Prepare to Get Blitzed

“In the creative process, designers are victims of their own synaptic connections; subconsciously we’re following predictable pathways to solve problems [whereas] what you would want at the beginning of a design challenge is as many possibilities as you could imagine. 'Thinking wrong' is really about breaking those biases and synaptic pathways to generate a lot of potential solutions before you select and execute one."

— John Bielenberg, co-author, THINK WRONG

Magenta House puts a brainstorming event at the heart of its project acceleration process. This helps students conceive the best projects possible and deliver competitive solutions at the expo.

We do these virtually or, when the time comes, in person. These are on a class-by-class basis arranged by the teachers.

Students leave the experience having a better defined project challenge and a better sense of how they might go about meeting it.

Why the heck do we call it a Blitz? 

In traditional brainstorming, we ask the question: how can we get from point A to point B? It does not usually allow for one to go off the map, let loose and think up wild solutions. Sometimes, a traditional brainstorming activity has lots of value; other times, we need a Blitz to open up real, creative possibilities.

A Blitz is taking a different approach, refusing the status-quo, finding outrageous solutions, saying, “let’s make this weirder.” It is an entrepreneurial tool to help overcome mental roadblocks; it teaches us to embrace thinking “wrong.”

Wait. What the heck does thinking wrong mean? I thought wrong meant bad. 

Thinking “wrong” is a concept coined by design expert John Bielenberg. Watch his quick TedX talk here to learn a bit more.

Let’s first try and talk about thinking “right.” Thinking right assumes that your fundamental assumptions on something are correct. It may work if you have a really clearly defined problem. For instance, if you have a cut and need a doctor to stitch it up.

Thinking “wrong” means questioning all your fundamental assumptions and re-thinking the situation from a fresh perspective. For instance, maybe to get cleaner air, the problem is not that our cars run on gas (instead of electric) but that we drive cars in the first place. 

Thinking about the problem this way could lead to solutions that maybe have never been thought up before. In a nutshell, thinking “wrong” means that we need to be bold and unconventional. We need to go with what’s odd, change things from what they are to what they could (and maybe should) be.

When we gather a bunch of people together to think “wrong” about a problem, we call using this method of thinking a Blitz. 

Why? 

Because by practicing this, all sorts of ideas come so fast and furiously that it feels like a Blitz. Coming together as a group to think wrong generates exciting and creative energy.

As such, it is very important to be ready to think “wrong” before starting. At the end of this article, we have attached some homework to help you do just that.

How does a Blitz work?

A Blitz starts out by the group defining its challenge. What is the problem they are trying to solve? Do they need a new name? Maybe they are having a hard time getting people to use their product. Maybe they are looking for a new way to save on water and power.

The Magenta House team will set the stage for the day by asking some big questions. This is a time for us to act like little kids again and question everything. We will challenge the status quo by asking why, why and why some more. Next, we follow up with maybe statements. Maybe is a freeing word; anything is possible in the world of maybe. Maybe pigs could actually fly one day!

Challenging the status quo with whys and then following up with maybes helps to get outside the box thinking going. It helps us free ourselves from our own ideas of what is/has to be. After this brief presentation, students will break up into their teams and to begin the process.

Prior to the actual brainstorming, each group will receive two “What if?” cards from a ThinkNado deck. One will be a white card with a word on the back and, the other, a black card with a picture on the back. Using this word and picture, each team will try and think about solutions for their projects/challenges.

For instance, you may get a card that says “Pink” and then a card with a picture of an elephant. Maybe pink makes you think about flashy, eye-catching colors, and elephant makes you think of needing to be large. From these cards, you may realize that your advertising for your campaign needs to be bigger and flashier.

Each group will think up as many ideas and novel solutions as possible to their problems. At the end of brainstorming, the groups come up with small and easy ways (we call them bets) to start testing their crazy ideas right from the get go.

The Blitz may seem simple. But, it is a very powerful tool to expand one’s idea of what is possible. It dares us all to dream and think “wrong” to find the right solutions. By the end of the day, each team should have their challenge better thought through and have developed some tools to start solving it.

Pre-Blitz homework

Now, just because it is fun does not mean that it is easy. Creative brainstorming requires a lot of work, preparation and patience. So, we are asking you to get a little prepared with just a bit of homework.

What do you think is the biggest challenge your group is currently facing for your project? Decide as a team and come prepared to talk about your challenge and write it out as a challenge statement.

A typical challenge statement begins with: How might we…?