Originated by William J. J. Gordon (Synectics, 1961) and developed by George M. Prince (The Practice of Creativity, 1969).
Group problem solving that uses four kinds of analogy (direct, personal, symbolic, and fantasy) to step outside the problem, then forces the analogies back into proposals.
When to reach for it
Standard solutions to a well-defined problem are exhausted, and the answer is likely to come from an unexpected comparison.
How it runs
- State the problem as given, then restate it.
- Ask how nature or another field solves something similar.
- Imagine being the problem and describe how it feels.
- Compress the problem into a contradictory two-word phrase.
- Imagine the wildest possible solution.
- Force each analogy back onto the problem and develop the best.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- Synectics: The Development of Creative Capacity, 1961
- The Practice of Creativity: A Manual for Dynamic Group Problem-Solving, 1969