4.
Reverse Brainstorming
Reverse brainstorming, sometimes called “negative brainstorming”. Negative or
reverse brainstorming is a unique method for creating ideas. In this method, participants first
identify causes of a problem rather than solutions. A negative brainstorming session would
start with a ‘reverse’ question. Instead of asking ‘How do I solve or prevent this problem?’,
the question will be asked ‘How could I possibly cause the problem?’ In addition, instead of
asking ‘How do I achieve these results?’, the question would be ‘How can I possibly achieve
the opposite effect?’
Negative brainstorming produces more ideas and less interruption than traditional
brainstorming, as most people find it easier to be judgemental or analytic than being creative
and finding solutions. It is sometimes easier to find fault first and then use the faults a catalyst
for positive ideas. Giving people the opportunity to vent their negativity often results in some
amazing creativity. When the negative brainstorming ideas run out, a list of negative aspects
(also referred to as ‘reverse solutions’) has been created. This list is made visible and then
positive ideas on how to solve the problem for each of the negative ideas are brainstormed.
The reversal, or switch to an opposite viewpoint, gives a new perspective and hence can lead
to new ideas. The power of this method is therefore in its ability to harness negative energy
and to use it to spark creativity and stimulate discussion. These positive ideas can then be
clustered in some way. Visual paradigm Online (2020) explained those steps as follow:
Identify the Problem – Identify a design challenge and write it down.
Reverse the Problem: For example; instead of asking ‘how can I help? Ask ‘How can
I make it worse?
Collect Possible Solution: Brainstorm to figure out all possible reverse solutions.
Everything is possible: reject nothing!
Reverse Solutions: Flip the reverse solutions to create real design solutions for the
actual issue.
Evaluate the Ideas: Evaluate and decide if a real solution can be formed.
Picture 1Example of reverse brainstorming
a. Pros and Cons of Reverse Brainstorming
While reverse brainstorming can be a terrific tool, it's not always the right choice.
Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros
The process can be engaging and often fun.
It is sometimes easier to find the negative than the positive.
It can lead to innovative and interesting results.
It can sometimes reveal important issues and challenges.
Cons
It's easy to get off track without good facilitation.
Reverse brainstorming can take longer than typical brainstorming.
Participants may have difficulty "flipping" negative comments to find positive
solutions.
5. Development of Idea with Inter-correlation diagram
According to Mulyana (2009), before we write a text, we can firstly build a diagram that
contains the relationship of components of the text idea. For example, we will talk about "The
Influence of Plant Containing Powerful Drug on Tango's Inhabitants." We make the
connection diagram as follows:
Picture 2 Inter-correlation diagram
The diagram then being written into a text such as follow:
The inhabitants of Tango, a small island in the South Pacific, discovered a plant
which contained a powerful drug. This drug made it more difficult for them to think
rationally it stopped them worrying about the future, and enabled them to forget all their
problems. At the same time, it made it much easier for them to relax and enjoy themselves: so
much so, indeed, that the whole population of the island stopped working and spend all their
time singing and dancing and looking at the sea. Unfortunately, this had a very bad effect on
the country's economy, and people began to run short of food. This however didn't
discourage the people from the drug, but nobody took any notice, and before long the
economy was in ruins. This forced the Government to make the drug illegal. But that only
made the situation worse. The law couldn't prevent the people from taking the drug, which
grew wild over the island; on the contrary, the fact that the drug was illegal merely
encouraged people to take it. Eventually, the Government found a better solution: they
exported the drug to other countries. This saved the islanders from having to work more than
one day a week, and allowed them to spend the rest of their time sitting in the sun without a
care in the world.
6. Idea Development with Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Cause and effect diagrams (also known as Fish-bone Diagrams, Ishikawa Diagrams or
root cause analysis). According to Mulyana (2009), the causal diagram simply contains
dependent, independent and intervening components.
A cause-and-effect diagram examines why something happened or might happen by
organizing potential causes into smaller categories. It can also be useful for showing
relationships between contributing factors.
These are the best and most common practices when creating cause and effect diagrams.
Identify the problem. Define the process or issue to be examined.
Brainstorm. Discuss all possible causes and group them into categories.
Draw the backbone. Once the topic is identified, draw a straight, horizontal line (this
is called the spine or backbone) on the page, and on the right side, draw a rectangle at
the end. Write a brief description of the problem in the rectangle.
Add causes and effects. Causes are added with lines branching off from the main
backbone at an angle. Write the description of the cause at the end of the branch.
These are usually one of the main categories discussed above. Details related to the
cause or effect may be added as sub-categories branching off further from the main
branch. Continue to add branches and a cause or effect until all factors have been
documented. The end result should resemble a fish skeleton.
Analyze. Once the diagram has been completed, analyze the information as it has
been organized in order to come to a solution and create action items.
For example, we will talk about “The Causes of Obesity.” The diagram can be written into a
text as follows:
Picture 3 Cause and Effect diagram
Obesity does not happen overnight. It develops gradually over time, as a result of poor diet
and lifestyle choices, such as eating large amounts of processed or fast food that's high in fat
and sugar, drinking too much alcohol, as we know alcohol contains a lot of calories, and
people who drink heavily are often overweight and eating out a lot. You may be tempted to
also have a starter or dessert in a restaurant, and the food can be higher in fat and sugar.
Lack of physical activity is another important factor related to obesity. Many people have
jobs that involve sitting at a desk for most of the day. They also rely on their cars, rather
than walking or cycling. For relaxation, many people tend to watch TV, browse the internet
or play computer games, and rarely take regular exercise. If you're not active enough, you
do not use the energy provided by the food you eat, and the extra energy you consume is
stored by the body as fat.
Some people claim there's no point trying to lose weight because "it runs in my family" or
"it's in my genes". While there are some rare genetic conditions that can cause obesity, such
as Prader-Willi syndrome, there's no reason why most people cannot lose weight. In some
cases, underlying medical conditions may contribute to weight gain. These include
an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) where your thyroid gland does not produce
enough hormones and Cushing's syndrome a rare disorder that causes the over-production
of steroid hormones.
a. Advantages and disadvantages of cause-and-effect diagram
Advantages and Disadvantages of Fishbone Diagrams
Advantages Disadvantages
Helps identify cause and effect relationships Irrelevant potential causes can cause
confusion
Helps develop in-depth joint brainstorming Complex issues may lead to a messy
discussion diagram
Works well with the 5 Whys to drill down to Lends itself to the divergent approach
a root cause quickly
Helps prioritize relevant causes, allowing you Based on opinion rather than evidence; it
to address underlying root causes needs testing to prove results
References:
Business.tutsplus.com. How to use reverse brainstorming to develop innovative ideas. From
business.tutsplus.com, accessed on 12 April 2022.
Visual Paradigm Online. What is Reverse Brainstorming? Taken from https://online.visual-
paradigm.com. Accessed on 12 April 2022.
Smartdraw.com. Cause and Effect. From https://www.smartdraw.com/. Accessed on 12 April
2022
Intellspot.com. Fishbone Diagram Examples and Definition. From intellspot.com. Accessed
on 12 April 2022
