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Use Your Existing Software in Creative Ways
ByChuck Frey
When most people think of computer-enhanced creativity, they tend to focus on the variety of excellent idea-generation packages that are now on the market. These are powerful tools, worth their weight in gold. But don't forget your lowly word processor and spreadsheet. They, too, can be used in several creative ways to liberate your thinking, such as the following:
Morphological analysis: Your spreadsheet or the table function of your word processor can be used to create a grid of key words and descriptors, which you can then use to generate random combinations of words. In addition, if you're using Microsoft Excel or Word, you can use the drawing tools built into these applications to circle words and join them with lines or simply print out multiple copies of your matrix and draw these links by hand.
Tug of war: As in the previous example, you can lay out column headings at the top of your table or spreadsheet, followed by the various forces impacting your situation and the best and worst case scenarios for each. You can then use the drawing tools of your high-end word processor or spreadsheet to create arrows showing the current direction of each force. You can achieve the same effect by typing an "em dash" plus a greater-than ( >>) or less-than sign (<< ). In this example, the word processor has an edge, because you can write an analysis of your situation immediately under your tug of war table, exploring what would happen if you strengthened one force or weakened another.
Outlining: I use Word 6.0 for Windows, and find its built-in outliner to be a powerful creative companion. It allows me to use my PC as a "dynamic scratch pad," quickly building situation analyses, crafting strategies and proposals, and for brainstorming ideas. Outlining is a powerful yet simple way to record, expand, manipulate and evaluate your ideas. According to Neil Larson, developer of MaxThink software, once an idea or plan is in word-processed form, its underlying structure is usually invisible. It's hard to tell if the idea or proposal is complete, or if it is missing one or more key elements.
In contrast, an outline resembles a skeleton: we can see through it and quickly determine what elements need to be added, where more research is required, and which pieces are superfluous. In short, it allows us to refine the structure and content of our documents, ensuring that they are complete and persuasive before we begin to put the "flesh on the bones."
Chuck Frey, Director of Strategic Information Services for the Construction Industry Manufacturers Association can be reached at 414-272-0943 or E-mail: 75410.123@compuserve.com