Hitchhiker's Guide to Creativity

December 10, 2020

The Fried Rice Model

<p>Have you ever been tasked to solve a problem and got stuck coming up with solutions? Do you wonder how people come up with simple, creative ideas that just work, and wished you could find a recipe for successful solutions?</p> <p>In this episode, our Host William chats with Sumit and Charlotte on the topic of Design Thinking . The three of them, along with Vini, Yuwei and Bean, are part of a team from University of Sydney's Leadership and Enterprise MBA program.<br> <br> First we looked into the importance of Design Thinking and Innovation. We also defined the difference between a good solution from a great solution in terms of a 2x2 matrix:<br> <br> <strong><br> </strong>&nbsp;############### |&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;System 1&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; System 2<br> Experience Centric&nbsp; &nbsp; | Copying trends&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;| What people didn't know they need |<br> Problem Centric&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; Linear thinking&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; |&nbsp; In-depth, 360<a href="https://www.degreesymbol.net/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">°</a> problem solving&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;|<br> <br> We explored some of the team's favorite creativity and design thinking frameworks, aptly summarized in their very own <strong>Fried Rice model </strong>and how these techniques were fundamental in the team's effort in solving&nbsp; their clients' problems creatively. :</p> <ol> <li><strong>Know thy ingredients' flavors</strong>: Use appreciative inquiry to understand not only the problems but also the strengths of the clients and their customers.</li> <li><strong>Marinate to modify flavor</strong>: Use&nbsp; reframing technique to modify the different parts of the problem statement to see them in a new light and spark new ideas.</li> <li><strong>Dice vegetables</strong>: Use abstraction technique to deconstruct the features of the clients, customers and environment.</li> <li><strong>Mix and mash in the wok</strong>:&nbsp; Toss around all the ideas from the reframed and abstracted problem statement. Lean in the strengths, and let new ideas form.</li> <li><strong>Taste before you serve</strong>: Test your solution, and iterate! No solution is once size fits all, tailor it back to the client.</li> </ol> <p>Let us know your favorite design thinking techniques!</p> <p><br></p>