This document discusses techniques for thinking creatively outside the box, including visual connection, an ideation technique where words associated with images are used to trigger new ideas. It provides an example of visual connection, using news about decreased business in Chinatown after new road tolls to formulate a challenge statement: "In what ways might we increase the volume of business in Chinatown?". Words from a list of sensory perceptions related to an image are then used to generate potential solutions to the challenge.

1. Series The ‘Thinking Outside the Box’ Series is a set of Slideshares that helps individuals think about things in an unconventional manner. This series is produced by ThinkInnovation. Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. ‘ Thinking Outside the Box’ Series

2. Series No Such A Thing As Brainstorming Most brainstormings are organised as idea dumping and not idea creation sessions. To generate ideas in brainstorming sessions, we need techniques that force us to think outside the box. http://fnsingapore.blogspot.com/2008/09/moving-from-idea-dumping-to-idea.html Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.

3. Series Visual Connection Visual Connection is an ideation technique, which ideas are triggered from words associated to images. Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.

4. Four pictures will be presented in the following slides Looking at each of these pictures and list your sensory perceptions on a piece of scrap paper You can list as many rows of words as you like but each row should contain a single word Spend no longer than 60 seconds on each picture Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. Visual Connection Technique

5. Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. Visual Connection Technique Listing My Sensory Perceptions – A Demonstration Spend no longer than 60 seconds on each picture List as many single words My Sensory Perceptions (Words that appear in your head when you look at the picture) Reflection Crown History Golden Trees Mountains Background

6. Visual Connection Repeat the process demonstrated in the previous slide for the next three pictures Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.

10. LTA to bring forward review of River Line gantries after complaints of dip in business Neo Chai Chin (chaichin@mediacorp.com.sg) WITH Chinatown businesses singing the blues after five Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries sprouted along the Singapore River on July 7, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has decided to bring forward its review of those gantries by a month. According to the Chinatown Business Association (CBA), its members have seen a 10- to 30-per-cent dip in their takings since the “River Line” gantries went up. It is so concerned with the situation that it has engaged the LTA in talks to offer feedback and suggestions. Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. Applying Visual Connection Read the Following Newspaper Article

11. Determine the problem presented in the newspaper article Convert this problem into a challenge statement Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. Formulating the Challenge Statement

12. What is the problem? Business in Chinatown dips after the installation of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries along the Singapore River Convert the Problem Statement into a Challenge Statement In what ways might we increase the volume of business in Chinatown? Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. Applying Visual Connection Formulating the Challenge Statement All Challenge Statements will begin with ‘In what ways might we………..?’. The Challenge Statements must end with the ‘question mark (?)’.

13. Use the list of Sensory Perceptions See if each word could trigger an idea that answers the challenge statement Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. Applying Visual Connection to the Challenge Statement

14. Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved. Applying Visual Connection to the Challenge Statement A Demonstration Challenge Statement In what ways might we increase the business in Chinatown? Pick Any of My Sensory Perception History My Idea Triggered by the Word Promote Chinatown as the bedrock of Chinese culture in Singapore to increase the human traffic there. My Sensory Perceptions Reflection Crown History Golden Trees Mountains Background

15. Series Copyright 2009. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.