Mind tools

During our second session of personal and professional practice, we were taught different methods of jotting our ideas down and the best ways to do it. Here are some of the methods:

Mind Mapping 

• Have your page landscaped 
• Start at the center of your page
• Use one word to describe 
• Use curved lines instead of straight ones (helps you to remember more)
• Use plenty of colour
• Try to use imagery/ drawings

Trying to create a mind map this way instead of a plain, straight lined diagram helps you to broaden your ideas and helps to experiment more. 

SCAMPER

• Substitute- By use different equipment/ materials, see if you can place different characters in, have different locations.
• Combine- Function as one, time management.
• Adapt- Is there something there you can adapt?
• Modify- What contexts can be used/ be emphasized?
• Put to other use- Other audiences, Ideas, can it be used for another project?
• Eliminate- Streamline the idea, remove plot lines etc, What can be toned down?
• Reverse- Can roles be swapped? Look at the story back to front, Reverse process.

This method helps you to come up with more than one stuck idea. It also encourages you to experiment more, rather than just sticking to your first original idea. 

SWOT

• Strengths- Internal controlled by you/ the team, What are you good at?
• Weaknesses- Internal controlled by you/ the team, What can you improve on?
• Opportunities- External controlled by others, What can you get out of it?
• Threats- External controlled by others, What do you need to keep an eye on?

Try to minimize/ convert your weaknesses, try to avoid any threats if possible. Match you strengths and opportunities. 

SWOT is a PPP aid, which means it will be perfect when trying to complete any tasks within PPP.  

This method helps you to analyse your strengths and weaknesses in order to improve on them. 

Critical Thinking App 

• This is a lot like SCAMPER.
• Its a self directing prompt

This is a downloading app that helps you to analyse your ideas. Its asks you questions that will help to improve your ideas. 

The first image was collected from www.mindtools.com. 

The second image was collected from www.mind-mapping.co.uk. 

The rest was collected from google so may be subject to copyright.