ENHANCE CREATIVITY (TEAR DOWN THE BARRIERS)

1. ENHANCE CREATIVITY(TEAR DOWN THE BARRIERS)

2. THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION DERIVES FROM THE ABILITY OF THE ENGINEER TO DESIGN • “… DESIGN IS THE ESSENCE OF ENGINEERING.” (DIETER, ENGINEERING DESIGN A MATERIALS AND PROCESSING APPROACH) • CREATIVITY IS INTEGRAL TO DESIGN • “… TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT STOOD BEFORE, TO REASSEMBLE NATURE INTO SOMETHING NEW.” (PETROSKI, TO ENGINEER IS HUMAN) • “… TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN.” (DIETER) • A SCIENTIST LOOKS AT THE WORLD IN ITS CURRENT STATE AND TRIES TO EXPLAIN IT- AN ENGINEER LOOKS AT THE WORLD AND PROPOSES WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE IN ITS FUTURE STATE

3. BARRIERS TO CREATIVITY(LUMSDAINE, EDWARD AND LUMSDAINE, MONIKA, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING THINKING SKILLS FOR A CHANGING WORLD) • CIRCLE THE FIGURE THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHERS. EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR YOUR CHOICE • WHAT IS ONE-HALF OF TWELVE? GIVE AS MANY ANSWERS AS YOU CAN THINK OF.

4. BARRIER #1 - THERE IS ONLY ONE RIGHT ANSWER • HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT IS THE BEST ANSWER IF WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO COMPARE IT WITH • AVOID A ONE-TRACK MIND • FRENCH PHILOSOPHER EMILE CHARTIER, “NOTHING IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN AN IDEA WHEN IT IS THE ONLY ONE YOU HAVE”

5. HOW MANY SQUARES DO YOU SEE?

6. BARRIER #2 - LOOKING AT A PROBLEM IN ISOLATION • AS WE PROGRESS IN OUR PROFESSIONS, WE BECOME MORE EXPERT IN OUR FIELDS, NATURALLY WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE KNOW WELL • LEAF - BRANCH - TREE - FOREST - ...

7. SKETCH A PATH FROM A TO B

8. BARRIER #3 - FOLLOWING THE RULES • DO NOT MAKE UP RULES AND BARRIERS WHERE NONE EXIST • MAY NEED TO QUESTION EXISTING BARRIERS • WE SOMETIMES CONTINUE TO FOLLOW RULES WHEN THE ORIGINAL REASON FOR THE RULE NO LONGER EXISTS (TYPEWRITER KEYBOARD)

9. WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FIGURE BELOW

11. BARRIER #4 - NEGATIVE THINKING • DISCRIMINATING ABILITY OF THE HUMAN MIND IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SURVIVAL, BUT OFTEN WE MISUSE THIS CRITICAL THINKING MODE BY FOCUSING ONLY ON NEGATIVES BECAUSE OF OUR ATTITUDE • IT IS EASY TO FOCUS ON SMALL SHORTCOMINGS OF AN IDEA (PEOPLE) RATHER THAN APPRECIATE OR RECOGNIZE OR COMPLIMENT THE GOOD FEATURES OR QUALITIES • BE APPRECIATIVE AND POSITIVE ABOUT YOUR OWN CREATIVE IDEAS • A CHILD TYPICALLY RECEIVES ABOUT 150 NEGATIVE REACTIONS FOR EACH POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

12. WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FIGURE BELOW?

13. BARRIER #5 - AVOIDING AMBIGUITY • BECAUSE AMBIGUOUS SITUATIONS MAY LEAD TO SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND CONFLICT - WE AVOID THEM • THE ANALYTICALLY TRAINED MIND (THE ENGINEER) IS ESPECIALLY UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE FACE OF AMBIGUITY - WE PREFER BLACK AND WHITE, NOT BOTH AND DEFINITELY NOT THE VARIOUS SHADES IN BETWEEN • TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLORE THE AMBIGUOUS SITUATION! LOOK FOR POSSIBILITIES FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES!

14. BARRIER #6 - RISK AVOIDANCE OR FEAR OF FAILURE • THE TURTLE ONLY MAKES PROGRESS WHEN IT STICKS ITS NECK OUT • BATTING AVERAGE (AN EXCELLENT HITTER FAILS TO GET A HIT TWO OUT OF EVERY THREE AT BATS) • IT TOOK EDISON 6,000 TRIES TO FIND A FILAMENT WHICH WOULD WORK AND LEAD TO THE INVENTION OF THE INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB • ART FRY - CHEMIST • USED SMALL BITS OF PAPER TO MARK PAGES IN HYMNAL AS HE SANG IN CHURCH CHOIR • PAPER WOULD CONTINUALLY FALL OFF • REMEMBERED A COLLEAGUE WHO HAD DEVELOPED A FAILED ADHESIVE - IT WOULDN’T STICK • KEEP LOOKING FOR BETTER IDEAS; TAKE SOME RISKS; BE PERSISTENT! • USE FAILURES AS A STEPPING STONE TO MORE CREATIVE THINKING AND SUCCESS!

15. WHAT DO OTHERS SAY? • BURR AND CHEATHAM, MECHANICAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN • IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A CREATIVE ATTITUDE, ALGER AND HAYES SUGGEST THAT ONE NEEDS SELF-CONFIDENCE, CONSTRUCTIVE DISCONTENT, A POSITIVE OUTLOOK, AN OPEN MIND, AND THE COURAGE OF ONE’S CONVICTIONS.

16. DEITER, ENGINEERING DESIGN A MATERIALS AND PROCESSING APPROACH • ... POSITIVE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO ENHANCE YOUR CREATIVE THINKING. • (1) DEVELOP A CREATIVE ATTITUDE. ... • (2) UNLOCK YOUR IMAGINATION. ... • (3) BE PERSISTENT. ... • (4) DEVELOP AN OPEN MIND. ... • (5) SUSPEND YOUR JUDGMENT. ... • (6) SET PROBLEM BOUNDARIES. ...

17. ERTAS AND JONES, THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS • ... SEVERAL PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS THOUGHT TO CORRELATE WITH CREATIVITY: • 1. GOOD GUESSING. • 2. RISK TAKING. • 3. CHALLENGING AUTHORITY AND PROCEDURES. • 4. PREFERRING THE COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT. • 5. BEING SENSITIVE EMOTIONALLY, HAVING A SENSE OF BEAUTY • 6. HAVING A VIVID IMAGINATION. • 7. DESIRING HONESTY AND FRANKNESS. • 8. BEING CURIOUS. • 9. HAVING HIGH SELF-ESTEEM.

18. ULLMAN, THE MECHANICAL DESIGN PROCESS • TO SUMMARIZE, THE CREATIVE DESIGNER IS GENERALLY A PERSON OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE, A VISUALIZER, A HARD WORKER, AND A CONSTRUCTIVE NONCONFORMIST WITH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE DOMAIN AND THE ABILITY TO DISSECT THINGS IN HIS OR HER HEAD

19. WHICH GROUP DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST CREATIVE? • NASA ENGINEERS • HOMEMAKERS • FIRST GRADERS • JOURNALISTS • MOVIE PRODUCERS • ABSTRACT PAINTERS • HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS • COLLEGE STUDENTS

20. WHERE DO WE FIND THE CREATIVE PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY? • RESULTS OF TESTING FOR CREATIVITY AT AGE 40 - 2% WERE CREATIVE AT AGE 35 - 2% WERE CREATIVE AT AGE 30 - 2% WERE CREATIVE AT AGE 17 - 10% WERE CREATIVE AT AGE 5 - 90% WERE CREATIVE • FIRST GRADERS ARE THE MOST CREATIVE - HAVE NOT YET LEARNED ABOUT THE BARRIERS • HOMEMAKERS ARE AMONG THE MOST CREATIVE OF THE ADULTS

21. BEGIN TO IMPROVE YOUR CREATIVE ABILITY • ENTERTAIN MANY SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS • LOOK AT PROBLEMS FROM OTHERS’ PERSPECTIVES • IN A CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER, QUESTION RULES, STANDARDS, AND CONVENTIONS • PRACTICE POSITIVE THINKING • WELCOME AMBIGUITY • SEEK CHALLENGES