Creativity for Web Developers
Understanding the process of innovation
6/8/98
We've all felt it: this industry's push for the better, faster solution, the idea that will overshadow all previous ideas (not to mention come in under budget and on schedule). The drive for innovation is clear. The route to innovation, however, is not always so plain.
Creativity's coming under the microscope a lot lately, largely from an organizational perspective. But many developers may be surprised to discover that creativity is not just for designers anymore. This decade's focus on team collaboration and rapid solutions means that all of us -- designers, technologists, writers, marketers, managers -- must play a part in the creative process.
If creativity were something we could schedule in somewhere between morning coffee break and afternoon meeting, things would be a lot easier. It's not that simple, though. Anyone pushing a deadline can tell you that. Try as you might, if the right conditions aren't there, the right solutions probably won't be either.
So what can we do to foster creativity? How do we work toward innovation in web development? This guide will get you started with some basic concepts and practices, from identifying problems to evaluating solutions.
Identifying Problems
One of the first and most important steps in working toward creative solutions is accurately identifying problems. This may sound like a foray into negativity, but it's actually a very positive step. It keeps you focused on meaty and serious problems, not on minor issues, petty arguments, and other distractions.
Let's say you have two new clients. One client says they think they need some Java on their site, and they'd also like customers to be able to submit information via web forms. The second client says they're looking for new ways to extend their commerce model onto the web without compromising their in-store sales. One of their main competitors just started selling on the web, and now they're anxious about missing the boat.
Which client has a better defined problem, one that is most likely to lead to a creative outcome? It's not the first client. They'll find themselves with a lot of bells and whistles, but no really innovative approaches. The second client has a much better definition of the problem. Their statement is much more closely tied to goals and needs. It isn't hampered by preconceived ideas or solutions, such as the use of Java or a desire for feedback forms.
If you (or your clients) are not sure how to define problems, turning to users is a good place to start. If you build a site, you can't effectively critique it or judge its success. None of us can. That's a job for your audience. Very often, they will not only identify your site's problems but offer solutions you might never have thought of.
In using the results of user tests or interviews to help you define problems, make sure to look for patterns. It's easy to get bogged down in small differences of opinion. Instead, look for shared observations -- things that most users brought up in one way or another. Step back and look at the big picture. What might have caused these problems? Is there a larger issue that needs to be addressed? If you understand how problems are interrelated, you can work toward much more cohesive and effective solutions.
Understanding the Parameters
Most people assume that total freedom is required for creativity. While it's true that outside constraints (such as pressure or lack of support) can seriously hamper creativity, a total lack of guidelines is equally effective at squelching ideas. For example, try these two exercises:
2. Now imagine that you work for a car company. Brainstorm a new product that will appeal to teenagers who have just received a driver's license. It should also appeal to parents who might purchase this product for their son or daughter.
If you're like most people, the first problem was impossibly broad. Understanding the parameters a bit more (as you did in the second problem) probably helped you to focus your efforts.
Before you begin looking for solutions, it's important to understand the basic guidelines you're operating under. If you're working with a client, you'll need to get a clear statement of goals, or in other words, how they will define success. If someone other than your contact will be approving ideas, you need to know what that person's goals and expectations are. Finally, you'll need to know what resources (especially budget, staff, and time) a client can bring to the table. Brainstorming a brilliant solution for a fictional company with limitless finances isn't going to help a real client on a shoestring budget. Instead, their resource limitations should be addressed in the solutions you uncover, right from square one.
Despite the importance of parameters, it's important not to get bogged down in other limitations. Try not to confuse arbitrary demands or petty arguments with real standards for success. Joe in Accounting may want a solution that will fit the software he's already using, but it shouldn't necessarily be included among important criteria for success. However, if the company can't afford to buy a new accounting system, then you'd better listen to what Joe has to say.
Finding Sources of Inspiration
This is where the real fun begins. Finding inspiration is a crucial step toward uncovering solutions. Take it slow, make it fun, and don't limit yourself. If all you do is stare at the computer screen all day, you're not likely to find the inspiration you need. Rule #1 of getting inspired: Step away from the screen.
Sources of inspiration may be radically different depending on the project at hand. You may get personal inspiration from reading poetry, but it might leave you cold when it comes to planning an online banking application. Don't restrict yourself to obvious connections, though. Sometimes inspiration comes when (and where) you least expect it.
Let's take the example of an e-zine for teenage girls. The first thing you'll need to do is immerse yourself in the world of a teenage girl. What do they like to do? What do they tend to read or talk about? Where do they shop? What's cool and what's not? You'll probably go on some enlightening field trips in search of these answers. You might also talk to teenagers, browse magazines, go to an art museum, buy comic books, watch horror movies, or do any number of other things. One or all of them is likely to lead to creative ideas.
The most important thing to remember about finding sources for inspiration is that you need to keep an open mind. Sounds a bit simplistic, but it's incredibly important. If you go into the experience with preconceived ideas, you will unconsciously filter out new information. Think of yourself as an anthropologist, an observer, or a fly on the wall. Better yet, be a sponge. Don't test hypotheses or buttress theories. Just absorb what you experience.
During this stage and the brainstorming stage that follows it, you'll need to give yourself time for incubation. Creativity theorists agree that incubation is an important step in the process of generating solutions. Incubation is taking time out to allow your unconscious to work on a problem. There's no particular time period you need to set aside and you can't will yourself to consciously incubate, so the best you can do is leave a few weeks (more or less) to let things simmer while you rest or move on to other things.
Generating Ideas
All the research and observation you've done up until this point is about to pay off in ideas -- some good, some bad, some hopefully spectacular. "Generating" ideas sounds a bit mechanistic, but it's a good term for what happens in this stage. According to creativity experts such as Alex Osborn (who is credited with coming up with the concept of "brainstorming"), your focus should be on quantity of ideas, not quality of ideas. Your goal for this stage should be to generate as many possible solutions as you can, suspending judgment until you have finished. Anything goes, and there are no "bad" ideas during this part of the process.
A typical brainstorming session usually features about half a dozen people in a room with a white board or large notepad. (If you work alone, try pulling in users, the client, even friends or acquaintances.) It helps to brainstorm away from your everyday work environment, and it's essential that everyone is comfortable and relaxed. If you are running the session, you'll need to lay down a few simple ground rules before you begin:
This last ground rule is part of what makes brainstorming work. Brainstorming is a collective activity, and it often yields creative solutions because many minds are at work on a problem. The more perspectives, the better. One participant might come up with a clever concept, but it might be another participant's extension of that concept that provides the ideal solution.
A theorist named Robert Eberle devised a system to facilitate this collaborative expansion of ideas. Its acronyn is "SCAMPER," which stands for:
Combine
Group ideas together to form new ones.
Adapt
Alter an existing idea to suit your purposes.
Magnify/Minimize/Modify
Shrink or expand an idea or service to create a new one.
Put to other uses
Brainstorm a different purpose than originally intended.
Eliminate
Delete a concept or component.
Reverse/Rearrange
Look at things upside down and backwards, or change the order.
For example, if you're a search site looking for a new twist, you might consider magnifying your service and becoming a one-stop launchpad for user's interests, or minimizing into a search box that could be easily integrated into the browser. If you're a company that runs a gardening magazine and a separate seeds division, you might decide to combine these projects into a gardening commerce site.
As you generate and expand on ideas, use tools that will support creative thinking. It's cumbersome to play with possibilities in code, for example, because changes are time-consuming. Instead, use a sketchpad or white board to play with ideas well before you hard code them.
Using methods such as SCAMPER to expand on concepts, you should be able to generate a web of interrelated ideas. Some of these will be destined for greatness and others will be destined for the scrap pile. You'll make these judgments in the evaluation stage, which comes next.
Evaluating Solutions
This is probably the trickiest stage of the process. If you're not careful, all your hard-won creativity can be erased in a few minutes' weeding. In this stage, you'll need to go back to your original criteria and goals and use them to evaluate ideas. If an idea doesn't meet the criteria you specified at the beginning of the project, you'll need to scrap it. If it does meet the criteria, you'll need to think through implementation issues, as well as weigh it against competing ideas.
How do you tell what ideas have the greatest merit? Unfortunately, it's almost entirely subjective. Your project criteria are a good place to start, but that may still leave you with several ideas or approaches to choose from. You may want to run a focus group or interview users to find out whether one idea is more promising than others.
Don't be afraid of risk, especially in this business. It's easy to let risk be the deciding factor. Low risk does not necessarily mean safety, however. Sometimes, it's a high risk idea that ensures a project's -- or a company's -- future.
Creativity is an ongoing process, and needs to be fostered along. High pressure, tight timelines, and failure to communicate with clients can all put this process in jeopardy. Plan for creativity just as you would for other essential tasks, and innovation will not be a lucky event. Instead, it will be your way of working.
Related Resources
Innovation Network: Articles and Reports
http://www.thinksmart.com/articlesandreports.html
Articles on personal creativity, collaboration, innovation, and
more from the Innovation Network.
Defining Your Site's Mission
http://webreview.com/wr/pub/97/09/26/feature/mission.html
Web Review article offering advice on defining your site's mission and goals.
Creativity Web
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Creative/index.html
Offers a wealth of resources on creativity, including many
techniques for increasing creative output.
Innovating
http://www.innovating.com
Articles and tips on creativity, including workplace innovation.
Thinking up a Storm
http://www.edgeonline.com/main/edgemag/archives/brainstorming.shtm
Article offering tips on brainstorming in corporate settings.
Managing Creatively: Putting Ideas to Work for You
http://www.smartbiz.com/sbs/arts/ncr2.htm
A survey of creativity theories and practices.
Jennifer Fleming is an Anchor producer and the author of the upcoming book Web Navigation: Designing the User Experience (O'Reilly, 1998). She runs Square Circle Solutions, a Boston-based web firm specializing in user experience consulting and idea generation.
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