Creativity Tip – Don’t always try to be right

Most people aren’t as creative as they could be as feel they always have to be logical and correct to find answers. But creativity is about exploring multiple alternatives and seeing where they might lead. In fact, purposely being wrong on can lead to exciting new avenues.

Example: I’m going to come up with a new design for a chair with no seat.

At first, this may seem like ‘wrong’ logic. However, if I see the concept as having the body supported in a resting position instead of sitting, my design can break free from preconceptions. Here are some of my resulting ideas:

• A sloped device that allows us to rest when leaning backwards. This takes much of the weight of your feet.
• A front seat where weight is supported on your knees and the front of your shoulders instead of the back.
• A device that attaches round the waste and suspends you so your body weight is supported without actually sitting.
• Astronauts could have an anti-gravity seat where they rest on their shoulders instead of being strapped to a seat.
• You could use a ball as a non-fixed chair. Many people already do this. But taking this concept further could lead to thinking about other non fixed sitting surfaces. Perhaps a chair with a surface that can be rotated and has multiple sides each with a different texture for your different moods e.g. a soft and squishy side when relaxing, a firm side for working and a side for the cat that has a replaceable surface ready for scratching
• Maybe do away with the seat and the entire chair. You would need to sit on the floor and perhaps make it more comfortable with cushions. These could even be ergonomic cushions that mold to your bum. The cushions might even have a detachable back rest to transform it into a chair with full back support then be folded up to take with you.
• An exercise chair for toning your legs and bum in a seated position. You can choose to have no seat for a full body weight workout or a seat that provides some resistance but still requires you to work your muscles.
• A metal suit that suspends you within a magnetic field (absurd ideas are very welcome too!).

By being wrong on purpose I was stretched to question the core functionality and get inventive with new trains of thought.

So prepare to be wrong when generating ideas and have fun in the process.