9 Lessons in Creative Problem Solving From South Park

Me in South Park (Courtesy of http://www.sp-studio.de/)

The book Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design describes the attributes of a sketch as:

1. Quick
2. Timely
3. Inexpensive
4. Disposable
5. Plentiful
6. Clear Style - It suggests it’s a sketch
7. Distinct- Not tight andprecise, open and free
8. Only Includes Detail Needed to Convey Information
9. Appropriate Degree of Refinement
10. Suggest and Explore Direction - Initiate conversations
11. Ambiguity

It dawned on me the other day that in some way, shape or form, the animatedshow, South Park , meets all the above criteria for being a “sketch”.

Why is this important?

Because as a sketch, it is saying, “Here’s a problem anda possible solution; what do you think? Don’t like that answer? What about this one?”

Because these sketches are actually animated stories, they also contain a “formula” for bringing about resolution of problems contained therein.

So, what I’ve done is look atthe South Park’sketch’ formula andfind 9 lessons we can apply to our own quests to creativelysolve problems, generate ideas, and innovate.

1. Frame yourproblems/solutions in the context of a sketch.Remember, asketch can take multiple forms.
2. Don’t pre-judge what you put into the sketch. Let it be fodder for discussion.
3. Always ask “What if?” What if we killed a character every episode and brought him back (i.e. What if we made some aspect of our device reusable?)? What if a mechanical larynx could be programmed with an Irish accent? What if ground up cash was anti-viral? What if human excrement could talk? Again, DON’T judge the ideas- play them through to their logical conclusion!
4. Look at problems through childrens’ eyes and minds;children usually providecommon sense answers.
5. Don’t let political correctness be the automatic solution to a problem.
6. Culturally diversepersonalities/perspectives are a good thing.
7. Ask questions. (See #4)
8. Make the most of the resources you have on hand
9. Always learn something from a process/problem/solution/situation.

What else could you add to this list?

How do you use sketches to solve problems?