Creativity Tip: Represent Ideas Visually

by Erin Quinn

We have a cohort of teachers who meet regularly to learn and work on enhancing student creativity through a professional learning series called Making Makers.

We met in February to work on ideating solutions for a problem of practice the teachers self-identified through the process of design thinking. First, the teachers suggested potential solutions for each others' problems of practice using post it notes.

This session, we experimented with the technique of representing ideas visually. Though we used this strategy to work through a professional problem of practice, the same technique could easily be adapted to use with students.

First, we healed wounded drawers through a quick activity from our friends at Telus Spark called "So You Think You Can't Draw." The next part also comes from an activity I participated in at Telus Spark.

First, teachers selected one post it from the suggestions for solutions to their own problem of practice. Then, they used the drawing techniques from "So You Think You Can't Draw" to represent the solution visually.

Here is my own drawing for an interactive exhibit to teach how balls of different sizes can transport objects.

Next, a piece of velum paper was taped on top, and the whole drawing was passed to another participant. They were then instructed to add details through visuals and labelling.

This person added complexity to the design through different sized objects.

Another piece of velum was taped on top, and a third participant added one more layer of detail.

This person added an element of competition through a race.

This process is designed to engage in plussing another person's design to offer possibilities for refinement and improvement. Randy Nelson, former Dean of Pixar University explains the concept of plussing in the linked video. Here is a transcript of the first section of the video:

Randy Nelson: One of the things that we do at Pixar and I know some things about Pixar ... is we use improv as a mechanism of helping with collaboration. And in that, two core principles of improv have always guided us. The first is, accept every offer. So if an improv, improviser says to you, "Gee it's funny. It's raining a lot in here today." You don't go "Raining in here?" You say, "Well that's why they gave us umbrellas." It's an offer. You don't know where it's gonna go. But the guarantee you have, is that if you don't accept that offer, it goes nowhere. So you've got a sure thing on one hand, dead end, or you've got a possibility on the other. And the other principle is make your partner look good. What a great thing. So you know on a team, that anything anybody says to you, you're gonna get a chance to plus that. You're gonna get a chance to have that beyond the table. And they're gonna try and make you look good, not make you look bad. At Pixar, what we mean by plussing is this. You take a piece of work. You take something that you're working on collaboratively. And when it's given to you, you don't judge it. You don't go, "Ooh this is pretty good. Here's what I'm going to do to make it better." Or, "This isn’t so good, here is how I'm gonna fix it." You say, "Here's where I'm starting. What can I do with this? How do I plus this? How do I accept the offer and make my partner look good?"

Expressing ideas visually also helps a person refine and simplify their ideas.

collaborate | Learning Commons Furniture Suppliers

One question I often get from schools who have a bit of money put aside to transition their Library to a Learning Commons is where to buy furniture that encourages student collaboration and creativity.

Several Learning Commons staff have contributed to a collaborative Google Sheet to share recommendations of suppliers and manufacturers. Please find the sheet here. Since this is a collaborative effort, we welcome and encourage you to add your suggestions or comments there!

As a caveat, we know that a Learning Commons is absolutely much more than a change of furniture. To find out more about the shift from a Library to a Learning Commons, please have a look at the Library to Learning Commons Implementation Guide.

workshop | MakeFashion Intro to Wearable Technology

MakeFashion Introduction to Wearable Technology Workshop

when | Thurs. March 12, 2015, 4:30pm – 7:00pm

register | to attend

location | Education Centre Learning Commons

presented by | Learning Innovation, MakeFashion, and the Canadian Maker Foundation

what | “Imagine a world where your clothes regulate your body temperature, monitor your vital signs, and your necklace begins to glow when the sun goes down.” - MakeFashion

Wearable technologies are a cutting edge trend that’s on the verge of exploding. Come learn alongside the founders of the Calgary MakeFashion show, a fashion runway show highlighting the world’s best of wearable technology fashions.

This workshop is for fashion teachers, technology teachers, CTF teachers, fine arts teachers, core subject teachers, and all other curious and creative teachers in between.

You will hear about the possibilities of wearable technologies, MakeFashion, and how it may align with your task design. Then, you will have hands-on experimentation time to try it out for yourself.

questions | contact Erin Quinn or Tracy Dalton