There are many known methods that can be used for innovating new ideas. Here are the ones that we have chosen for ROADIDEA. Innovation processes of the ROADIDEA project are mainly based on futures research methodologies Futures Workshop and Charrette as explained by the WFUNA (World Federation of the United Nations Associations) Millennium Project. make link. The processes will be continuous based on digital communication methods, with two major innovation seminars, which both include at least two-day sessions.
Charrette Method
Charrette is a French word meaning "little cart." A little cart was originally used during the 19th century by art and architectural students to carry their work to the university in Paris. Like students today, they did not always make the deadline and would jump in the charrette to finish their design. As they moved along the country roads in route to the university, farmers, innkeepers, and everyone else they passed would suggest improvements - a little more red here, a little less green there. Hence, the final work would be a "Charrette design" with input by the general public against a tight deadline.
Participation can involve a group in one location, meeting face-to-face, or geographically and temporally dispersed but connected by telecommunications. The greater the range of alternative futures considered in the process, the more likely the conclusions will have a positive and lasting impact.
Once people genuinely and actively participate, the process is seldom neat and tidy, especially if important and controversial issues are raised. Anger will and should flow and unlikely ideas will be aired. Only if this kind of free-for-all occurs -- and is allowed to occur -- will participants recognise that they have neither the time nor the interest to make comments and decisions about everything. This leads to a new sense of focus, responsibility, and cooperation, but only if the previous phase is allowed to run its course. What is especially wanted is the attitude to "think outside the box".
In general, Charrette is an intensive face-to-face process carefully designed to bring people from various segments of society into consensus within a short period of time. The pre-Charrette planning breaks the main issue into its component parts. These parts become groups that periodically report to the whole. Feedback from the whole on these group reports is then addressed in the next round of group discussions. This sequence is repeated until consensus is reached at the final deadline for a report of the whole to whomever-the news media, government officials, or the larger public drawn to the final event through media coverage of the process. Charrettes vary in size, from 50 to over 1,000 people, and in time, from one day to two weeks.
Futures Workshop Method
The Futures Workshop Method as originally invented by the Austrian sociologist Robert Jungk in the 1980s. The Method has been developed by many other scientists. It is widely used in various forms by many organisations in the world. The most important phases of the workshop are: preparation, brainstorming, grouping, evaluating and task allocation. The futures Workshop method is described in Apel, Heino (2004): Future Workshop.
- The Preparation phase: Here, the method, its rules and the scheduled course of the workshop (in accordance with the participants) is introduced. As a first step, it is possible to prepare the room for the workshop together with the participants (if not already done before). All tables that might separate the participants from one another should be removed from the middle of the room or put outside. Pinboards, paper, pencils etc. should be available and at hand. The participants should be seated in an open circle to be able to interact and go to the pin-boards at any time.
- Originally, the Critique phase is the start of the workshop. Here, the problem is investigated critically and thoroughly. First of all, a visualised brainstorming is per-formed and a general and critical question concerning the problem is framed. The critique points are written on small cards. Normally, this is made in groups and in the sense of brainstorming, where the following rules apply: no excessive discussions, associative linking to ideas already existent, no ’killer phrases’, quantity having first priority (collecting), etc.
- After dealing with the problem, the future workshop does not immediately search for the solution. First, all participants try to work out a utopia, to draw an exaggerated picture of future possibilities. In this so-called Fantasy phase a relaxed atmosphere should prevail that must be created both with regard to the room and by playing games. The transition may be made e.g. by fantasy trips, meditation, medial support, etc. One can also begin with the conversion of the selected essential critique points found in the critique phase (negation of the negation). That way, the participants are free from inherent necessities and may use brainstorming techniques and creative games to find and to reflect utopian solutions. The basic criterion for the selection of the presentation form is that they should be completely different from usual, only rationally orientated problem solutions. The solutions/strategies found that way should be an original and rich source of really trend-setting ways. All ideas are collected and put into an ‘idea store’, regardless of their practicability.
In a second step (which can be also performed later in the implementation phase), all those ideas have to be ‘transformed’, that is, they must be reduced to a practical and realisable core. According to Robert Jungk, the social fantasy of the participants is developed in this phase. Or, to be more pragmatic, it is the point to alienate a problem solution and to present it in ‘false’, ‘untypical’ and not strictly rational forms and/or texts like e.g. painting, role plays, sketch, reports and so on. This has a creativity-promoting effect, because here, in a very relaxed atmosphere, far away from the stress of everyday life and profession, expression forms can be found and things and ideas may outcrop which could possibly not be figured out by using a direct and ‘rational‘ approach.
- In the Implementation phase the ideas found are checked and evaluated in regard to their practicability. If a solution has been found, it is finally written down, who does when, what, where and how (action plan). This notebook of duties is the log book for the subsequent permanent workshop (5th phase).
Weak Signals Analysis
It is clear that not only trends are meaningful in foresight studies, but also the unexpected happenings, their probabilities and possible impacts for the future must also be considered. The Weak Signals Analysis is often incorporated in every futures studies seminar.
What is a weak signal and what is the purpose of weak signal research? In organisational dynamics, a weak signal is
- An idea or trend that will affect how we do business, what business we do, and the environment in which we will work
- New and surprising from the signal receiver's vantage point (although others may already perceive it sometimes difficult to track down amid other noise and signals
- A threat or opportunity to your organisation
- Often scoffed at by people who "know"
- Usually having a substantial lag time before it will mature and become mainstream, therefore represents an opportunity to learn, grow and evolve.
Weak signals mean today’s information that can foretell the changes in the future. This information might sound funny or strange and it can cause confusion, because it offers a totally new way of thinking or idea of innovation. As time passes, it might come out that weak signals were the first signs or symptoms of a big change, even megatrends. However, weak signals are not always clues about big changes. They might simply be information about strange things that have happened. A practical example of weak signals is an article about some new technical innovation in a magazine.
Once you perceive a weak signal and understand it, a whole host of other signals may become visible. These comprise the complete ecosystem of ideas and trends that will support each other in the journey from dream to manifestation. No weak signal ever rises to dominance by itself, but is accompanied by shifts in political, economic, technological, and social thought and invention.
Other Help Methods
Word List
Two arbitrary lists of words are created and links between them are established. The words can be invented by a groups stating word that come to members mind in rapid succession. One list can be nouns and the other list verbs. The connected pairs of word (noun-verb) are discussed to create through analogy-oriented thinking for solving a given problem.
Synectics...
a Brainstorming Tool (make link)
Instructional Objective
The learners will be able to use the synectics to jump start the creative process and find "fresh" views to solving problems.
This brainstorming tool will enable the learners to avoid "white fright," the fear of starting a creative piece, and will provide a method for gaining new insights into otherwise mundane or uncomfortable topics
Synectics is an approach to creative thinking that depends on understanding together that which is apparently different. Its main tool is analogy or metaphor. The approach, which is often used by groups, can help students develop creative responses to problem solving, to retain new information, to assist in generating writing, and to explore social and disciplinary problems. It helps users break existing minds sets and internalize abstract concepts. Synectics can be used with all ages and works well with those who withdraw from traditional methods.