Creativity : Take it Apart

Elaborating on an existing idea is a great way to come up with new and better ideas. One way to do this is by taking an idea apart and looking at its components. By looking at one part at a time, you might be able to ignore your preconceived notions about the idea and come up with some interesting improvements.

Start by listing the attributes of the idea. Just the act of listing the individual pieces will get your mind thinking about improvements or modifications. For example, if someone asked you to design a better bird feeder, you might be at a loss about where to start. It’s a little overwhelming to tackle a large project all at once. To take it apart, you might list the individual attributes like this:

1. Hook for hanging

2. Container for seeds

3. Covering to shield feeder from rain

4. Perch for birds to sit on

5. Tray to collect fallen seeds

6. Device to prevent squirrels from eating seeds

Now you can look at the individual components and work on them in isolation. Maybe you could focus on making a really good perch for a certain type of bird, or maybe you would combine the rain shield and seed container in some interesting way. By taking your idea apart into its pieces, you will be able to innovate more easily and come up with interesting ideas.

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