Ideas & Observation
Every business venture starts with this.
An Idea
Creating something brand new (e.g., the first phone).
Invention
Protects inventions for a set time (e.g., patents).
Intellectual Property
First step in problem solving.
Identify the problem
Right-brain thinking involves these traits.
Creativity/Intuition/Emotion
Two features all good business ideas share.
Innovative + Satisfy a need
Improving something that already exists (e.g., cordless phone).
Innovation
Government grant giving exclusive rights to make/sell an invention.
Patent
What stage is this? Brainstorming possible solutions happens here.
Idea finding Stage
De Bono’s hat for facts/data (color).
WHITE
Observing patterns and their changes helps find these.
Business Ideas
"New and improved Tide" is an example of this.
Innovation
Protects books, music, or software.
Copyright
What step is this? Evaluating ideas using cost, safety, etc.
Establish criteria
Hat for emotions and gut feelings. (Colour)
RED
Closing your eyes to picture a solution.
Visualizing
Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone was one.
Invention
Nike’s "swoosh" or Apple’s logo.
TRADEMARK
What step is this? Testing your top-ranked idea.
Try out the solution
Brain tool: Organizing ideas with pictures/keywords.
Mind mapping
A group activity to generate ideas together.
Brainstorming
The difference: Invention is _______, Innovation is improvement.
Completely New
Protects a product’s unique shape (e.g., Toblerone).
Industrial Design
If Step 7 (Is the problem solved?) fails, you do this.
Pick another idea/Recheck the problem
Thinking "outside the box. is this kind of thinking"
Lateral Thinking