplier price
comparisons and more negotiating with them. Only eating
low-calorie foods can be translated as using cheaper and/or
alternative raw materials.
 Drinking a lot of water keeps everything flowing; that’s also
true for a production process. No longer using wasteful
process (washing away resources) The final idea is joining a
weight-loss club.
 A sounding board can be a good thing and lead to continuity
and new insights. By discussing and sharing cost-saving
measures with other departments, the production department
can find support and monitor
progress better. 1
 4.Communication
 Using metaphors is a matter of language and proper
communication. It’s important to first know what needs to be
communicated before looking for comparisons. The audience
needs to understand the metaphor and be able to identify with
it. Looking at problems in different ways leads to new insights
and better understanding.
 Generally, people like to consider a situation in this way and
will stimulate each other during this process. That way,
Metaphorical Thinking can lead to good, useful ideas, loyalty
and cooperation.

1
 What do you think? How do you apply
the Metaphorical Thinking in your project or
organization? Do you recognize the practical
explanation or do you have more additions?
What are your success factors for getting new
insights?

1
1
Creative Thinking
Lecture 8
Dr. Mohamed Elchime

1
Storyboarding of
Creative Thinking

2
What is Storyboarding ?
 Storyboarding is a creativity technique that often uses
stick diagrams to explain a scenario, so that the
planning for that scenario can be done. Just like
brainstorming, this is also mainly employed by
groups. It requires a moderator and takes place in a
group of 8-12 people. The moderator will first
arrange the ideas obtained from the brainstorming
session in a logical order on a white board.

3
 A story will be created around it with the
maximum interconnection of ideas and
different pieces. The pictorial representation
helps keep all factors in front of your eyes
which helps in interconnecting different
factors while searching for solutions. Every
phase has a Critical Section in which
participants discuss their story board.

4
 The story boarding process includes four phases:
• Planning − This phase begins with the issues clearly
spelt out and defined by the moderator. He then takes
a piece of paper and gets ready to take down notes of
the participants.
• Ideas − In this phase, the ideas are put on and
different plans for people are arranged as per the
sequence of the new ideas.

5
• Organization − During this phase, the participants
decide who among them is going to implement the
finalized solutions and the timing of the plan to
implement.
• Communication − In this phase, the participants
are asked to share their storyboard with all the
members in the organization. Through this process,
they can use match-stick figures, balloon sketches
and flowcharts to give a visual graphics to their idea.

6
Uses for
 Storyboards can be used for a variety of purposes beyond
movie making.
 The complete guide to Storyboarding and problem Solving,
advocates the use of storyboards in a broader arena. Following are
other uses for storyboards that he suggests;
 • stimulating creative thinking
 • planning a project
 • collecting ideas
 • exploring an organization
 • communicating a concept
 • illustrating a briefing
 • understanding the big picture
7
The Excursion
 This is a very effective method of persuading a group of
people to design and develop new thought patterns to address
unique situations and to formulate strategies based on their
analyses.
 This process usually involves five steps −
• The First Step − The instructor asks the participants to take
an imaginary journey to a place that seemingly has no
connection with the issue at hand. Some of such places
could be a museum, jungle or another planet, etc. After the
journey is over, the participants need to draw 8- 10 images
based on their experience of that place.

8
• The Second Step − The consultant asks
participants to draw similarities and establish
relationships between the images of their imaginary
excursion, and the real-life issues they are presently
facing in their scenario.
• The Third Step − The participants are now
instructed to analyze the connections between the
problems and the analogies and identify the ones that
are the closest and most distinctly linked with all the
factors.
9
• The Fourth Step − Participants share their
experiences from their imaginary journey with
their team-mates about what they saw, whom they
interacted with, what analogies they drew and
their solutions.
• The Fifth Step − Like brainstorming,
participants discuss each other’s ideas and find
out a common solution to the issues, and a
common narrative that can include all their ideas.
1
Example

 I am exploring ideas to help inform people

move upstairs. I use a storyboard to develop
an idea and share it in a slightly amusing way
with others.

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1
1
1
How it works
 We understand much through stories and it is a key
medium for communication. When people
converse, they tell each other stories of their lives.
Stories are thus natural media by which anyone can
explain something to another.
 Stories are also great for learning, as we naturally
follow along the path they lay down to the ideas and
conclusions that the author has crafted.

1
 We take in a lot through our visual senses, and
so using pictures allows a lot to be
communicated in a few scenes.
 When we watch or listen to the story of
another person, we put ourselves in their
shoes, feeling and experiencing as they do.
Stories are great for hooking people in and
1
generating emotional responses.

1
Summary
 Storyboards can be a helpful tool for planning a
complex project. They can be used as a
communication tool for team members as well as
communication for people outside the team. Creating
effective storyboards is a skill that can be developed.
 By using the process demonstrated here, students can
develop the skill and confidence to prepare
storyboards that communicate a visual story for
planning and communication.

1
 Although most of the examples shown in this
paper are not technical illustrations typical of
engineering drawing, the process is the same
for all storyboards.
 Using some of these techniques might help
students think visually and be more
comfortable putting their ideas down on paper
before they jump onto the computer.

1
2
Creative Thinking
Lecture 9
Dr. Mohamed Elchime

1
Mapping Thinking

2
What is a mind
 A mind map is a type of visual diagram
that consists of a centralized subject and
related topics or ideas branching off from it in
all directions. From each topic subtopics can
again branch off, resulting in a radial structure.

3
 How to start Mind
 Mind mapping is easy and intuitive, and although
there are a lot of guidelines and tips out there, all
you really need to know to get started are a few
basics:
 1. You start off with a blank piece of paper, a clear
board or an empty digital map editor. In the
center you write down whatever your mind map is
about: the subject of your brainstorming session, the
title of your project, a keyword from that essay you’re
trying to write...
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5
 2. Now you can start adding topics, also known as
“nodes”, “keywords”, “ideas” or “branches” to your map.
 3. The next step is to add what we like to call child topics or
child ideas to your first-level topics. Simply draw another line
from your first-level topic and write your child topic on the
line or into a circle at the end of it. These child topics should
be a little less prominent than your first-level topics to convey
a clear sense of hierarchy. Every new topic can again have its
own child topics. There is no limit to the number of child
topics or hierarchical levels in a mind map.

6
The benefits of mind mapping

• Mind mapping helps you focus.

• The subject of your map is always in the center and thus right in
front of your eyes. This helps you to stay on topic.
• Mind mapping lets you structure your thoughts.
• No matter how complex an idea or how big a topic, a mind map
brings order into the chaos.
• Mind mapping provides a great overview of a topic.
• It enables you to see the bigger picture, make out connections
and hierarchies.
• Mind mapping enhances memory.
• It kicks your brain into action and improves your study efforts
through the use of mental triggers.
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• Mind mapping is efficient.
• It increases productivity and can help you save tremendous amounts
of time.
• Mind mapping is easy.
• Everyone from preschooler to CEO can do it.
• Mind mapping enables a free flow of ideas.
• Because you mostly use single keywords, symbols and short phrases
in mind maps, you can jot down ideas a lot faster than usual,
which results in an unobstructed flow of ideas.
 8
• Mind mapping is fun.
• In opposite to linear notes and texts, creating a mind map doesn’t
actually feel like work.

 9
Why mind maps work so well

 The graphical structure

 Mind maps display hierarchy and relationships between topics visually.
Their two-dimensional structure enables you to make out connections
easily and never to lose focus of the actual subject / goal / question, since it
is located right in the middle of your map.
 The overview
 Mind maps allow you to view all the contents of a subject at a
glance. That is because mind maps, in opposite to linear texts, never
stretch across multiple pages. A paper mind map is always fitted onto one
sheet of paper, a mind map drawn on a black board is confined to the
edges of the board, and a digital mind map is displayed on one single
worksheet. This means that you don’t have to jump back and forth between
multiple pages but can retain a clear picture of the contents at all times.

1
 The Spartan wording
 While linear notes encourage you to almost blindly gather content, that is,
to copy as much of the information you read or hear as possible, mind
maps almost force you to actively think about what you note down and
what can be left out. They foster a reduced, almost “Spartan” writing style,
where every word counts. You don’t clutter your notes with unimportant
information and save time while you write, read and study.
 Colors and Icons
 Mind maps encourage you to make good use of colors and icons, both of
which can help you greatly in structuring your content. Color codes and
icons can not only show you even more detailed connections between and
joint possession of topics, but also trigger your memory and thus speed up
the recall process.

1
 The Pictures
 Pictures are a great way to add value to your
mind maps and trigger your memory with
personalized drawings. Digital mind maps
usually also allow you to support your
arguments with statistical diagrams, show
screenshots, add photographs or any other
kind of image.

1
Who mind mapping is for

 Mind maps are so easy to draw that basically everyone can create
them. Experience has taught us that children from the age of 8
already benefit greatly from it and there is no age limit on the other
end. Some believe that even preschoolers can make use of this tool
by simply replacing all written parts with drawings.
 But what if I am a linear thinker?
 Some of us are so accustomed to processing information stored in a
linear manner that we’ve really become quite good at it. But that
doesn’t necessarily make us linear thinkers, at least not in an
exclusive manner. Even if you feel comfortable with your old
solving abilities. 1
thinking method, you can utilize other techniques to further
improve your creativity, memory and problem

solving abilities. 1
Most popular mind mapping uses

 Mind mapping is an extremely versatile technique that can be

used for a number of different tasks, in different fields and for
different purposes. The following is a list of the most common
and important areas of use.
 Brainstorming
 Because mind mapping encourages a free flow of ideas and
sparks associations like no other technique, it is the perfect
tool for brainstormings. No matter if you’re looking for ideas
for your next blog post, are trying to think of the perfect title
for your novel, or are brainstorming the contents of an
elaborate marketing promotion - mind mapping will set your
creativity free.
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 Summarizing
 A great use of mind maps is summarizing complex or
long texts, such as essays, textbooks and theses. You
can take the notes while reading or right after you’re
finished with a chapter. The mind map encourages
you to break the information down into smaller,
more manageable chunks and capture the key
concepts of the topic, which makes it perfect for later
revisions of the material.

1
 Planning & Strategizing
 Mind maps can be used to plan anything from weddings and exhibitions to
business concepts and PR strategies. They are perfect to collect all your
ideas, to-dos and even resources in one place, to arrange things in a clear
and logical way and function as a perfect visual aid when presenting your
plan to others.
 Problem solving
 In our modern society, employers and teachers alike stress the importance
of problem solving abilities in their employees and students. It is not so
much the comprehensive knowledge of a subject that is on demand, but the
ability to think logically, make the right connections and find creative
solutions to a problem. Mind maps offer the ideal format to do just that.

1
 Note taking
 Whether you’re in a meeting or a lecture hall, taking notes in a mind map is not
only more efficient while you’re writing, you will also find it easier to quickly go
back to your map and refresh your memory later on. Instead of having to go
through page after page of monotonic text, of which 60 to 90%* is, on average,
completely omissible, you can see the truly important information in your mind
map at a glance.
 Memorizing
 Mind maps can help you memorize all kinds of information and data, from
vocabulary of a second language to complex physical concepts. In his book “The
Mind Map Book”, Tony Buzan explains why mind maps are so great for
memorization: “Mind maps utilize all our cortical skills and activate the brain on all
levels, making it more alert and skillful at remembering. The attractiveness of mind
maps makes the brain want to return to them, and again encourages the probability
of spontaneous recall.”

1
 Presentations
 During a speech, an oral report or a presentation, visual aids are key to help
the audience follow the speaker’s thought process and further explain
complex topics. A simple but very effective visual aid is a mind map,
which can be projected onto a screen as a whole or drawn from scratch
during the speech to underline key points and illustrate connections and
concepts.
 Collecting and structuring information
 Mind maps are probably most famous for their ability to “structure
thoughts” and help the mapper to focus on the subject at hand. But mind
maps also offer a great format for collecting and structuring any other
kind of information, be it the contents of a scientific article or your favorite
dessert recipes. With solutions such as MindMeister, it is easy to add links
to websites, notes and even files to your maps,
making them the perfect resource compilations or knowledge banks1.7
 Collaboration
 Mind maps are a great platform for team members to brainstorm
together and get productive discussions going. Everyone can easily
add their own ideas, which in turn can spark new ideas in others.
The results of the collaboration process can then be structured, tasks
can be assigned and deadlines added.
 Decision making
 In order to make an informed decision, you need to know the facts,
understand the connections, see advantages, disadvantages and
possible consequences of your actions. A mind map is the ideal
platform to collect all those things in one place and provide you
with a clear overview of the pros and

cons 1
Choosing the right mapping format

 There are basically three different mind mapping formats. You can choose between
paper mapping, digital mapping and online mapping. While online mapping is
actually just a variant of digital mapping, it offers a number of features and
advantages that distinguish it from conventional digital mapping. That is why
we’ve decided to treat it as a distinct format in this case.
 Of course, you don’t actually have to settle for one format. Just because you choose
to work with a digital solution doesn’t mean you can’t also draw paper mind maps
when you’re not in front of your computer. The system is always the same and once
you’ve come to appreciate its value, you’ll probably make use of it in all kinds of
different situations. However, finding the right format for you and your individual
needs and preferences is still important. Once you’ve found the right one, you can
create a system based on it and that again will ensure a smooth overall workflow,
help you to save time and increase your productivity.

1
Types of Mind Mapping

 Circle Map
 The circle map is a tool that is used to describe something or convey our
understanding of a topic. It’s a great tool for both individual and group
brainstorming activities.
 How to create a circle map
 Step 1 – Start by drawing a circle in the center of the canvas or paper. Write down
the topic you’ll be focusing on, inside it.
 Step 2 – Draw a larger circle around it, and brainstorm and write down
everything you know about the topic within. Here you can use nouns,
adjectives or verbs to describe what you know.
 Step 3 – Draw a square around the larger circle. This box is known as the “frame
2
 of reference” and is used to indicate how you gathered your knowledge about the
topic. For example, did somebody tell you about it? Did you see it in a
documentary?


2
   

2
Bubble Map
 Bubble maps are used to describe a subject using adjectives.
Bubble maps can be very useful when analyzing a character
from a novel or story, introducing new lessons to the
classroom, etc.
 How to create a bubble map
 Step 1 – Draw a circle and write down the topic of your choice
in the middle of it.
 Step 2 – Add connecting circles around the main topic in the
center. In these you can write down adjectives, characteristics,
etc. that describe the subject.


2
   

2
Flow Map
 The flow map represents the flow of something. It can be used to organize
information in a logical order, sequence steps of a process or event and
identify patterns.
 The flow map contains a series of boxes linked by arrows and can be
drawn horizontally and vertically. Images can also be used in place of
boxes to convey the sequence.
 How to create a flow map
 Step 1 – Start by identifying the steps of the event. Put them down
on a flow map in a logical order to represent the sequence.
 Step 2 – Add substages as necessary. Substages are the smaller boxes
below the main steps. They can be used to break down a key step into sub-
steps. Substages should be connected to the main sequence with lines and
not arrows.

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2
2
Brace Map
 Brace maps are used to show the components of a concrete object
or event. For example, the parts of a car. It shouldn’t be used for
something abstract like a concept or idea, which you cannot
physically break apart.
 How to create a brace map
 Step 1 – Begin the map with the object you are breaking
apart.
 Step 2 – Brainstorm and add its components or what the main
object is made of in front it, connected by a brace/bracket.
 Step 3 – Subdivide the components as necessary. Connect these
to the map with braces as well.

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2
3
Tree Map
 The tree map is used to categorize and organize information. You can use
this to plan out essays or speeches by listing down sentences or paragraphs
under the sub-categories. Or you can use it in math to show different types
of equations.
 How to create a tree map
 Step 1 – On the top of the canvas, place the main subject or idea your map
would be about. For example, it could be different types of food.
 Step 2 – Place the supporting categories underneath the main topic
connected by lines. In our example, these would be vegetables, fruits, meat,
etc.
 Step 3 – List down examples or supporting details under each sub-
category. For example, you can write down types of vegetables under the
related category.

3
3
3
Double Bubble Map
 You can use the double bubble map to identify different and similar
qualities between two things such as characters, books, cultures, etc.
 The two center circles represent the subjects you are analyzing. The circles
that are common to both topics contain similarities while others
represent differences.
 You can also use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast things but in
comparison, the double bubble map is more organized.
 How to create a double bubble map
 Step 1 – Define the two things you are comparing. Here you can use a
bubble map or a circle map to identify the characteristics of the two
items.
 Step 2 – Referring to the maps you created earlier, compare and
contrast the two ideas using a double bubble map.

3
3
3
Multi-Flow Map
 The multi-flow map can be used to identify the causes and effects of a situation. For
example, you can use it to depict a historical incident like the World War.
 In a multi-flow map, the causes do not correspond with the effects, but the situation.
You can also draw a multi-flow map representing only causes or only effects as
necessary.
 How to create a multi-flow map
 Step 1 – Write down the event or situation you want to analyze in the middle of the
canvas. For an example World War 1.
 Step 2 – In the boxes on the left side of the map, write down the causes. In
our example, these could be the rise of nationalism, militarism, imperialism.
 Step 3 – In the boxes on your right-hand side, write down the effects of the event
that took place. In our example, these could be the downfall of monarchies such as
Germany, Turkey, Russia, etc., the end of colonialism and so on.

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3
3
Bridge Map
 The bridge map can be used to understand the relationships
between words or show analogies between ideas or objects.
Bridge maps can be used to assess prior knowledge or do fill-
in-the-blank exercises.
 How to use the bridge map
 Step 1 – Draw the “as” pyramid. Place the two information
pairs on each side of the pyramid as shown below. Make sure
that they are written in a format that can be used in a sentence.
 Step 2 – Define the relating factor that will help connect the
two pairs of information. Writing it down will help you follow
the correct sentence pattern.

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4
Examples of Mind

To make it simple for you to get started

with mind mapping, we’ve put together
this comprehensive guide to mind
mapping, techniques, tools.

4
1. Brainstorming mind

4
 Mind mapping is one of the best brainstorming techniques there is.
Drawing a mind map when you’re trying to come up with ideas for an
essay, project, or any other creative task can really help get your creative
juices flowing.
 Using mind maps for brainstorming:
• helps you easily retrieve information from your memory
• gets your thoughts flowing freely so you can come up with new ideas
• lets you identify connections between individual ideas
• helps you see the bigger picture
 If you run out of ideas too early, try drawing blank branches into your mind
4
map. Our brains don’t like unfinished business, so by drawing unfinished
branches, we can often trick our brains into looking for creative ways to
expand our mind maps.

4
2. Note-taking mind map

4
 Most People use some form of linear note-taking to capture the information
presented to them in class. Mind maps, however, are a much more
effective tool when it comes to note-taking.
 Instead of thoughtlessly transcribing what your teacher says, mind maps
compel you to actively think about what you hear and only write down the
most essential pieces of information.
 Instead of writing whole sentences, you stick to keywords and meaningful
images. This way, you save time both during the lesson and afterward
when you go back to revise the material.
 Mind maps also offer a much better overview of a topic than normal text
documents do. Just take a look at the image above. The images on the left
4
and right both offer the same information. But which one would you say is
more memorable and would be quicker to review?

4
3. Reading comprehension mind
map

4
 Some texts can be quite difficult to understand. Old novels, highly
scientific articles, and scholarly essays can be full of words we’re not
familiar with, and they often have a complex structure that can throw us
off.
 Taking notes in a mind map while reading such a text can make it much
easier to understand its structure and content. Here are a few tips:
 Break the information down into smaller, more manageable chunks.
 Capture the key concepts and ideas of the text.
 Make a list of unfamiliar words and other questions that turn up
while you read.

5
 Summarize the plot of a text and describe its main characters.
 Use the map to review your notes before an exam.

5
4. Group project mind map

5
5
 If you’re one of the many students who dread group
projects in school, mind maps can be the key to change this. A
mind map can make it much easier to visualize what needs to
be done and work together with your teammates to accomplish
all tasks.
 In this case, online mind mapping software is definitely the
way to go. With an online tool, you can easily share your mind
map with all team members so that everybody can access and
edit it at the same time. You can also assign tasks to your team
5
members right inside the mind map to ensure everybody
knows what they need to do.

5
5. Class presentation mind map

5
 Mind maps are a great way to present
information. For example, you could use a
mind map instead of a slideshow while presenting
a report in class.
 With MindMeister, you can easily create a mind
map to use during a presentation. Take a look at
the real-time video below where we show you
5
how to create a slideshow for a book report in less
than three minutes.

5
6. Homework mind map

5
6
Mind maps can not only help you
brainstorm ideas for the topic of your
essay, but they’re also great for collecting
arguments and quotes from the various
sources you want to cite and for outlining
the structure of your essay.
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7. Essay mind map

6
6
Mind maps can not only help you
brainstorm ideas for the topic of your
essay, but they’re also great for collecting
arguments and quotes from the various
sources you want to cite and for outlining
the structure of your essay.
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8. Exam preparation mind map

6
 Another way to use mind maps is to collect all the
materials that will be covered in an exam, such as:
 your notes from class
 chapters from the textbooks
 a reading list
 links to online sources
 Additionally, you can note down instructions from the
teacher and other information about the exam, such as date
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and time, format (essay, multiple-choice, etc.), what you
need to bring (calculator, pens, ruler), and so on.

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9. Creative writing mind map

6
 If you have to write a short story for one of your classes, a
mind map is a great way to outline the story you want to tell.
You can define your characters’ looks and personalities, even
add images you find online showing what you think you those
characters look like for reference.
 You can outline the story you want to tell and make a note of
your setting, any needed background information, the climax
of your story, its resolution, etc. Then, you can reference your
mind map while writing your story so that your mind is free to
6
be creative instead of bogged down trying to remember all of
those details.

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10. Semester plan mind map

7
7
 If you have a teacher who expects you to just stay on top of
the projects and assignments you have to do across the
semester, you can create a semester plan mind map that lists
things like assignments, project touchpoint due dates, exam
dates, teacher contact information, and more.
 Using MindMeister, you can also link to any worksheets,
Google Docs, or electronic syllabi you receive from your
instructors to consolidate all of your notes and assignments
into a single mind map you can refer back to all semester
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long.

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11. Business ideas mind map

7
 Sometimes, in math, economics, or social studies
class, your teacher might ask you to come up with a
business idea.
 A mind map is a great way to brainstorm business
ideas—either alone or as a group—to come up with
ideas for products you could sell, decide how you
would market those products, figure out who would
buy those projects, and determine why people
would want to buy your products.

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