Design Writing: Lateral Thinking
In the book “Lateral Thinking” by Edward De Bono the author argues there is an alternative way of thinking of ideas that is more productive than how people were originally taught. He begins by defining both lateral and vertical thinking, both of which are terms he coined. Vertical thinking is analytical, structured and only includes what is considered relevant. De Bono introduces the new idea that this lethargic way of thinking is merely the baseline most people are taught to function at. He argues that in order to optimize creative thinking you must think laterally. Lateral thinking is a more creative approach to solving problems, it uses reasoning that is not always immediately obvious. The concept of lateral thinking is very useful in design as there are countless problems which we aim to solve that we may find the answers to in some unconventional ways.
Implementing the process of lateral thinking can aide in the design process at almost every point, from beginning to end. During ideation is perhaps the most vital point in solving design challenges in which one should use lateral thinking. De Bono describes an exercise that he calls random stimulation. This is a way of brainstorming in which participants “depart from usual patterns” and instead allow any idea. In this exercise it is noted, there is absolutely no room for evaluating any ideas, the reasoning behind that rule is that the evaluation of rough early ideas will likely lead to discounting some ideas that seem unreasonable at the time of ideation but could play a role later in the process and actually prove very helpful. An example of this is keeping and continuing to revisit preliminary sketches and word lists for a design problem. Just like it is important to take a break from a project periodically, so that you may return to it with fresh eyes and a clear head, it is important to do the same with brainstorming notes and rough sketches. Another example of the exercises De Bono recommends for creative productivity is challenging the problem which you are trying to solve. Not in an aggressive way, rather just asking yourself “why?” when addressing the problem. He even includes ways to challenge concepts that are not necessarily problematic, this way you can accustom yourself to challenging your own solutions to creative problems. By asking “Why?” you are able to understand what is necessary and what is not needed to fix an issue.
Lateral thinking and creative problem solving are very useful to the design process, and if used effectively can yield much better results than problem solving without these tools. Edward De Bono’s methods are catered to creative thinking and solving design problems. This makes them integrate seamlessly with the design process.
Bono, Edward De. Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step. Perennial Library, 1970.
