How to Launch a Bird and not an Egg
Five Theses for Improving the Outcome of the Fuzzy Front End of Innovation 
11th European Conference on Creativity and Innovation

Make it happen
1. Name extraordinary adjectives!
2. What is like that in Nature?
3. What would he/she/it want to achieve?
4. What's the computer game idea behind that?
You just experienced a psychological effect.

It's called production blocking..
By the way ...
Our task is still to invent a new computer game.
Production Blocking
If one person speaks nobody else can.
You can't push a piece of string
Develop and select ideas 
in a 4D process 
Micromanage your 
participants' attention
Destroy psychological and 
cultural barriers
You just experienced a psychological effect.

It's called evaluation apprehension.
By the way ...
Evaluation Apprehension
You avoid beeing evaluated by your actions.
by René Chelvier, Jana Görs, Graham Horton, Stefan Knoll
Don't compare 
apples and oranges
We build computer games
Our first task:
 We should generate new product ideas
At first we will use the famous Osborn Checklist SCAMPER
Imagine a typical computer game:
What parts of a computer game could be substituted?
What functions or parts could be combined?
What could be adapted?
What could be magnified / modified?
What part of the game could be put to another use?
What part of a computer game could be eleminated?
What could be rearranged / reversed?

What ideas for a computer game does it lead us to?
Let's try another technique...
icy
slimy
fluffy
hot
crumbly
wet
lovely
cute
grumpy
full
smelly
cuddly
rocky
sloppy
Vulcano
Cloud
Trash can
Bear
Swamp
sweet
Chocolate
Cubs
unique
Coral reef
Pudding
River Amazon
Storm
Temperature
Dry sand
Dripping sand castle
Moon
North Pole
Flowers
Mount Everest
Chilli
Geyser
Chipmunk
Did you recognised a difference between the two techniques?

Which of them was more helpful?
A pc game idea needs two characteristics:
The user want to reach a goal.
New game has to be extraordinary
Change whatever you can think of.
We build computer games
Our second challenge:
 We should select the best ideas.
Did you recognise any difficulties?
Which idea(s) are good?
Take care of and  protect
your chipmunk.
A game that will enable us to expand into new computer game markets.
A mobile game for girls
aged between 
8 and 13 years.
A game which will use our 
faster and better  
Graphic-Genius software.
What exactly?
Idea
Decision
Execution
Attractiveness
Identify
Describe
Evaluate
Act
1. What idea aspect lies before us?
2. How can we fill the gaps?
Take care and  protect
your chipmunk.
A game that will enable us to expand into new computer game markets.
A mobile game for girls
in the age between 
8 and 13 years.
A game which will use our 
faster and better  
Graphic-Genius software.
Idea
Decision
Execution
Attractiveness
We build computer games
Our next task:
Choose an idea which you want to present our CEO.
Are you happy with your decision?
Which idea would you choose?
Why didn't you pick the other idea?
Idea A
Idea B
Crime Thriller (PC / Real Life Game)
It's a completely new area and a really new game idea.
We aren't sure about the market: Will the users like it? How many?
Which communication channels could we use for that special game idea?
What would the development will cost?
What do we need for the real life part of the game?
FIFA Soccer 2010 (PC Soccer Game)
FIFA Soccer 2005 – 2010 brought a solid income to our company
We can profit from the reputation of FIFA Soccer 2005 – 2010 in the user community
We already have contracts with main communication channels
One major difference between those two ideas is:
vs.
short-term
long-term
Another major difference between those two ideas is:
Safe?
... or risky?
vs.
Ideas shouldn't be in a false competition.
You will measure the wrong criterias.
You just experienced a psychological effect.

It's called killerphrases.
By the way ...
Killer phrases
Phrases that express the disaproval of an idea.
That leads to ...
Your ideas will be killed
Maybe you will loose a participant
We build computer games
Our next task:
A chance to talk to the CEO for 30s tomorrow.
Let's try another preparation method.
That leads to ...
You will get ideas which no one could fear to be blamed for
You probably won't get many volunteers for innovation tasks
1. What's your idea about?

2.  What's the point of your idea?

3. Why is it special?

4. Why is the idea useful for others?

5. That's the reason why Gamers Inc. should implement it...
Use only one sentence to answer the following questions:
If you have limited ressources then micromanage 
your participants' attention.
We build computer games
What if ...?
That leads to ...
Your team will be unproductive.
Ideas could get lost.