Podcast: Observation Skills and Contradictions

philmckinney | June 4, 2006

Podcast

Dateline:  Sunnyvale, CA

Segment 1:  Observations Skills (exercise)

  • Observe a man and a woman
  • Document everything they do (touch their hair, holding hands, reaching into their pockets) until you get to 20 items on your list
  • Look at the list and try to understand who they are (are the friends, are they married, are they co-workers)
  • Repeat the process with a new couple
  • Now, only list items that are of interest to you (emotional, asthetic, etc.) until you get to 20 items

Why did you choose the items you did?

Compare the two lists?  What would you have missed had you not forced yourself to list everything?

What things are you missing when brainstorming?

Segment 2: Contraditions Leading to Innovations

One of TRIZ’s fundamental tools is to look at contradictions as a starting point for creativity, invention and innovations

There are two types of contradictions: physical and technical

Segment 3: Killer Question Of The week

Segment 4:  Final Thought

"Do not confuse motion and progress.  A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress" 
Alfred A Montapert 

Closing

  • Please send your feedback to podcast (at) killerinnovations (dot) com
  • Looking for thoughts/ideas/suggestions on the new show format
  • Don’t forget to vote at podcastalley for the Killer Innovations podcast
  • Try out the new ReBlog feature on the site.  It has the latest thinking/writing on innovation and creativity.
  • This weeks music is Ambient Teknology’s Put Out The Flames from their Phoenix album.  Visit magnatunes.com if you want to purchase.

Link to the June 4th podcast 

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