Make It Shit – the unconventional path to creative idea generation

You need to generate ideas but it’s like catching fireflies.

There are many reasons why creative problem solving can be challenging independently – there’s 20 of them here for starters and in groups, problem solving sessions can be stilted with the less forthcoming drowned out by more enthusiastic voices.

The skill of ideation is as relevant to Marketers as it is to Software Developers. You can apply the techniques to:

🧠That idea you’ve got to come up with.

🛜The system you need to improve.

💸The product or service to develop.

One way to do this – whether solo or in a group and quickly is to Make It Shit.🧻

Engineers often break a system to see where it needs improving, seeking out all the weaknesses. They don’t start by saying, “Let’s perfect this.” The aim is perfection, but it starts with smashing the system.

Meet Bonny, a Director at a Creative Agency. (Real client, fake name). Bonny loves a list and is a perfectionist. She has to get it right. However, her role has changed. She’s now charged with creating briefs, but her need for perfection stalls the ideation process.

What this approach does is pinpoint what you do want by looking at what you don’t want. Besides that, it also…

✅️releases the fear of failure by accommodating it!

✅️unleashes themes and factors to take into account.

✅️encourages participation from less vocal team members. They can’t be wrong when you’re telling them to mess it up!

So next time you’re stuck, remember to Make It Shit: scrape the barrel (or bin) to find the gold dust.

There are many blocks to creativity. You’re dealing with all sort of external and internal factors such as ‘I’m not creative’ to life chores.

What stops you from generating new ideas?