Simprago Logo
Simple & Pragmatic Problem Solving
#74Chapter 6: Group Creative Option Generation• Group Creative Optionscreative and lateral (Lateral) Thinkingindividual and group Mode45-90 Minutes(Time-consuming)

Excursion Technique

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

a technique emerging from the synetics approach to get out of the intellectual impasse; Fantasizing away from the problem to a completely unrelated place and returning with metaphors and innovative solutions.

Operational Parameters & Specifications

Category
Group Creative Options
Dominant Thinking
creative and lateral (Lateral)
Participation
individual and group
Estimated TimeTime-consuming
45-90 Minutes
Workshop
Input Format
stopped problem, target imaginary places and participants' sensory visualization
Output Format
idea generation
Key Application
Designing visual identity and packaging, creating new concepts in marketing, breaking engineering locks and innovation in user experience.
Core Differentiator:

Creating a conscious detachment from the problem space and using the sensory experiences of an unrelated situation to create unexpected metaphorical connections.

Quick Field Example:

Stuck in traditional solutions, the packaging design team designed a modular biodegradable can by taking a mental trip to the rainforest and observing the natural layering of tree trunks.

Operational Benefits & Implementation Risks

Advantages & Value Creation:

Immediate release from fixed mental biases, injecting vitality and creativity into the meeting, producing revolutionary concepts instead of minor improvements.

Risks & Potential Trade-offs:

Highly logical people may initially resist free imagination, requiring skilled facilitation to reconnect fantasy to reality.

Real-World Organizational & Industry Scenarios

Industrial design: ergonomic office chair design inspired by a mental trip to a tropical bird's nest.
Digital Marketing Campaigns: Conceptualizing the Structure of Viral Videos After Visualizing a Walk in Istanbul's Attaran Bazaar.
Software Engineering: Solving Cloud Synchronization Architectures by Simulating Ant Streams Under Rocks.

Strategic Rationale & Why to Apply

1Right hemispheric potential release: Escape from frequent linear analyzes that hit closed doors.
2Discovering Deep Metaphors: Linking two distant phenomena is the basis of all great human inventions.
3Reduce the stress of failure: When the team is having fun, members' defensive guard is broken and the courage to express ideas rises.
4Generating high diversity: Each team member brings a different perspective to solving a challenge from a sensory journey.

Conceptual Framework & Book Method Description

"Mental Journey Technique" (Excursion Technique) is one of the powerful tools of Synectics approach. When a group reaches a cycle of repetition and exhaustion in normal brainstorming sessions, the facilitator orders a complete stop to the problem. People are sent on an imaginary journey to a distant location (such as an archaeological museum, the deep ocean, or space). Then, in a three-column matrix, they record what they have seen, look for similarities with the problem, and translate those similarities into operational solutions.

Step-by-Step Real-World Implementation Scenario

Innovative Packaging Design for Household Detergents with Mind Travel Technique
1
Step 1: Guide to an Imaginary JourneyThe facilitator asked the designers to close their eyes and enter a virgin Amazon jungle with thick fog and hanging plants.
2
Step 2: Note Sensory DetailsMembers wrote down their observations: elastic tangled tendrils, peeling tree bark, and slippery drops of water on a lotus leaf.
3
Step 3: Looking for similarities with the bottleOne member likened the complexity of opening the bottle cap to the entanglement of the ivy in the forest and related the slippage of the liquid to the water repellency of the lotus leaf.
4
Step 4: Turning metaphors into industrial ideasDesigning a natural hydrophobic membrane in the bottle neck to prevent drips and using an outer cellulose shell with a chargeable gelatin core.
5
Step 5: Group Synergy and Final Design SelectionThe droplet charging packaging design inspired by forest shells reached physical prototyping and reduced plastic cost by 65%.

Is this play relevant to your team or organization?

Share this structured playbook guide directly with colleagues or across your network.

Previous Play (#73)
Delphi Technique
Next Play (#75)
Gallery Method
Analytical Q&A & Field Discussions

Share your reflections or inquiries regarding this play or chapter with the author.

Comments are published after review
No operational dilemmas posted yet. Be the first to initiate an empirical discussion.

Submit Operational Challenge

Your inquiry is routed directly to the Simprago moderation panel for review and official response.

Submissions include anti-spam checks