Some exercises to "get the wheels turning (again)"
1. Rebrand An Existing Product or Service
Is there a logo out there that you hate? A product that has awful packaging? A radio ad that makes you turn red with rage? Then do it better. Figure out, from what you already know about that product or service, what the advertising or design should say. Have fun with it.
2. Design Another Letter Of The Alphabet
You are tasked with inventing a 27th letter of thealphabet. It must represent a sound, maybe a letter for PH, PN or KN. What symbol will it be? It's harder than you think, the alphabet has been developing for centuries and you'll soon find that your new letter is just a backwards p or an upside-down y.
3. Package Yourself
If you were available to buy in your local Rite-Aid or Target, what would the packaging look like? What would your catchy product title be? What would it say on the box? This is not just an exercise in creative thinking, but of establishing your own personal brand in a fun and inventive way.
4. Invent A New Sandwich
There's a terrific episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (Clip here, NSFW language but very funny)that centers around sandwiches named after celebrities. Ted Danson's is turkey coleslaw and Russian dressing. Larry David's is a rather less appetizing concoction of whitefish, sable, capers, onions and cream cheese. So, what would your new sandwich be? How would you market it? What would you call it? What's the wow factor that would make it an instant hit?
5. Write A Six Word Story
Ernest Hemingway, one of the greatest authors of all time, was once challenged to write a complete story in just six words. Never one to shy from a challenge, he wrote: "For sale: baby shoes, never used." What would your complete six-word story be?
6. What Gadget Is The World Missing?
Do you often think "man, why hasn't someone figured out a way to do this better?" Maybe that someone should be you. If you believe that your daily life is missing a killer gadget, or someone you know could use a thingamajig to make life easier, why not start sketching it out. If it comes to fruition, patent the idea. It could make you rich.
7. Start Writing, Don't Stop Until You've Hit 1000 Words
What should you write? Anything. What is your inspiration? Whatever you want. In "Finding Forrester" the character played by Sean Connery asks his young student to take an existing piece of work as a starting point. The student transforms it into something unique. Start with a famous passage from a book, or the opening of a movie. But take it somewhere entirely different. When you hit 1000 words, stop and read it. You may have just surprised yourself.
8. Whose Line Is It Anyway?
One of my favorite shows, ever, and my favorite round was always the "props" round. Drew Carey would hand out two seemingly useless objects and then the improve team would come up with ingenious uses for them. So try it for yourself. What's in your home or office right now that could have a dozen different uses? Write them down. Think big, think small, think around the problem.
9. Become A Child For A Few Hours
Remember as a kid you could play for hours with Lego, wooden blocks, Lincoln Logs, PlayDoh and all sorts of other cool things. Over the years, we learn that these are childish and forget about them. How sad. I personally have Lego, toys and games in my office, and I see no shame in using them. So go ahead, embrace your inner child and create something fun and cool. You'll be amazed at the way your mind starts working.
10. Sign Redesign
Our world is filled with signs. From warning signs to traffic signs, we see them daily. Some use symbols, others use words. But could all of them use symbols? Is the STOP sign something that can be redesigned to be understood by anyone in any language? It's an important sign after all. Or how about EXIT, WAY OUT, DANGER, NO ENTRY or YIELD? Think about it. It's quite the task.
and also this, from here:
and also this, from here:
| Exercise #9: Concealed Colors This game is designed to increase your flexibility and your ability to overcome the restrictions of habit. The name of what color is concealed in each sentence?
Now try these:
Answers: 1. Gold 2. Copper 3. Olive 4. Tan 5. Yellow 6. Lavender 7. Gray 8. Lilac 9. Silver 10. White
In order to identify the hidden colors, you have to disregard the signs that say "stop"—such as word spacings, periods, and commas. People who are habit-ridden will find this exercise very difficult.
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