IDDS Idea Generation

Today we talked about Idea Generation. Ben Linder talked about different ways to capture ideas, from Brainstorming and Brainwriting to Bissociation and Grouping. He used rules and process tips from Stanford (anyone remember the IDEO ABC Shopping Cart?). Of course, we broke up into groups after this, and worked on capturing ideas. I have some video, and the weekend will be opportune to upload it after I dissect it.

Later in the day Ben Linder lectured the participants on Thumbnail Sketches and Gallery Sketches. A diagram is best here, some quick text description is a large sketch on an image, with a title, and simple labels so that the image communicates an idea with a quick view of it. After all the groups met and worked on their Gallery Sketches, we came back to 32-155 (an auditorium in the Strata Building, the one we've ben in all along, and I have now remembered) and presented them to the larger group for comments and questions. It was fun to see what everyone had come with, most have remained quite open, and had a good range of ideas.

After all this, the Charcoal Crushers (the group I'm in for the main project of the summit) went out to test some ideas on how to crush charcoal. It's messy job I'll say that. After only a minute or two of working with it, I quickly understood many of the problems we were facing.

IDDS then had a BBQ in the quad outside the Student Center (don't remember the name). It was fun, we sat around and talked with each other. Some of my conversations were on what my school was like, what did I plan to do after I graduated and how being from a big city (regardless of location) can bring closer to other people from big cities.

Finally, there was an informal international dance session on the fourth floor of Burton Conner (our dorm at MIT). It ranged from Brasilian, Honudrian to Indian dancing. And when it got too hot, Liz brought around some ice pops! Phew!

Bonus, Niall (one of the organizers) has been keeping an IDDS blog at iddsummit.blogspot.com.