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The "IDEA TRIGGER SESSION"©

A Synergic Creative Process*

Purpose

To innovate for Markets by recognizing the need for an improved or novel product or process. This need is called a MARKET VACUUM and is defined as a customer want or expectation not yet met by the currently available technology.

Procedure

A market vacuum is identified and chosen as the subject of the session and is presented and discussed as the Want or the Problem. Individuals (preferably 8-10) representing various backgrounds and occupations are selected and assembled in order to generate rapidly, valuable ideas in an orderly and efficient manner. Value will be later assessed and measured by the importance, frequency of occurrence, and number of people benefitted.

The session itself consists of two phases:

I. Silent or Purge Phase

Written ideas are recorded in 2 or 3 key words within 2-5 minutes
and entered into the 1st column of a chart.

This is followed by:

II. Spoken or Trigger Phase

a) the rapid recitation of the written ideas by each participant in a clockwise sequence while the other participants silently mark off their duplicate ideas and add new ones into a 2nd column of the chart.

This is followed by:

b) A second recitation in a counter-clockwise sequence while the listening participants place new ideas in the 3rd column of the chart.

Discussion

The 2nd and 3rd columns of ideas contain the "Trigger effect" and are often the most important since they were probably not apparent initially or would not have been originated without outside input. The "Trigger Phenomenon" occurs because of stimulation by

1. Being annoyed having been duplicated

2. Desiring to compete with the others and do better.

3. The need to create ideas not yet duplicated

Result

By working together in this fashion, the participants will achieve amazing insights that each mind individually could not perceive.

Bibliography
1.      George H. Muller Sc.D. Creative Problems Solving 1968
2.      George H. Muller Sc.D. Idea Trigger Session Primer 1973, 1986
3.      Sydney F. Loves Van Nostrand N.Y. 1980
4.      Joseph J. Berke, M.D., Looking for a Better Way 1982
5.      Joseph J. Berke, M.D., The Bonus is Yours 1983