Creativity

While you may feel that researching, composing, and presenting a class assignment is a fairly straightforward task, you are navigating through and working around complex issues and this requires creativity. Creativity informs all aspects of the composition process from brainstorming for ideas to making decisions about your final product.

The Noel Studio defines creative thinking as the development of novel and useful ideas and products and we actively encourage people to incorporate creativity in the design of communication products. We find that creative thinkers are able to come up with ideas and look at issues from different or multiple perspectives. They remix ideas, putting things together that most people overlook. Creative thinkers take risks with their communication products, and, at times, discover new ways to gather information, compose ideas, and present their work.

Many creative thinkers enjoy working with their hands and are inspired through play and dialogue. The Noel Studio offers high- and low-tech manipulatives that might be helpful as you discover ideas and consider multiple angles to approach a topic. We offer space designed to promote conversation, collaboration, and creation allowing you to discover new ways to design communication products.

The creative process necessarily involves several elements:

• Perception shift: looking at problems from multiple angles
• Re-learn/unlearn: re-examining a normal approach to a problem
• Question: examining a problem with persistence
• Play: experimenting with ideas in a safe environment
• Collaborate: getting feedback on ideas and revising as necessary

When designing or conducting creative activities and products consider the following:

• Place or Environment: Creativity means designing the product with energy, which usually means working in a space that is inspiring. You will want to have enough space to move around as you would like. Also, choose a place to invent, which might mean collaborating with others. Writable spaces will provide opportunities to get creative with your invention process.
• Process: A creative process entails allowing yourself to develop ideas through what Sir Ken Robinson calls "rapid-fire thinking." Begin your project by generating lots of ideas and giving them enough time to stick before disregarding them or moving on. Try combining ideas in new ways with an open mind, giving each honest consideration. Think visually by developing ideas through mapping techniques on a large dry-erase board. You might try thinking with your hands using a game or construction paper. 
• Product: The key to designing a creative product is that it is something new and useful. Perhaps this project has not been designed this way before. Try a new method for solving an old problem or challenge.
• Remix: Try a new take on an old idea. Creativity often means building on ideas or mixing old with new to create a new message.

Learn more about the Minor in Applied Creative Thinking.

Register for Creativity Summit III.