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Simple & Pragmatic Problem Solving
#62Chapter 5: Individual Creative Option Generation• Individual Creative OptionsLogical ThinkingIndividual and Group Mode45-75 min(Quick)

Verbal Checklist for Creativity

From the book "Advanced Problem-Solving Toolbox: 115 Creative Plays" | Compiled & Edited by: Mojtaba Goudarzi, Open translation: Mehrshid Goudarzi
Executive Synopsis & Core Logic:

Using Alex Osborne's matrix of golden verbs (the father of brainstorming) to purposefully guide the mind to discover the hidden angles of transformation in any product or service.

Operational Parameters & Specifications

Category
Individual Creative Options
Dominant Thinking
Logical
Participation
Individual and Group
Estimated TimeQuick
45-75 min
Fast
Input Format
Alex Osborne Basic Stimulus Verbs (adapt, modify, enlarge, reduce, replace, rearrange, reverse)
Output Format
Idea generation
Key Application
promotion of successive generations of factory products, packaging innovation, diversification into banking and tourism services.
Core Differentiator:

Osborne's 70-point systematic verbal questioning framework (birth of the SCAMPER model) that breaks down mental blocks with precise verbs.

Quick Field Example:

Drinker audit with verbal checklist: adaptation (tea brewer), enlargement (double water tank), reduction (travel rechargeable model), replacement (biodegradable body).

Operational Benefits & Implementation Risks

Advantages & Value Creation:

covering all dimensions of innovation, simplicity of training to all members of the organization, generation of hundreds of operational ideas in the shortest possible time.

Risks & Potential Trade-offs:

The possibility of quick and stereotyped answers to questions without thinking deeply about the engineering and financial implications.

Real-World Organizational & Industry Scenarios

Home appliance industry: periodical review of dimensions, material, control mechanism and power consumption of products with Osborne verbs.
Designing insurance and financial services: adapting insurance policies to changing lifestyles, expanding coverage and shrinking micro-premiums.
Content production and education: rearranging chapters, reversing the order of teaching (upside-down class) and adapting to interactive tools.

Strategic Rationale & Why to Apply

1Action verbs activate the brain: action words directly activate the motor system and brain engineering.
2Breaking Traditional Industry Habits: Asking "What Can Be Replaced?" It challenges certain assumptions.
3Historically proven comprehensiveness: Osborne's checklist has generated thousands of patents worldwide over the past 60 years.
4Increase meeting productivity: Instead of scattered chats, the team focuses on individual verbs and brainstorms.

Conceptual Framework & Book Method Description

"Verbal Checklist for Creativity" (Verbal Checklist for Creativity) compiled by Alex Osborn is the key to idea engineering in the 20th century.

Osborne realized that brainstorming without precise triggers could go astray. He compiled a list of 70 questions based on 9 basic verbs: 1) Other uses? (Put to other uses) 2) Matching? (Adapt) 3) Modification and change? (Modify) 4) Magnification? (Magnify) 5) Minimization? (Minify) 6) Replacement? (Substitute) 7) Rearrangement? (Rearrange) 8) Reversal? (Reverse) 9) composition? (Combine). By regularly implementing this checklist on any part or service, an endless stream of innovative ideas will flow.

Step-by-Step Real-World Implementation Scenario

Creating an Innovative Beverage Maker Product Portfolio with Alex Osborne's Verbal Checklist
1
Step 1: Establish Osborne's Verbal Checklist in the meetingIntroducing Osborne's 9 verbs to the product development team as a framework for idea generation.
2
Step 2: Questioning with the verbs "adjustment" and "combination"Adaptation: Can the device be adapted for teas and cold brew coffee? -> adding a stainless steel tea basket; Composition: integration of cartridge water purification system with thermal element.
3
Step 3: Questioning with "Zooming" and "Zooming"Enlargement: construction of a two-liter water tank for offices with continuous filling capability; Miniaturization: Creating a compact single-person travel version with USB-C charging for hikers and travelers.
4
Step 4: Questioning with "substitution" and "rearrangement"Substitution: removing the plastic body and using environmentally friendly plant-resistant polymers; Dismantling: moving the filter to the top of the device for easy cleaning without opening the housing.
5
Step 5: Developing 3 final product lines and putting them on the marketproducing the "Office Pro" model (enlargement), the "Travel Camp" model (miniaturization), and the "Ecoline" model (green alternative), which increased the factory's market share by 35%.

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Using the Computer to Stimulate Creativity
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