WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

Generating and evaluating ideas for our San Blas interventions

To come up with a divergent and copious bank of project ideas from which to choose in moving ahead with our projects

1st

2nd

Review the Brainstorming Guidelines slideshow in the Resources Tab

Review the Final Project Expectations:

1. You will create a installation on a public site. Your design will be site-specific, integrating and enhancing existing site features.
2. ؜The intervention will be realistic (materials, budget, time), safe, and generate a positive impact on the educational and local community.

~ 5 min

BRAINSTORMING

GUIDE

1 - ENCOURAGE WILD IDEAS

2 - SUSPEND JUDGMENT

4 - BUILD ON IDEAS

5 - BE VISUAL

3 - GO FOR QUANTITY

Wild ideas can often give rise to creative leaps.

Don’t shoot down someone else’s idea.

Aim for as many ideas as possible.

Build and expand on the ideas of others.

Sketch your ideas.

ENCOURAGE

WILD IDEAS

Wild ideas can often give rise to creative leaps.

Shout out bizarre and unworkable ideas to see what they spark off. No idea is too ridiculous. State out any outlandish ideas. Exaggerate ideas to the extreme.

SUSPEND

JUDGEMENT

Don’t shoot down someone else’s idea.

The evaluation of ideas takes up valuable brain power which should be devoted to the creation if ideas. Therefore do not judge the ideas until after the brainstorming process. Note down all ideas.

GO FOR

QUANTITY

Aim for as many ideas as possible.

If the number of ideas at the end of the session is very large, there is a greater chance of finding a really good idea. Keep each idea short, do not describe it in detail - just capture its essence.

BUILD

ON IDEAS

Build and expand on the ideas of others.

Try and add extra thoughts to each idea. Use other people’s ideas as inspiration for your own. Creative people are also good listeners. Combine several of the suggested ideas to explore new possibilities.

BE

VISUAL

Sketch your ideas.

Nothing gets an idea across faster than drawing it. It doesn’t matter how terrible of a sketcher you are! It’s all about the idea behind your sketch.

Identify a site that you are interested in potentially exploring for your final project by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Which site has the most creative potential?
2. Which site made you feel energized?
3. Which site felt boring, passed by, or unused?

~ 15 min

3rd

Individual Brainstorming: Generate as many intervention ideas as possible based on the Needs Map from the Needs + Spaces activity.

4th

(30 mins)

Note down all the issues you have in your site and potential solutions

1. ؜ Dangerous / Fast Traffic -> Colourful "Chokers"
2. Lack of Seating / Social Spots-> Modular Pallet Benches
3. Visually Unattractive / Bland - > Community Art Murals
4. Lack of Greenery / Shade - > Vertical Garden Mesh

Quick Sketching: Take 3-4 minutes and make quick sketches of your favorite 3 ideas. This will help flesh these ideas out and will be a tool for communicating your ideas to your studio mates.

5th

(5 mins)

6th

Group Brainstorm: Now that you have some ideas in mind, we will come together as a group to share them. Your teacher will record ideas on the whiteboard, and we will look for connections, themes, and site overlaps.

(30 mins)

7th

C-B-A Matrix: Evaluate the 3 ideas by scoring their:

1. Cost (low/medium/high)
2. Benefit (social/environmental/functional)
3. Attractiveness (aesthetic/community interest).

(20 mins)

8th

؜Choose the highest-scoring and go for it! Sketch many versions for the design. You could print an image and overlay tracing paper and explore many designs.

(20 mins)

Remember to think DIVERGENTLY!

There are many ways to approach the same concept.

ACTIVITY EXAMPLE