Creative process

From CEOpedia | Management online

Creative process is defined as a particular journey through creating a new idea. It consists of four commonly agreed phases (Burns 2011, p.113). In 1926 Graham Wallas - English psychologist and co-founder of London School of Economics pioneered a concept of creative process and its stages. He created The Art of Thought, where he explained an insightful theory of four stages of the creative process. Graham's work was based on empirical observations and reports from inventors and polymaths. Creative process stages:

  1. Generating knowledge and awareness (PREPARATION)
  2. Incubation process (INCUBATION)
  3. Generating ideas (ILLUMINATION)
  4. Evaluation and implementation (VERIFICATION)

Not all creative activity follows exactly the same stages, but much of it does.

Stages in creative process

Generating knowledge and awareness

This stage includes preparation and gaining information about the issue. It requires researches in internal and external resources. The work is acquiring as much information as possible surrounding the given problem. At this point using skills like paying attention, reasoning, and planning to gather information is needed. In business environment individuals mostly are given formal training and education.

Incubation process

Process of waiting for recovering the brain from gathering information. It takes less intense conscious concentration, during which ideas are maturing and developing (Griffin 2013, p.433). Interestingly, incubation phase often requires sleep. The time of this period is also meant for other activities like jogging or listening to music (Burns 2011, p.114). This process can take weeks, months or even years. The fact is, that you cannot rush this period and it is not really under your control.

Generating idea

A spontaneous breakthrough, when person generates a new understanding of a problem or situation. It may occur suddenly or develop slower. In some resources this stage can be called an insight. It is sometimes described as an "Aha" or "Eureka" moment. The most often it happens during low - level activity like normal day-to-day actions e.g. taking a shower. This step takes the smallest time but it is the most important in the creative process.

Evaluation and implementation

The stage determines the validity or truthfulness of the idea. It can include scientific experiments and building prototype. Self-critical and reflection skills are useful to conduct proper evaluation. Before the implementation process of elaboration may be needed, where you adjust your ideas after its evaluation. Implementation is a stage when you put into practice your creative idea.

Ways to boost creative process

  1. Self-awareness - knowing your motivation and fears will help to contribute for preparation work.
  2. Openness - openness and diversity is a key for thinking outside-the-box. It will show other perspectives for an idea.
  3. Avoid idea favoritism - beware of sticking to one idea and idealizing it.
  4. Take time - creative process needs time and you should not rush it.
  5. Keep moving on - once you decided on idea and examined it, moving on implementation is also important.

Examples of Creative process

  • Design Thinking: Design thinking is a creative process that focuses on understanding user needs, exploring solutions, and testing ideas quickly to get feedback from stakeholders. It involves a series of steps that include identifying the problem, brainstorming ideas, designing a prototype, testing the prototype, and refining the design.
  • Brainstorming: Brainstorming is an effective creative process for generating ideas and solutions to a problem. It involves gathering a group of people together to brainstorm ideas and solutions. The brainstorming process usually starts with a discussion of the challenge or problem, followed by the generation of ideas, and then evaluating the ideas to come up with practical solutions.
  • Continuous Improvement: Continuous improvement is a process of continually analyzing data, processes, and products to identify opportunities for improvement. It involves establishing short-term goals, experimenting with solutions, and measuring the impact of changes.
  • Design Sprint: A design sprint is a creative process that helps teams rapidly prototype and test ideas. It involves a series of steps that include understanding the problem, creating a storyboard, sketching solutions, and testing prototypes. The goal of the design sprint is to quickly identify solutions that can then be refined and implemented.

Advantages of Creative process

The creative process has several advantages that make it an effective tool for generating new ideas. These benefits include:

  • An improved understanding of the problem. Through the process of brainstorming, testing, and analyzing, one can gain a better understanding of the complexity of the problem they are trying to solve. This improved understanding can lead to more effective solutions.
  • Increased creativity. By working through the creative process, one can open up their imagination to new possibilities and experiment with different ideas. This can lead to more creative solutions and out of the box thinking.
  • Improved focus. By following the steps of the creative process, it allows one to focus on the problem and its solutions. This can help to increase productivity and focus on the task at hand.
  • Improved problem-solving skills. Working through the creative process can help to sharpen problem-solving skills. By using the creative process, one can gain experience in finding creative solutions to difficult problems.
  • Improved communication. The creative process encourages collaboration and communication between the members of a team. This can lead to better communication between team members and better understanding of the project at hand.

Limitations of Creative process

The creative process is a journey through creating new ideas, and although it is a valuable tool, it is not without its limitations. These limitations include:

  • The creative process is inherently unpredictable, making it difficult to plan and anticipate the outcome of a project.
  • It can be difficult to generate enough ideas to create a successful outcome, as the process relies on the creativity of the individual and requires them to think outside the box.
  • Creative processes often take a long time to complete, and can be costly due to the resources required to bring the concept to fruition.
  • It is hard to measure success in creative processes, as the outcome is often subjective and dependent on the individual’s opinion.
  • Creative processes can be hampered by external factors such as budget, timeline, and the availability of resources.
  • Creative processes require an understanding of the target audience, as the concept must be tailored to appeal to their needs, wants, and interests.
  • It can be difficult to ensure that all team members are on the same page and working towards the same goal.
  • Creative processes are vulnerable to external criticism, which can be difficult to manage.

Other approaches related to Creative process

The creative process can also be approached from different perspectives, such as the arts, design, and technology. These approaches can be broadly defined as follows:

  • Arts-Based Approach: This approach views the creative process as an artistic endeavor, involving creative thinking, intuition, and improvisation. It emphasizes the importance of the creative process in generating new ideas and approaches, as well as exploring the creative potential of materials, techniques, and media.
  • Design-Based Approach: This approach emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs, exploring creative solutions, and iteratively refining ideas. It includes a focus on design thinking, user experience design, and prototyping.
  • Technology-Based Approach: This approach focuses on the use of technology to enable creativity, such as through the use of digital tools and platforms. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and leveraging the affordances of technology to support creativity.

In summary, the creative process can be approached from different perspectives, such as the arts, design, and technology, to support the generation of new ideas and solutions.


Creative process — recommended articles
Model of creativity — Creative thinking skills — Creative problem solving — Innovation cycle — Brainstorming — Action learning — Stage-Gate process — Coordination meeting — Affinity diagram

References

Author: Nina

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