five phases of the creative problem solving model

Project Bliss

The osborn parnes creative problem-solving process.

The Osborn Parnes creative problem-solving process is a structured way to generate creative and innovative ways to address problems.

If you want to grow in your career, you need to show you can provide value. This is true no matter where you sit in an organization.

You likely do this in your day-to-day activities.

But if you want to stand out, or do better than the minimum required for your job, you need to find ways to be more valuable to your company.

Problem-solving skills are a great way to do this.

And there are many problem-solving approaches you can use.

By bringing creativity into the approach, you can get an even better variety of potential solutions and ideas.

Benefits of Using Creative Problem Solving  

Using a creative problem-solving approach has multiple benefits:

• It provides a structured approach to problem-solving.
• It results in more possible solution options using both divergent and convergent approaches.
• You create innovative approaches to change.
• It’s a collaborative approach that allows multiple participants.
• By engaging multiple participants in finding solutions, you create a positive environment and buy-in from participants.
• This approach can be learned.
• You can use these skills in various areas of life.

Origin of the Osborn Parnes Creative Problem-solving Process

Alex Osborne and Sidney Parnes both focused much of their work on creativity. Osborn is credited with creating brainstorming techniques in the 1940s. He founded the Creative Education Foundation, which Parnes led.

The two collaborated to formalize the process., which is still taught today.  

“Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.” – George Lois

What is the Osborn Parnes Creative Problem-solving Process

The Osborn Parnes model is a structured approach to help individuals and groups apply creativity to problem-solving. 

There are 6 steps to the Osborn Parnes Creative Problem-Solving Process.

1.    Mess-Finding / Objective Finding

During the Objective-Finding phase, you determine what the goal of your problem-solving process will be.

What’s the intent of carrying out your problem-solving process? Get clear on why you’re doing it. This helps ensure you focus your efforts in the right area.

Knowing your goals and objectives will help you focus your efforts where they have the most value.  

2.    Fact-Finding

The Fact-F inding phase ensures you gather enough data to fully understand the problem.

Once you’ve identified the area you want to focus on, gather as much information as you can. This helps you get a full picture of the situation.

Collect data, gather information, make observations, and employ other methods of learning more about the situation.

You may wish to identify success criteria for the situation at this step, also.

3.    Problem-Finding

The Problem Finding phase allows you to dig deeper into the problem and find the root or real problem you want to focus on. Reframe the problem in order to generate creative and valuable solutions.

Look at the problem and information you’ve gathered in order to better clarify the problem you’ll be solving.

Make sure you’re focusing on the right problem before moving forward to develop a solution.

Personal example: you may think you want to get a second job so you can have more money to take your family on vacations. Upon deeper exploration, you realize your real desire and goal is to find ways to spend more time with your family . That’s the real problem you wish to solve.

Work example: your team has too much work to do and doesn’t have the time to create new software features that customers want. By digging in and reframing the problem you realize the team is more focused on handling support calls. You need to find a solution to handling the support calls, which would free up time for the team to focus on new development. You dig even deeper and learn the support calls are primarily focused on one problem that could be fixed to solve the problem.

“If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution.” – Steve Jobs

4.    Idea-Finding

The Idea-F inding phase allows your team to generate many options for addressing the problem.

Come up with many different potential ideas to address the problem.

Don’t judge the suggestions. Instead, welcome even crazy ideas. Unexpected or odd ideas may help others generate great ideas.

Use brainstorming techniques, affinity mapping and grouping, and other tools to organize the input.

Use “yes, and…” statements rather than “No, but…” statements to keep ideas flowing and avoid discouraging participants from contributing.

5.    Solution-Finding

The Solution Finding phase allows you to choose the best options from the ideas generated in the Idea Finding phase. 

Set selection criteria for evaluating the best choices in order to select the best option. You can weight your criteria if needed to place more emphasis on criteria that may be more important than others. 

Create a prioritization matix with your criteria to help you choose what to focus on.

6.    Action-Finding

In the Action-Finding phase, develop a plan of action to implement the solution you’ve settled on as the best choice. 

Depending on how complex the solution is, you may need to create a more complex plan of action. Your work breakdown structure of activities may be complex or simple.

When creating your action plan, identify who’s responsible for each of the activities, dependencies, and due dates.

If your chosen solution will impact many people or teams, you may need to do an impact analysis, create a communication plan , and get buy-in or participation from more groups. If your solution is simple, you will most likely have a much simpler plan. 

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” – Edward de Bono

Creative Problem-Solving Categories

Osborn and Parnes started working on creative problem-solving approaches in the 1950s. Since then, the process has evolved, but the focus on using creativity still remains important.

More recent modifications group the activities into four categories: 

Each of these categories contain the steps listed above to carry out the problem-solving process.

As you can see, the steps are still there, but the grouping helps provide a bit more structure to the way teams can think about it.

Divergent and Convergent Thinking

The creative problem-solving process uses two thinking styles: divergent thinking and convergent thinking. 

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, the just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while” – Steve Jobs

Divergent Thinking

Divergent  thinking is the creative process of generating multiple possible solutions and ideas. It’s usually done in a spontaneous approach where participants share multiple ideas, such as in a brainstorming session.

This approach allows more “out of the box” thinking for creative ideas. 

Once ideas are generated via creative, free-flowing divergent approach, you then move onto convergent thinking. 

Use questions to stimulate creative thinking.

When conducting divergent thinking sessions, don’t criticize suggestions. Instead, welcome ideas. Build on ideas that have been presented and even improve them if possible. 

Instead of saying “No, but…” welcome ideas with responses such as “Yes, and…”

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

Convergent Thinking

Convergent thinking is the process of evaluating the ideas, analyzing them, and selecting the best solution.

It’s the process of taking all the information gathered in divergent thinking, analyzing it, and finding the single best solution to the problem. 

Determine screening criteria for evaluating ideas. Spend time evaluating the options, and even improve suggestions if possible or needed. 

If an idea seems too crazy, don’t immediately dismiss it. A friend told me once he thought the Bird or Lime scooter business models would never work. If it had been pitched to him, his response would have been “People won’t use them. They’ll destroy them. People won’t be allowed to use them without helmets and won’t be permitted to leave them on the sidewalk.” But it’s turned out in many cities to be a great mode of short-distance transportation. 

Someone taking a strictly convergent approach to problem-solving might skip a creative brainstorming session and instead try to think of a straightforward answer to the problem. 

However, it’s useful to employ both approaches to come up with more options and creative solutions to problems. 

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

Running Your Problem-Solving Sessions

When using these techniques, use your great facilitation and leadership skills to keep the group focused and moving forward.

For the best meetings possible, follow the guidance in my book Bad Meetings Happen to Good People: How to Run Meetings That Are Effective, Focused, and Produce Results .

Problem-solving skills and tools are useful both at work and other areas of life.

It’s liberating to know you don’t have to have all the answers to make improvements.

Instead, knowing how to lead and collaborate with others to find solutions will help you stand out as a strong leader and valuable team member to your employer.

Don’t shy away from leading an improvement effort when faced with challenges. Doing so will give you greater confidence to search for solutions in other situations.

And you’ll be known as someone who can tackle challenges and make improvements in the organization. Creating this reputation will be great for your career.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try” – Dr. Seuss

Related Posts

Leigh Espy is a project manager and coach with experience working in startups, government, and the corporate world. She works with project managers who want to improve their skills and grow in their career, and entrepreneurs and small businesses to help them get more done. She also remembers her early career days and loves working with new project managers and those who want to make a career move into project management.

I’m glad ‘problem finding’ is the basis for this. However, I think this is still reductive and presumes a ‘problem’ to be ‘solved’. I see ‘problem solving’ as a long way down the path in creativity. Creativity starts with an objective, a challenge, an opportunity. Not a ‘problem’. A problem gets an answer. A challenge gets possibilities.

am a university student from kenya and my lecturer gave us a question on how to use osbons model to systemtically analyze how to find solutions about corruption in our country and i think the info i got here will help me tackle that question alot

Great reading – it helped me with my Creativity Tools homework

• Pingback: Creative Problem-Solving – Riyanthi Sianturi November 7, 2020

6.2 Creative Problem-Solving Process

Portions of the material in this section are based on original work by Geoffrey Graybeal and produced with support from the Rebus Community. The original is freely available under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license at https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Describe the five steps in the creative problem-solving process
• Identify and describe common creative problem-solving tools

Creativity can be an important trait of an entrepreneur, as the chapter on Creativity, Innovation, and Invention discussed. In that discussion, we learned about creativity’s role in innovation . Here, we will look in more depth at creativity’s role in problem solving . Let’s first formally define creativity as the development of original ideas to solve an issue. The intent of being an entrepreneur is to break away from practical norms and use imagination to embrace quick and effective solutions to an existing problem, usually outside the corporate environment.

The Steps of the Creative Problem-Solving Process

Training oneself to think like an entrepreneur means learning the steps to evaluating a challenge: clarify, ideate, develop, implement, and evaluate ( Figure 6.9 ).

Step 1: Clarify

To clarify is the critical step of recognizing the existence of a gap between the current state and a desired state. This can also be thought of as having need awareness , which occurs when the entrepreneur notes a gap between societal or customer needs and actual circumstances. Clarifying the problem by speaking with clients and developing a detailed description of the problem brings the specifics of a problem to light. Failure to identify the specifics of a problem leaves the entrepreneur with the impossible task of solving a ghost problem, a problem that is fully unknown or unseen. To establish and maintain credibility, an entrepreneur must clarify the problem by focusing on solving the problem itself, rather than solving a symptom of the problem.

For example, a farm could have polluted water, but it would not be enough to solve the problem only on that farm. Clarifying would involve identifying the source of the pollution to adequately tackle the problem. After gaining an understanding of a problem, the entrepreneur should begin to formulate plans for eliminating the gap. A fishbone diagram , as shown in Figure 6.10 , is a tool that can be used to identify the causes of such a problem.

In the case of our water pollution example, a fishbone diagram exploring the issue might reveal the items shown in Figure 6.11 .

Step 2: Ideate

To ideate is the step of the creative problem-solving process that involves generating and detailing ideas by the entrepreneur. After collecting all information relevant to the problem, the entrepreneur lists as many causes of the problem as possible. This is the step in which the largest variety of ideas are put forth. Each idea must be evaluated for feasibility and cost as a solution to the problem. If a farm does not have clean water, for example, the entrepreneur must list causes of toxic water and eliminate as many of those causes as possible. The entrepreneur must then move forward investigating solutions to bring the water back to a safe state. If, say, nearby livestock are polluting the water, the livestock should be isolated from the water source.

Step 3: Develop

To develop is the step in which the entrepreneur takes the list of ideas generated and tests each solution for feasibility. The entrepreneur must consider the cost of each idea and the obstacles to implementation. In the preceding example, adding a chemical to the water may not be a feasible solution to the farmer. Not every farmer wants additional chloride or fluoride added to the water due to the effect on both humans and livestock. These tradeoffs should be addressed in the feasibility assessment. The farmer might prefer a filtration system, but the cost of that solution might not be practicable. The entrepreneur should identify and assess alternative solutions to find one that is most cost-effective and feasible to the customer.

Step 4: Implement

To implement is the step in which the solution to the problem is tested and evaluated. The entrepreneur walks through the planned implementation with the client and tests each part of the solution, if a service, or thoroughly tests a developed good. The entrepreneur implements the solution and goes through a structured system of follow-up to ensure the solution remains effective and viable. In the water example, the solution would be reducing runoff from toxic insecticides by adding prairie strips, buffers of grass, and vegetation along banks of streams.

Step 5: Evaluate

To evaluate is the step in which the final solution is assessed. This is a very important step that entrepreneurs often overlook. Any fallacy in the implementation of the product or service is reassessed, and new solutions are implemented. A continual testing process may be needed to find the final solution. The prairie strips, buffers of grass, and vegetation along banks of streams chosen in the farming water example should then be analyzed and tested to ensure the chosen solution changed the content of the water.

Are You Ready?

Implementing creative problem solving.

Removing waste is a problem, and it can also present an entrepreneurial opportunity. Try to examine ways in which waste products that you usually pay to have hauled away can now generate revenue. Whether it’s recycling aluminum cans or cardboard, or garbage that could be used to feed animals, your task is to come up with solutions to this entrepreneurial-oriented problem.

• Try following the first step of the creative problem-solving process and clearly identify the problem.
• Next, gather data and formulate the challenge.
• Then, explore ideas and come up with solutions.
• Develop a plan of action.
• Finally, note how you would evaluate the effectiveness of your solution.

Using Creativity to Solve Problems

Entrepreneurs are faced with solving many problems as they develop their ideas for filling gaps, whether those opportunities involve establishing a new company or starting a new enterprise within an existing company. Some of these problems include staffing, hiring and managing employees, handling legal compliance, funding, marketing, and paying taxes. Beyond the mundane activities listed, the entrepreneur, or the team that the entrepreneur puts in place, is indispensable in maintaining the ongoing creativity behind the product line or service offered. Innovation and creativity in the business are necessary to expand the product line or develop a groundbreaking service.

It is not necessary for the entrepreneur to feel isolated when it comes to finding creative solutions to a problem. There are societies, tools, and new methods available to spur the creativity of the entrepreneur that will further support the success and expansion of a new enterprise. 14 Learning and using entrepreneurial methods to solve problems alleviates the stress many startup owners feel. The entrepreneur’s creativity will increase using collaborative methodologies . Some entrepreneurial collaborative methodologies include crowdsourcing, brainstorming, storyboarding, conducting quick online surveys to test ideas and concepts, and team creativity activities.

Crowdsourcing

Professor Daren Brabham at the University of Southern California has written books on crowdsourcing and touts its potential in for-profit and not-for-profit business sectors. He defines it simply as “an online, distributed problem-solving and production model.” 15 Crowdsourcing involves teams of amateurs and nonexperts working together to form a solution to a problem. 16 The idea, as cbsnews.com’s Jennifer Alsever has put it, is to “tap into the collective intelligence of the public at large to complete business-related tasks that a company would normally either perform itself or outsource to a third-party provider. Yet free labor is only a narrow part of crowdsourcing's appeal. More importantly, it enables managers to expand the size of their talent pool while also gaining deeper insight into what customers really want. The challenge is to take a cautionary approach to the ‘wisdom of the crowd,’ which can lead to a ‘herd’ mentality.” 17

Link to Learning

Read this article that discusses what crowdsourcing is, how to use it, and its benefits for more information.

This new business prototype, similar to outsourcing, features an enterprise posting a problem online and asking for volunteers to consider the problem and propose solutions. Volunteers earn a reward, such as prize money, promotional materials like a T-shirt, royalties on creative outlets like photos or designs, and in some cases, compensation for their labor. Before proposing the solution, volunteers learn that the solutions become the intellectual property of the startup posting the problem. The solution is then mass produced for profit by the startup that posted the problem. 18 The process evolves into the crowdsourcing process after the enterprise mass produces and profits from the labor of the volunteers and the team. Entrepreneurs should consider that untapped masses have solutions for many issues for which agendas do not yet exist. Crowdsourcing can exploit those agendas and add to the tools used to stimulate personal creativity. This type of innovation is planned and strategically implemented for profit.

For example, Bombardier held a crowdsourced innovation contest to solicit input on the future of train interiors, including seat design and coach class interior. A corporate jury judged the submissions, with the top ten receiving computers or cash prizes. Companies are often constrained, however, by internal rules limiting open source or external idea sourcing, as they could be accused of “stealing” an idea. While crowdsourcing outside of software can be problematic, some products such as MakerBot ’s 3D printers, 3DR’ s drones, and Jibo ’s Social Robot have used developer kits and “makers” to help build a community and stimulate innovation from the outside.

Work It Out

A crowdsourced potato chip.

In an effort to increase sales among millennials, PepsiCo turned to crowdsourcing to get new flavor ideas for their Lay’s potato chips (called Walker’s in the UK). Their 2012 campaign, “Do Us a Flavor,” was so successful that they received over 14 million submissions. The winner was Cheesy Garlic Bread, which increased their potato chip sales by 8 percent during the first three months after the launch.

• What are some other products that would work well for a crowdsourced campaign contest?
• What items wouldn’t work well?

Amazon ’s Mechanical Turk is an online crowdsourcing platform that allows individuals to post tasks for workers to complete. In many instances, these tasks are compensated, but the payment can be less than one dollar per item completed. Mechanical Turk is one of the largest and most well-known crowdsourcing platforms, but there are a number of other more niche ones as well that would apply to smaller markets. In the case of innovation contests and outsourced tasks from corporations, those tasks may be hosted internally by the corporation.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is the generation of ideas in an environment free of judgment or dissension with the goal of creating solutions. See Creativity, Innovation, and Invention to refresh yourself on this technique. Brainstorming is meant to stimulate participants into thinking about problem solving in a new way. Using a multifunctional group, meaning participants come from different departments and with different skill sets, gives entrepreneurs and support teams a genuine chance to suggest and actualize ideas. The group works together to refine and prototype potential solutions to a problem.

Brainstorming is a highly researched and often practiced technique for the development of innovative solutions. One of the more successful proponents of brainstorming is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) . UNICEF faces unique problems of solving resource problems for mothers and children in underdeveloped nations. See how UNICEF practices brainstorming to solve problems including child survival, gender inclusion, refugee crises, education, and others.

The setting for a brainstorming session should remain as informal and relaxed as possible. The group needs to avoid standard solutions. All ideas are welcome and listed and considered with no censorship and with no regard to administrative restrictions. All team members have an equal voice. The focus of brainstorming is on quantity of ideas rather than on the ideal solution provided in every suggestion. A classic entrepreneurial brainstorming activity, as popularized by business software developer Strategyzer , is known as the “silly cow” exercise. Teams come up with ideas for new business models pertaining to a cow, with the results often outrageous, ranging from sponsored cows to stroking cows for therapeutic release. Participants are asked to identify some aspect of a cow and develop three business models around that concept in a short time period, typically two minutes or fewer. The activity is designed to get creative juices flowing.

Watch this video from ABC’s Nightline that shows how IDEO designed a new shopping cart for an example of a design process that involves brainstorming.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is the process of presenting an idea in a step-by-step graphic format, as Figure 6.12 shows. This tool is useful when the entrepreneur is attempting to visualize a solution to a problem. The steps to the solution of a problem are sketched and hung in graphic format. Once the original graphic is placed, images of steps working toward a solution are added, subtracted, and rearranged on a continual basis, until the ultimate solution emerges in the ultimate graphic format. For many years, entrepreneurs have used this process to create a pre-visual for various media sequences.

Team Creativity

Team creativity is the process whereby an entrepreneur works with a team to create an unexpected solution for an issue or challenge. Teams progress through the same creative problem-solving process described already: clarify, ideate, develop, implement, and evaluate. The main advantage of team creativity is the collaboration and support members receive from one another. Great teams trust in other team members, have diverse members with diverse points of view, are cohesive, and have chemistry.

Team members should work in a stress-free and relaxing environment. Reinforcement and expansion of ideas in the team environment motivates the team to continually expand horizons toward problem solution. A small idea in a team may spark the imagination of a team member to an original idea. Mark Zuckerberg , cofounder of Facebook , once said, “The most important thing for you as an entrepreneur trying to build something is, you need to build a really good team. And that’s what I spend all my time on.” 19

Entrepreneur In Action

Taaluma totes 20.

Young entrepreneurs Jack DuFour and Alley Heffern began to notice the beautiful fabrics that came from the different countries they visited. The entrepreneurs thought about what could be done with the fabrics to create employment opportunities both in the country from which the fabric originated and in their home base of Virginia. They decided to test producing totes from the fabrics they found and formed Taaluma Totes ( Figure 6.13 ). DuFour and Heffern also wanted to promote the production of these fabrics and help underserved populations in countries where the fabric originated maintain a living or follow a dream.

The team continued to test the process and gathered original fabrics, which they sent to Virginia to create totes. They trained individuals with disabilities in Virginia to manufacture the totes, thus serving populations in the United States. The entrepreneurs then decided to take 20 percent of their profits and make microloans to farmers and small business owners in the countries where the fabric originated to create jobs there. Microloans are small loans, below $50,000, which certain lenders offer to enterprising startups. These startups, for various reasons (they are in poor nations, at poverty level), can’t afford a traditional loan from a major bank. The lenders offer business support to the borrower, which in turn helps the borrower repay the microloan. The microloans from Taaluma are repaid when the borrower is able. Repayments are used to buy more fabric, completing Taaluma’s desire to serve dual populations. If the process proved unsuccessful, the co-owners would revise the process to meet the plan’s requirements.

DuFour and Heffern now have fabrics from dozens of countries from Thailand to Ecuador. The totes are specialized with features to meet individual needs. The product line is innovated regularly and Taaluma Totes serves a dual purpose of employing persons with disabilities in Virginia and creating employment for underserved populations in other countries.

• 14 “Creating a World of Opportunities.” The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization . n.d. https://www.c-e-o.org/
• 15 Daren C. Brabham. “Crowdsourcing as a Model for Problem Solving: An Introduction and Cases.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 14, no. 1 (2008): 75–90.
• 16 Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey. “How Crowdsourcing Is Shaping the Future of Everything.” Entrepreneur. January 13, 2018. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/307438
• 17 Jennifer Alsever. “What Is Crowdsourcing?” CBS News . May 1, 2008. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-crowdsourcing
• 18 Daren C. Brabham. “Crowdsourcing as a Model for Problem Solving: An Introduction and Cases.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 14, no. 1 (2008): 75–90.
• 19 “Three Tips for Entrepreneurs Creating the Perfect Team.” Virgin . n.d. https://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/three-tips-entrepreneurs-creating-perfect-team
• 20 “Backpacks That Carry a Country.” Taaluma Totes. n.d. https://www.carryacountry.com/pages/about

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/entrepreneurship/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: Michael Laverty, Chris Littel
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Entrepreneurship
• Publication date: Jan 16, 2020
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/entrepreneurship/pages/1-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/entrepreneurship/pages/6-2-creative-problem-solving-process

© Jan 4, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

• Business Essentials
• Leadership & Management
• Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Finance & Accounting
• Business in Society
• For Organizations
• Support Portal
• Media Coverage
• Founding Donors
• Leadership Team

• Harvard Business School →
• HBS Online →
• Business Insights →

Business Insights

Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.

• Career Development
• Communication
• Decision-Making
• Earning Your MBA
• Negotiation
• News & Events
• Productivity
• Staff Spotlight
• Student Profiles
• Work-Life Balance
• AI Essentials for Business
• Alternative Investments
• Business Analytics
• Business Strategy
• Business and Climate Change
• Design Thinking and Innovation
• Digital Marketing Strategy
• Disruptive Strategy
• Economics for Managers
• Entrepreneurship Essentials
• Financial Accounting
• Global Business
• Launching Tech Ventures
• Leadership Principles
• Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
• Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
• Leading with Finance
• Management Essentials
• Negotiation Mastery
• Organizational Leadership
• Power and Influence for Positive Impact
• Strategy Execution
• Sustainable Business Strategy
• Sustainable Investing
• Winning with Digital Platforms

What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

• 01 Feb 2022

One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.

There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.

In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.

Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:

• Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
• Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
• Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.

Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :

1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.

4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"

Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.

Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.

The four stages are:

• Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
• Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
• Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
• Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.

Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:

Creating a Problem Story

One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.

1. Identify a UDP

Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."

2. Move Forward in Time

To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.

3. Move Backward in Time

To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.

Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:

• The printer is overused.
• The printer overheats.
• The printer breaks down.

You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.

4. Break the Chains

By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.

• Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
• Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."

Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.

Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :

• Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
• Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
• Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.

For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?

Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.

Continue Developing Your Skills

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.

If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

About the Author

What is creative problem-solving?

Table of Contents

An introduction to creative problem-solving.

Creative problem-solving is an essential skill that goes beyond basic brainstorming . It entails a holistic approach to challenges, melding logical processes with imaginative techniques to conceive innovative solutions. As our world becomes increasingly complex and interconnected, the ability to think creatively and solve problems with fresh perspectives becomes invaluable for individuals, businesses, and communities alike.

Importance of divergent and convergent thinking

At the heart of creative problem-solving lies the balance between divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking encourages free-flowing, unrestricted ideation, leading to a plethora of potential solutions. Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is about narrowing down those options to find the most viable solution. This dual approach ensures both breadth and depth in the problem-solving process.

Emphasis on collaboration and diverse perspectives

No single perspective has a monopoly on insight. Collaborating with individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and areas of expertise offers a richer tapestry of ideas. Embracing diverse perspectives not only broadens the pool of solutions but also ensures more holistic and well-rounded outcomes.

Nurturing a risk-taking and experimental mindset

The fear of failure can be the most significant barrier to any undertaking. It's essential to foster an environment where risk-taking and experimentation are celebrated. This involves viewing failures not as setbacks but as invaluable learning experiences that pave the way for eventual success.

The role of intuition and lateral thinking

Sometimes, the path to a solution is not linear. Lateral thinking and intuition allow for making connections between seemingly unrelated elements. These 'eureka' moments often lead to breakthrough solutions that conventional methods might overlook.

Stages of the creative problem-solving process

The creative problem-solving process is typically broken down into several stages. Each stage plays a crucial role in understanding, addressing, and resolving challenges in innovative ways.

Clarifying: Understanding the real problem or challenge

Before diving into solutions, one must first understand the problem at its core. This involves asking probing questions, gathering data, and viewing the challenge from various angles. A clear comprehension of the problem ensures that effort and resources are channeled correctly.

Ideating: Generating diverse and multiple solutions

Once the problem is clarified, the focus shifts to generating as many solutions as possible. This stage champions quantity over quality, as the aim is to explore the breadth of possibilities without immediately passing judgment.

Developing: Refining and honing promising solutions

With a list of potential solutions in hand, it's time to refine and develop the most promising ones. This involves evaluating each idea's feasibility, potential impact, and any associated risks, then enhancing or combining solutions to maximize effectiveness.

Implementing: Acting on the best solutions

Once a solution has been honed, it's time to put it into action. This involves planning, allocating resources, and monitoring the results to ensure the solution is effectively addressing the problem.

Techniques for creative problem-solving

Solving complex problems in a fresh way can be a daunting task to start on. Here are a few techniques that can help kickstart the process:

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a widely-used technique that involves generating as many ideas as possible within a set timeframe. Variants like brainwriting (where ideas are written down rather than spoken) and reverse brainstorming (thinking of ways to cause the problem) can offer fresh perspectives and ensure broader participation.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a visual tool that helps structure information, making connections between disparate pieces of data. It is particularly useful in organizing thoughts, visualizing relationships, and ensuring a comprehensive approach to a problem.

SCAMPER technique

SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. This technique prompts individuals to look at existing products, services, or processes in new ways, leading to innovative solutions.

Benefits of creative problem-solving

Creative problem-solving offers numerous benefits, both at the individual and organizational levels. Some of the most prominent advantages include:

Finding novel solutions to old problems

Traditional problems that have resisted conventional solutions often succumb to creative approaches. By looking at challenges from fresh angles and blending different techniques, we can unlock novel solutions previously deemed impossible.

Enhanced adaptability in changing environments

In our rapidly evolving world, the ability to adapt is critical. Creative problem-solving equips individuals and organizations with the agility to pivot and adapt to changing circumstances, ensuring resilience and longevity.

Building collaborative and innovative teams

Teams that embrace creative problem-solving tend to be more collaborative and innovative. They value diversity of thought, are open to experimentation, and are more likely to challenge the status quo, leading to groundbreaking results.

Fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement

Creative problem-solving is not just about finding solutions; it's also about continuous learning and improvement. By encouraging an environment of curiosity and exploration, organizations can ensure that they are always at the cutting edge, ready to tackle future challenges head-on.

Get on board in seconds

Join thousands of teams using Miro to do their best work yet.

Is MasterClass right for me?

Take this quiz to find out.

Get 50% off this Father's Day.

Offer Ends Soon

How to Improve Creativity: The 5 Stages of the Creative Process

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Aug 30, 2021 • 3 min read

The creative process manifests in different ways and on different timelines for each person. Anyone who is able to unlock their creative potential goes through a similar process to bring an idea to life.

Osborn: Creative Problem-Solving Process

Last Updated on 7 July 2021

Alex Osborn is the “O” in the agency BBDO . In 1953, he wrote a book titled “ Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem-Solving .” He was one of the first – if not the first – to write about the practical application of brainstorming and creative problem-solving (CPS). Here is how he outlines the CPS process…

(begin quote)

The creative problem-solving process ideally comprises these procedures: (1) Fact -finding. (2) Idea -finding. (3) Solution -finding.

Fact -finding calls for problem-definition and preparation. Problem-definition calls for picking out and pointing up the problem. Preparation calls for gathering and analyzing the pertinent data.

Idea -finding calls for idea-production and idea-development. Idea production calls for thinking up tentative ideas as possible leads. Idea-development calls for selecting the most likely of the resultant ideas, adding others, and reprocessing all of these by such means as modification and combination.

Solution -finding calls for evaluation and adoption. Evaluation calls for verifying the tentative solutions, by tests and otherwise. Adoption calls for deciding on, and implementing, the final solution.

Regardless of sequence, every one of those steps calls for deliberate effort and creative imagination.

(end quote)

• What Is A Problem?
• Solve Problems in Three Steps
• Creative Problem Solving (CPS)

Share this article!

The How of Creativity

How creators transform ideas and do something with them..

Posted November 7, 2019 | Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano

A New Yorker cartoon shows a scene at a cocktail party with a caption: “Did you know that it was Harry who came up with the idea for the daiquiri? He just never did anything with it.”

At the just-concluded thematic conference on individual, social, and educational perspectives on creativity in Dubrovnik, Croatia, my keynote address examined research on bringing creative ideas to life.

Creativity includes not only having ideas, but developing them and transforming them into products or performances. Monet did not just have the idea to paint water lilies or just have the idea to portray changing qualities of light. He also realized these ideas in hundreds of paintings. Tesla did not just have the idea to harness the power of water (although he started by fantasizing about it!), but he built the first hydroelectric power plant.

People usually ask how creative individuals get their ideas. But a better question might be: how do creative individuals realize their ideas? Are creative individuals unusually gritty and just stick with it, no matter what? It turns out they are not.

At least not in the sense that winners of the national spelling bee are gritty and sit doing the same thing over and over again without being swayed by other interests or activities until final success. As grit involves consistency of interests, it tends to help success in more structured activities. In a series of studies, my colleagues and I found that grit does not predict creativity—but visible passion does.

How do people take their ideas and their passion to transform them into products or performances? Here are three things you need to know to get you started.

1. There is no formula for success.

First step: Creativity doesn’t work in steps. Different stages of the creative process have been proposed, including the famous four-stage model by Wallas that describes preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. Or there's the creative problem-solving model that includes stages called clarify, ideate, develop, and implement. These models have validity, but they don’t represent well-defined and ordered steps.

A necessary starting point is to decide to do something. This is an act of courage. By nature, creativity involves risk—risk that an idea to reorganize a struggling department store would only end in lost customers or risk for one’s reputation if substantial time is spent on a presentation that is ultimately not well received. To demonstrate such courage does not mean to be fearless. Rather, it means deciding to act in spite of feeling uneasy and uncomfortable.

2. Creativity means tweaks and adjustments.

Creators across domains of work—such as art, design, music composition, screenplay writing, and science—usually start with having a relatively vague idea, which changes and develops through the working process. The Pixar movie Up started with an idea about two brothers from a floating city on an alien planet fighting to inherit their father’s kingdom; it ended as the story of an elderly man who ties balloons to his house to fly to South America in order to fulfill a promise to his late wife. To give an example from another domain of work, what is now Flickr started with a game; although Game Neverending did not gain traction, the photo-sharing feature within it developed into a creative response to a consumer need in the early 2000s.

The fact that a creator changes and adjusts an idea based on feedback, constraints, or new knowledge is not a sign of failure. It is a sign of successful creative work. In a classic study, Csikszentmihalyi and Getzels found that most creative art was made not by those who spent the most time executing or crafting their pieces but by those who spent the most time engaging with the objects in their still lives by holding, feeling, arranging, and rearranging them. Csikszentmihalyi deemed this process of what he called “problem finding” as the key feature of creativity, distinguishing it from problem solving, which can be more formulaic in nature.

3. Creativity takes persistence.

Achieving something creative often takes a long time. Artists prepare exhibitions for months, designers go through multiple prototypes and iterations to create a product, scientists take months (or even years) to complete a research project and publish the findings. These paths are not smooth.

When their grant proposal or research paper is rejected, scientists feel disappointed (trust me, I am a scientist). Yet the successful ones are those who persevere. Yitang Zhang spent years thinking about a basic mathematical problem until he was finally able to solve it. When he did, he was skyrocketed from a lecturer to full professor, not to mention receiving the MacArthur (genius) award.

Creative individuals persist in their work, even in the face of uncertainty and obstacles. However, their persistence is often different from what we teach children in schools—to persist through a well-planned set of tasks or steps. Persistence in the creative process is not linear in nature but includes many reformulations and restarts, while keeping in mind the overarching goal even when at times abandoning specific courses of action.

Creative individuals experience many and varied emotions in their work process, from the anxiety of facing an unclear problem to frustration with obstacles to disappointment or even anger at poor reception. Importantly, creative individuals are not necessarily comfortable with risks or impervious to negative feedback. Rather, they are able to persist in their work in spite of such emotional experiences by managing their emotions and channeling them to fuel their work.

Sometimes we have good reasons for not pursuing creative ideas. Maybe you have a full-time job, family, and like to occasionally see friends, and travel. We are not going to develop every idea. But hopefully we do better than Harry who invented the daiquiri but has never done anything with that idea. Knowing what to expect in the creative process might help in managing the stresses and disappointments.

Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Getzels, J. W. (1971). Discovery-oriented behavior and the originality of creative products: a study with artists. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 19, 47–52. doi:10.1037/h0031106

Glăveanu, V. P., Lubart, T., Bonnardel, N., Botella, M., de Biaisi, P.-M., Desainte-Catherine, M., Georgsdottir, A., Guillou, K., Kurtag, G.,Mouchiroud, C., Storme, M., Wojtczuk, A., & Zenasni, F. (2013) Creativity as action: Findings from five creative domains. Frontiers in Psychology, 4(176), 1-14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00176

Grohman, M., Ivcevic, Z., Silvia, P., & Kaufman, S. B. (2017). The role of passion and persistence in creativity. Psychology in Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts. 11(4), 376-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/aca0000121

Ivcevic, Z., & Nusbaum, E. C. (2017). From having an idea to doing something with it: Self-regulation for creativity. In M. Karwowski & J. C. Kaufman (Eds.), The creative self: How our beliefs, self-efficacy, mindset, and identity impact our creativity (pp. 343-365). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., Switalski, L. B., & Reali, P. (2012). Creativity rising. Buffalo, NY: ICSC Press.

Wallas, G. (1926). The art of thought. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Fickr on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr

Up (Pixar) on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_(2009_film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitang_Zhang

Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, Ph.D. is a research scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and studies emotions in creativity, as well as how to teach creativity skills through the arts.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

Leading modules

Learning space, module 5 “can i solve problems” – creative problem solving, unit 1 – what is creative problem solving alex osborn’s creative problem-solving model.

You tried probably many times to solve a problem and got stuck in the process. The reason is that traditional problem-solving methods don’t work for all problems. Sometimes you need to become creative to move forward and find new solutions.

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of solving problems or identifying opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It encourages you to find fresh perspectives and come up with innovative solutions, so that you can formulate a plan to overcome obstacles and reach your goals. It is a model to help you solve problems and manage change creatively. Alex Osborn, founder of the Creative Education Foundation, first developed creative problem solving in the 1940s, along with the term “brainstorming.” Together with Sid Parnes, he developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process. Despite its age, this model remains a valuable approach to problem solving. Osborn noted in his breakthrough book “Applied Imagination”, that Hindu teachers had been using brainstorming for over 400 years and Walt Disney encouraged it among his artists in the 1920s (later called “dreaming as a team”).

CPS is based on two assumptions:

• Everyone is creative
• Creative skills can be learned and enhanced

Creative problem solving isn’t just brainstorming, although that’s what many people may associate it with. It’s actually a well-defined process that can help you from problem definition to implementing solutions, according to Jeffrey Baumgartner. Creative ideas do not suddenly appear in people’s minds for no apparent reason. Rather, they are the result of trying to solve a specific problem or to achieve a particular goal. Highly creative people tend to follow the CPS process in their heads, without thinking about it. Less naturally creative people can learn to use this simple process.

There are numerous different approaches to CPS. Jeffrey Baumgartner’s approach is more focused on innovation (that is the implementation of the most promising ideas).

The core principles of Creative Problem Solving are:

Divergent (creative) and convergent (critical) thinking must be balanced. Keys to creativity are learning ways to identify and balance expanding and contracting thinking (done separately) and knowing when to practice them.

Ask problems as questions. Solutions are more readily invited and developed when challenges and problems are restated as open-ended questions with multiple possibilities. Such questions generate lots of rich information, while closed-ended questions tend to elicit confirmation or denial. Statements tend to generate limited or no response at all.

Defer or suspend judgment. As Osborn learned in his early work on brainstorming, the instantaneous judgment in response to an idea shuts down idea generation. There is an appropriate and necessary time to apply judgment when converging.

Focus on “Yes, and …” rather than “No, but.” When generating information and ideas, language matters. “Yes, and” allows continuation and expansion, which is necessary in certain stages of CPS. The use of the word “but”—whether preceded by “yes” or “no”— closes conversation, negating everything that has come before it.

CPS uses tools and techniques that make the process fun, engaging, and collaborative. It not only helps create better solutions; it creates a positive experience that helps speed the adoption of new ideas.

Watch the video about how it started, Alex Osborn’s life and the different persons who contributed to the development of Creative Problem Solving:

• Case Studies
• Flexible Products

• Expert Insights
• Research Studies

• Creativity and Culture
• Management and Leadership
• Business Solutions

• Member Spotlight
• Employee Spotlight

Understanding the four stages of the creative process

There’s a lot that science can teach us about what goes into the creative process—and how each one of us can optimize our own.

How do great artists and innovators come up with their most brilliant ideas ? And by what kind of alchemical process are they able to bring those ideas to life? 

I have eagerly sought the answers to these questions over the past decade of my career as a psychology writer. My fascination with the lives and minds of brilliant artists and innovators has led me on a quest to discover what makes us creative , where ideas come from, and how they come to life. But even after writing an entire book on the science of creativity and designing a creative personality test , there are more questions than answers in my mind. 

Decades of research have yet to uncover the unique spark of creative genius. Creativity is as perplexing to us today as it was to the ancients, who cast creative genius in the realm of the supernatural and declared it the work of the muses.  

What the science does show is that creative people are complex and contradictory. Their creative processes tend to be chaotic and nonlinear—which seems to mirror what’s going on in their brains. Contrary to the “right-brain myth,” creativity doesn’t just involve a single brain region or even a single side of the brain. Instead, the creative process draws on the whole brain. It’s a dynamic interplay of many diverse brain regions, thinking styles, emotions, and unconscious and conscious processing systems coming together in unusual and unexpected ways. 

But while we may never find the formula for creativity, there’s still a lot that science can teach us about what goes into the creative process—and how each one of us can optimize our own. 

Understanding your own creative process

One of the most illuminating things I’ve found is a popular four-stage model of the creative process developed in the 1920s. In his book The Art of Thought , British psychologist Graham Wallas outlined a theory of the creative process based on many years of observing and studying accounts of inventors and other creative types at work. 

The four stages of the creative process: 

Stage 1: preparation.

The creative process begins with preparation: gathering information and materials, identifying sources of inspiration, and acquiring knowledge about the project or problem at hand. This is often an internal process (thinking deeply to generate and engage with ideas) as well as an external one (going out into the world to gather the necessary data, resources, materials, and expertise). 

Stage 2: Incubation

Next, the ideas and information gathered in stage 1 marinate in the mind. As ideas slowly simmer, the work deepens and new connections are formed. During this period of germination, the artist takes their focus off the problem and allows the mind to rest. While the conscious mind wanders, the unconscious engages in what Einstein called “combinatory play”: taking diverse ideas and influences and finding new ways to bring them together. 

Stage 3: Illumination

Next comes the elusive aha moment. After a period of incubation, insights arise from the deeper layers of the mind and break through to conscious awareness, often in a dramatic way. It’s the sudden Eureka! that comes when you’re in the shower, taking a walk, or occupied with something completely unrelated. Seemingly out of nowhere, the solution presents itself. 

Stage 4: Verification

Following the aha moment, the words get written down, the vision is committed to paint or clay, the business plan is developed. Whatever ideas and insights arose in stage 3 are fleshed out and developed. The artist uses critical thinking and aesthetic judgment skills to hone and refine the work and then communicate its value to others. 

Of course, these stages don’t always play out in such an orderly, linear fashion. The creative process tends to look more like a zigzag or spiral than a straight line. The model certainly has its limitations, but it can offer a road map of sorts for our own creative journey, offering a direction, if not a destination. It can help us become more aware of where we’re at in our own process, where we need to go, and the mental processes that can help us get there. And when the process gets a little too messy, coming back to this framework can help us to recenter, realign, and chart the path ahead. 

For instance, if you can’t seem to get from incubation to illumination, the solution might be to go back to stage 1, gathering more resources and knowledge to find that missing element. Or perhaps, in the quest for productivity , you’ve made the all-too-common mistake of skipping straight to stage 4, pushing ahead with a half-baked idea before it’s fully marinated. In that case, carving out time and space for stage 2 may be the necessary detour. 

Related articles

How to optimize your creative process for ultimate success

But let’s dig a little deeper: As I’ve contemplated and applied the four-stage model in my own work, I’ve found within it a much more profound insight into the mysteries of creation.  

At its heart, any creative process is about discovering something new within ourselves and then bringing that something into the world for others to experience and enjoy. The work of the artist, the visionary, the innovator is to bridge their inner and outer worlds—taking something that only exists within their own mind and heart and soul and birthing it into concrete, tangible form (you know, not unlike that other kind of creative process). 

Any creative process is a dance between the inner and the outer; the unconscious and conscious mind; dreaming and doing; madness and method; solitary reflection and active collaboration. Psychologists describe it in simple terms of inspiration (coming up with ideas) and generation (bringing ideas to life). 

In the four-stage model, we can see how the internal and external elements of the creative process interact. stages 2 and 3 are all about inspiration: dreaming, reflecting, imagining, opening up to inspiration, and allowing the unconscious mind to do its work. Stages 1 and 4, meanwhile, are about generation: doing the external work of research, planning, execution, and collaboration. Through a dynamic dance of inspiration and generation, brilliant work comes to life. 

How does this help us in our own creative process? The more we master this balance, the more we can tap into our creative potential. We all have a preference for one side over the other, and by becoming more aware of our natural inclinations, we can learn how to optimize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses.  

More inward-focused, idea-generating types excel in stages 2 and 3: getting inspired and coming up with brilliant ideas. But they run the risk of getting stuck in their own heads and failing to materialize their brilliant ideas in the world. These thinkers and dreamers often need to bring more time and focus to stages 1 and 4 in order to keep their creative process on track. Balance inspiration with generation by creating the necessary structures to help you commit to action and put one foot in front of the other to make it happen—or just collaborate with a doer who you can outsource your ideas to! 

Doer types, on the other hand, shine in stages 1 and 4. They’re brilliant at getting things done, but they risk putting all their focus on productivity at the expense of the inner work and big-picture thinking that helps produce truly inspired work. When we bypass the critical work that occurs in the incubation stage, we miss out on our most original and groundbreaking ideas. If you’re a doer/generator, you can up-level your creative process by clearing out the space in your mind and your schedule to dream, imagine, reflect, and contemplate. 

By seeking a balance of these opposing forces, we can bring some order to the chaos of the creative process. And as we become dreamers who do and doers who dream, we empower ourselves to share more of our creative gifts with the world. 

WeWork’s space products including  On Demand ,  All Access , and  dedicated spaces  help businesses of all sizes solve their biggest challenges.

Carolyn Gregoire is a writer and creative consultant living in Brooklyn. She is the co-author of  Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind  and the creator of the Creative Types personality test. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Scientific American, TIME, Harvard Business Review, and other publications.

Every leader wants a thriving culture, but only select leaders know that investing in wellness can make it happen. Companies ahead of the game have already seen positive results, as research shows nine out of 10 companies that track their wellness spending see a positive ROI.

Designed to cultivate a positive and respectful working environment, here are the most common coworking etiquette rules.

“Busyness” doesn’t always equate with progress—learning how to prioritize tasks will help you make the most of your workday

This web app uses cookies to compile statistic information of our users visits. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you wish you may change your preference or read about cookies

Discover the 5 Stages of Creative Problem Solving

Have you ever faced a problem that felt too hard to fix? Creative problem-solving is a skill that can help you deal with tough situations. By understanding the five stages of creative problem-solving, you can learn how to approach problems differently and find new solutions. Each stage plays an important role in solving problems, from coming up with ideas to evaluating solutions. Let’s look at the five stages of creative problem-solving and how they can help you tackle everyday challenges.

What is Creative Problem Solving?

Creative problem-solving means finding unique solutions in a new and inventive way. Unlike traditional methods, it encourages thinking outside the box and exploring unconventional ideas. There are five stages: preparation, incubation, insight, evaluation, and elaboration. These stages guide individuals through a structured process, encouraging the exploration of ideas, refinement of concepts, and assessment of solutions.

They provide a framework for transitioning between stages, allowing flexibility and iteration. For instance, in the preparation stage, individuals gather information and explore potential approaches. Then, in the insight stage, they have a “eureka” moment, leading to the evaluation of ideas. This transition allows for continuous idea generation and refinement, leading to innovative outcomes.

What are the 5 stages of creative problem solving?

Preparation: understanding the issue.

The preparation stage of creative problem-solving is essential. It helps to define the problem clearly, enabling individuals to identify the main components that need attention.

For example, when creating a new marketing campaign, defining the target audience and campaign objectives is essential in the preparation stage. Gathering information is also crucial at this stage. It helps to understand the issue comprehensively and identify potential solutions. For instance, if a company wants to improve customer satisfaction , gathering feedback from current customers will provide valuable insights. Therefore, the preparation stage is vital in laying the groundwork for the creative problem-solving process.

Define the Problem

The problem is that creative problem-solving is unclear and ineffective. It’s caused by a lack of structure and guidance and a misunderstanding of the stages of creative problem-solving. This problem impacts the situation by hindering the ability to approach challenges creatively and limiting the potential for innovative solutions.

Gather Information

Gathering information is essential in the creative problem-solving process. It helps individuals understand and define the problem effectively. Obtaining relevant data and insights allows individuals to gain a deeper understanding of the issue, identify obstacles, and recognize opportunities for innovation.

Incubation: Letting Ideas Marinate

During the incubation stage of creative problem-solving, individuals can benefit from techniques such as taking a break and doing other activities. This helps their ideas develop and marinate.

Taking a mental break or focusing on less demanding tasks can help the subconscious mind work on the challenges one might face. Allowing ideas to incubate enables individuals to think about the problem from different angles and perspectives, increasing the likelihood of finding a creative solution .

This stage gives the brain a break from intense thinking and brainstorming during preparation, contributing to the creative problem-solving. Allowing ideas to marinate during the incubation stage can lead to improved insight and evaluation of the problem-solving process. It can also reduce the likelihood of burnout and fatigue, enhancing the overall quality of the solution developed during the elaboration stage.

Set Problem Aside

It’s helpful to set a problem aside during the creative problem-solving process. Engaging in different activities can allow new ideas to develop and provide a fresh perspective on the issue.

For example, taking a walk or working on an unrelated project can give the mind a break and allow ideas to develop. Setting a problem aside during the creative problem-solving process has many benefits. It can lead to a more innovative approach , spark new ideas, and prevent frustration and burnout. This approach provides space for insight and leads to a more successful creative problem-solving process.

Engage in Different Activities

Engaging in different activities can help with creative problem-solving.

For example, going for a walk, cooking, or playing a musical instrument can stimulate the brain and generate innovative ideas.

During the incubation stage, these activities can give the mind a break from the problem, allowing the unconscious to work on finding a solution.

This can lead to sudden moments of insight and creativity.

To transition between stages of problem-solving, individuals can push their limits by attending workshops or collaborating with others.

These activities can offer a fresh perspective and encourage the brain to think differently, leading to more effective problem-solving strategies.

Insight: The Aha Moment

“The Insight: The Aha Moment” is a big part of solving problems. It’s when a solution suddenly becomes clear. This can happen because of different things, like experiences, observations, or past problem-solving attempts. Being open to new ideas helps make these “Aha Moments” happen. Creating a creative environment, like making time for brainstorming and seeing things from different angles, can also help.

The “Insight: The Aha Moment” helps solve problems by giving clarity and pointing to the next steps. It helps focus on the best solutions, leading to better and faster problem-solving.

Wait for the Spark

Creative problem-solving involves waiting for the spark. It lets individuals take time to understand the issue before finding a solution, which helps ensure that the solution is effective. Recognizing the solution leads to the insight stage by providing a sudden understanding or realization of the problem. It often feels like an “aha!” moment where ideas come together.

For instance, a graphic designer may be stuck on a project, but after a break, they may suddenly see a solution, leading to project completion.

Recognize the Solution

Recognizing the solution is an integral part of creative problem-solving. It is the final stage of finding a resolution. People can identify the solution by being open to new ideas and looking at the problem from different perspectives.

Recognizing the solution impacts the overall outcome of the process by providing closure and allowing for the implementation of the resolved issue. This helps to conclude the problem-solving process successfully.

Evaluation: Testing Solutions

It’s vital to assess ideas effectively during the evaluation stage of creative problem-solving. This can be done by setting clear criteria for success, defining specific goals, considering feasibility, and evaluating potential impact.

For example, before launching a new product, a company might evaluate market demand, production costs, and potential profitability based on consumer trends and competition.

During the evaluation stage, it is crucial to gather feedback from relevant stakeholders, conduct user testing, and make necessary adjustments based on the results. In software development, this may involve seeking user feedback through beta testing to identify and address potential issues or areas for improvement.

Evaluating ideas rigorously before implementation reduces the risk of investing time and resources into ineffective solutions. It significantly contributes to the process of finding practical solutions.

Assess Ideas

During the creative problem-solving process, it’s vital to assess ideas effectively. Factors like feasibility, relevance, and potential impact should be considered. This helps evaluate each idea’s originality and practicality to determine the most suitable ones for the problem.

In the assessment stage, criteria such as cost-effectiveness, alignment with objectives, and adaptability to change should be used to prioritize ideas. This ensures that the chosen concepts are innovative, feasible, and beneficial.

Thorough evaluation and prioritization of ideas in the assessment stage play a crucial role in guiding the successful resolution of the problem at hand.

Refine Solution

To refine a solution, you can:

• Address potential flaws or weaknesses by seeking feedback from others and conducting thorough testing.
• This helps identify any overlooked issues and ensures the solution is robust and effective.

Specific steps to further improve the proposed solution include:

• Conducting additional research
• Brainstorming alternative approaches
• Seeking inspiration from unrelated fields or industries.

Expanding the exploration scope makes the creative problem-solving process more dynamic and diverse, leading to more innovative and impactful solutions.

Additional criteria or considerations during the refinement of the solution are:

• Ethical implications
• Potential impact on different stakeholders
• Long-term sustainability of the solution.

By considering these factors, the refined solution can be more comprehensive and responsible, meeting the needs of all parties involved.

Elaboration: Applying the Solution

The elaboration stage in the creative problem-solving process involves expanding and refining the potential solution to ensure its successful implementation.

To achieve this, intensive research, brainstorming, and collaboration with others are essential. These help identify any potential flaws and address them effectively.

For example, a marketing team may further develop a new advertising campaign concept by gathering feedback from focus groups and adjusting the messaging accordingly.

Specific action steps, such as creating a prototype, conducting feasibility studies, and obtaining user feedback, can be taken to apply the solution effectively.

Transitioning from the previous stages of creative problem-solving to the elaboration stage means moving from generating potential solutions to working on the details of the most promising ideas.

This requires shifting from broad creativity to focused implementation, ensuring the idea is refined, practical, and ready for execution. For instance, after generating various design concepts for a new product, the transition to the elaboration stage involves selecting the most viable option and developing detailed specifications for prototyping and testing.

Develop Action Steps

During the insight stage of creative problem-solving, you can develop specific action steps by identifying the key components of the solution and breaking them down into achievable tasks.

For instance, if the problem concerns improving workplace morale, you might find that introducing team-building activities could help. The action steps could include researching suitable team-building exercises, seeking employee feedback on preferred activities, and planning the implementation logistics.

To ensure the action steps are practical and effective, you can conduct a small-scale trial of the proposed solution or seek input from relevant stakeholders. For example, if the action involves implementing a new software system, performing a trial run with a small team can help identify potential issues before full-scale implementation.

To move from the elaboration stage to implementation, you can create a detailed timeline and assign specific responsibilities to team members. For instance, when developing a marketing campaign, you must finalize the campaign elements and set clear deadlines for the design, content creation, and distribution stages.

Implement the Solution

The 5 stages of creative problem-solving are:

• Preparation : Gathering information, doing research, and identifying the problem.
• Incubation : Subconsciously working on a solution.
• Insight : The “aha” moment when the solution presents itself.
• Evaluation : Critically analyze the solution to determine its effectiveness.
• Elaboration : Refine and develop the solution further.

Each stage has a specific role in the creative process. Transitioning from one stage to the next requires a shift in thinking and approach. For example, transitioning from preparation to incubation may involve taking a break or engaging in an unrelated activity to allow the mind to work on the problem subconsciously. Similarly, transitioning from insight to evaluation may include testing the solution in different scenarios or seeking feedback from others.

Each stage of creative problem-solving is essential and contributes to the overall process.

How Each Stage Fits Into the Creative Process

Link between stages.

Transitioning from the Incubation stage to the Insight stage in creative problem-solving is essential. It allows the individual to step back from the problem. This mental break lets new perspectives and ideas emerge, leading to the “Aha!” moment and triggering creativity to move forward.

The Evaluation stage also plays a role. It connects the Insight and Elaboration stages by providing a platform for examining ideas in a structured manner. It rules out unfeasible ones and retains the best ones. This stage also helps identify potential roadblocks that could arise during implementation.

The transition from the Preparation to the Incubation stage significantly impacts the overall link between stages. It lays the groundwork for creative problem-solving. This stage is also a time to identify the problem, gather necessary information, and define the constraints before consciously moving the problem to the back of the mind. This process allows the subconscious to chip away at the problem, giving new insight.

Transition from One Stage to Next

Transitioning from the Preparation stage to the Incubation stage in creative problem-solving encourages individuals to take a break from the problem and let their minds wander. This allows them to think creatively and approach the problem from different angles. By doing so, the subconscious mind can work on the issue, often leading to unexpected “aha” moments.

For example, individuals may take a walk or engage in physical activity while incubating a problem, transcending traditional problem-solving thinking.

Moving from the Insight stage to the Evaluation stage, creative problem-solving can be achieved using critical analysis tools. Individuals should objectively review their ideas and consider key questions like “Does this idea align with the problem I am trying to solve?” Group evaluations can also aid in this transition, as receiving feedback from others can help refine and improve ideas.

The transition from the Evaluation stage to the Elaboration stage is essential for implementing successful solutions. Elaboration involves fleshing out the best ideas generated during the evaluation phase, allowing for refinement and iteration. Teams may engage in brainstorming sessions, creating prototypes, or conducting small-scale trials to test the feasibility of the solution. This process paves the way for implementing the most suitable solution to the problem at hand.

Vizologi is a revolutionary AI-generated business strategy tool that offers its users access to advanced features to create and refine start-up ideas quickly. It generates limitless business ideas, gains insights on markets and competitors, and automates business plan creation.

+100 Business Book Summaries

We've distilled the wisdom of influential business books for you.

Zero to One by Peter Thiel. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan. …

Students Win with Creative Problem-Solving

How creative problem solving works in schools.

A generative AI business strategy tool to create business plans in 1 minute

FREE 7 days trial ‐ Get started in seconds

Generate limitless business ideas, gain insights on markets and competitors, and automate business plan creation

Try it Free

Supercharge Your Business Strategy!

Before you download our exclusive content Subscribe to Vizologi’s FREE newsletter. Join 50k+ innovators shaping success with curated content. No spam, just pure value! @vizologi

Thanks for joining us!

Your exclusive content is on the way to your inbox. Ready to elevate your business with Vizologi?

Creative Problem-Solving

• First Online: 29 January 2023

Cite this chapter

• Terence Lee 4 ,
• Lauren O’Mahony 5 &
• Pia Lebeck 6  

643 Accesses

This chapter presents Alex Osborn’s 1953 creative problem-solving (CPS) model as a three-procedure approach that can be deployed to problems that emerge in our everyday lives. The three procedures are fact-finding, idea-finding and solution-finding, with each step carefully informed by both divergent and convergent thinking. Using case studies to elaborate on the efficacy of CPS, the chapter also identifies a few common flaws that can impact on creativity and innovation. This chapter explores the challenges posed by ‘wicked problems’ that are particularly challenging in that they are ill-defined, unique, contradictory, multi-causal and recurring; it considers the practical importance of building team environments, of embracing diversity and difference, and other characteristics of effective teams. The chapter builds conceptually and practically on the earlier chapters, especially Chapter 4 , and provides case studies to help make sense of the key principles of creative problem-solving.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Durable hardcover edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Creative Thinking, Problem Solving and Ideation Tools

The creative problem-solving process explored in this chapter is not to be confused with the broader ‘creative process’ that is presented in Chapter 2 of this book. See Chapter 2 to understand what creative process entails.

A general online search of the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) process will generate many results. One of them is: https://projectbliss.net/osborn-parnes-creative-problem-solving-process/ . Osborn is largely credited as the creator of CPS, hence references are largely made to him (Osborn 1953 , 1957 ).

Founded in 2002, Fahrenheit 212 described itself as “a global innovation consultancy delivering sustainable, profitable growth for companies by pairing business acumen and consumer empathy.” It merged with Capgemini Consulting in 2016 and remains based in New York City, USA. ( https://www.capgemini.com/in-en/news/press-releases/capgemini-acquires-innovation-and-design-consultancy-fahrenheit-212-to-drive/ ).

More information on the NeoNurture incubator can be found in the Design That Matters website ( https://www.designthatmatters.org/ ) and in a TEDx presentation by Timothy Prestero ( https://www.ted.com/talks/timothy_prestero_design_for_people_not_awards ) (Prestero 2012 ).

For more information on the Embrace infant warmer, see Embrace Global: https://www.embraceglobal.org/ .

See also David Alger’s popular descriptions of the ‘Rules of Improv’ (Parts 1 and 2): https://www.pantheater.com/rules-of-improv.html ; and, ‘How to be a better improvisor’: https://www.pantheater.com/how-to-be-a-better-improvisor.html .

For more information about the Bay of Pigs, visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum at Columbia Point, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Online information can be accessed here: https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-bay-of-pigs .

Bhat, R. 2021. Solving Wicked Problems Is What MBA Programs Need to Prepare the Students For? Business World Education . May 20. Available: http://bweducation.businessworld.in/article/Solving-Wicked-Problems-Is-What-MBA-Programs-Need-To-Prepare-The-Students-For-/20-05-2021-390302/. Accessed 30 August 2022.

Bratton, J., et al. 2010. Work and Organizational Behaviour , 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Book   Google Scholar  

Buzan, T. 1974. Use Your Head . London: BBC Active.

Google Scholar  

Cohen, A.K., and J.R. Cromwell. 2021. How to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic with More Creativity and Innovation. Population Health Management 24 (2): 153–155.

Article   Google Scholar  

Cunningham, E., B. Smyth, and D. Greene. 2021. Collaboration in the Time of COVID: A Scientometric Analysis of Multidisciplinary SARSCoV-2 Research. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications. 8 (240): 1–8.

Cunningham, S. 2021. Sitting with Difficult Things: Meaningful Action in Contested Times. Griffith Review 71 (February): 124–133.

De Bono, E. 1985. Six Thinking Hats . Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

Dutta, K. 2018. Solving Wicked Problems: Searching for the Critical Cognitive Trait. The International Journal of Management Education 16 (3): 493–503.

Elia, G., and A. Margherita. 2018. Can we Solve Wicked Problems? A Conceptual Framework and a Collective Intelligence System to Support Problem Analysis and Solution Design for Complex Social Issues. Technological Forecasting & Social Change 133: 279–286.

Engler, J.O., D.J. Abson, and H. von Wehrden. 2021. The Coronavirus Pandemic as an Analogy for Future Sustainability. Sustainability Science 16: 317–319.

Grivas, C., and G. Puccio. 2012. The Innovative Team: Unleashing Creative Potential for Breakthrough Results . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Holmes, K. 2021. Generation Covid: Crafting History and Collective Memory. Griffith Review 71 (February): 79–88.

Kapoor, H., and J.C. Kaufman. 2020. Meaning-Making Through Creativity During COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology 18 (December): 1–8.

Kelley, T. 2001. The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm . New York, NY: Random House.

Kite-Powell, J. 2014. Simple Tech Creates Infant-Warmer to Save Lives in Developing Countries. Forbes , 29 January. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2014/01/29/simple-tech-creates-infant-warmer-to-save-lives-in-developing-countries/?sh=df540aa758c1. Accessed 31 August 2022.

May, M. 2009. In Pursuit of Elegance . NY: Broadway Books.

McShane, S., M. Olekalns, and T. Travaglione. 2010. Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim , 3rd ed. Sydney: McGraw Hill.

Osborn, A. 1953. Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Thinking . New York: Scribners.

Osborn, A. 1957. Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Thinking , 10th ed. New York: Scribners.

Page, S.E. 2007. The Difference: How the power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Page, S.E. 2011. Diversity and Complexity . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Page, S.E. 2012. The Hidden Factor: Why Thinking Differently Is Your Greatest Asset . Chantilly, Virginia: The Great Courses.

Payne, M. 2014. How to Kill a Unicorn: How the World’s Hottest Innovation Factory Builds Bold Ideas That Make It to Market . New York: Crown Business.

Potter, A., M. McClure, and K. Sellers. 2010. Mass Collaboration Problem Solving: A New Approach to Wicked Problems. Proceedings of 2010 International Symposium on Collaborative Technologies and Systems . IEEE Explore, Chicago, Illinois. May 17–21: 398–407.

Prestero, T. 2012. Design for People, Not Awards. TEDxBoston . Available: https://www.ted.com/speakers/timothy_prestero. Accessed 30 August 2022.

Proctor, T. 2013. Creative Problem Solving for Managers: Developing Skills for Decision Making and Managers , 4th ed. New York: Routledge.

Puccio, G.J. 2012. Creativity Rising: Creative Thinking and Creative Problem Solving in the 21st Century . Buffalo, NY: ICSC Press.

Rittel, H.W.J., and M.M. Webber. 1973. Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning. Policy Sciences 4 (2), June: 155–169.

Roberto, M. 2009. The Art of Critical Decision Making: The Great Courses. Chantilly, Virginia: The Teaching Company.

Roy, A. 2020. Arundhati Roy: “The Pandemic is a Portal”. Financial Times , April 4. Available: https://www.ft.com/content/10d8f5e8-74eb-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca . Accessed 28 February 2022.

Ruggiero, V.R. 2009. The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought , 9th ed. New York: Longman.

Sawyer, K. 2007. Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration . New York: Basic Books.

Schuelke-Leech, B. 2021. A Problem Taxonomy for Engineering. IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society 2 (2), June: 105.

Stellar, D. 2010. The PlayPump: What Went Wrong? State of the Planet, Columbia Climate School. Columbia University. Available: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2010/07/01/the-playpump-what-went-wrong/. Accessed 30 August 2022.

Surowiecki, J. 2004. The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Businesses, Economies, Societies and Nations . New York: Anchor Books.

Sweet, C., H. Blythe, and R. Carpenter. 2021. Creativity in the Time of COVID-19: Three Principles. The National Teaching and Learning Forum. 30 (5): 6–8.

Taibbi, R. 2011. The Tao of Improv: 5 Rules for Improvising Your Life. Psychology Today , 25 January. Available: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fixing-families/201101/the-tao-improv-5-rules-improvising-your-life. Accessed 1 September 2022.

Walton, M. 2010. Playpump is Not a Panacea for Africa’s Water Problems. Circle of Blue , July 24. Available: http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/playpump-not-a-panacea-for-africas-water-problems/. Accessed 30 August 2022.

World Health Organization (WHO). 2022. Child Mortality (Under 5 Years). Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/levels-and-trends-in-child-under-5-mortality-in-2020. Accessed 28 February 2022.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Humanities and Social Sciences, Sheridan Institute of Higher Education, Perth, WA, Australia

Terence Lee

Media and Communication, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia

Lauren O’Mahony

Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Terence Lee .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Lee, T., O’Mahony, L., Lebeck, P. (2023). Creative Problem-Solving. In: Creativity and Innovation. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8880-6_5

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8880-6_5

Published : 29 January 2023

Publisher Name : Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-19-8879-0

Online ISBN : 978-981-19-8880-6

eBook Packages : Business and Management Business and Management (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

The Five Stages of the Creative Process

James Taylor

In this video I'm going to talk to you about the five classic steps, or stages, of creativity . In subsequent videos I'm going to go in depth into each of these and show you how you can improve your creativity in each of these different steps or stages.

So the first thing I would say with this, is that these steps or stages, are iterative (they are not necessarily in a linear fashion). So sometimes you'll go back and forth between each of these different stages. So having said that let's go into the first part.

1. PREPARATION

The first stage is the idea of PREPARATION , the idea that you are immersing yourself in the domain. If you area musician you are absorbing a lot of the music that is inspiring you to create this new piece. If you're a writer you are reading other writers in this area. If you are an artist you are looking at other artist's work in the area that you are looking at creating something in. If you are a scientist you are looking at all the background research. And if you are an entrepreneur or marketer you are looking at all the previous market research and what other companies have done before.

So this stage is normally best carried out in a quiet environment. It's really this stage that you are trying to absorb as much information as possible because this information will go into your sub-consciousness where it is very important for the second stage, or second level.

2. INCUBATION

The second stage is what we call the INCUBATION stage. In incubation this is when all the information that you have gathered in the PREPARATION stage really goes back. It starts to churn in the back of your mind, in the sub-consciousness. This is an extremely important stage because sometimes it can takes days, or weeks, or months or sometimes even years. That idea that you'll think about writing about a book or piece of music, and you're writing about it and you just leave it to the side for a while and then you come back to it. Now the interesting thing about the incubation stages it that to a certain extent it is not really under your control how long that stage will take. It is something you cannot really rush because what it leads to is the third stage.

The third stage is what most of the public think is a classic signal or sign of a creative person, what is called the INSIGHT stage or the insight step. With insight it is really the idea of the 'Aha' moment, the 'Eureka' moment. Although it is probably the smallest part of the five steps, it is possible one of the most important parts. On one of my subsequent videos I'll take you more into how to increase your chances of having those 'Aha' moments, those insights. A quick thing I would say here is that they most often happen when you are doing some kind of low-level physical activity; going for a shower, driving a car, having a walk. This is because your subconsciousness in the previous stages is bubbling away and this insight stage really allows the mind to work on something else. And then bring these ideas to the forefront of your mind. So that's the third stage, the insight's stage. And now we go on to the fourth stage.

4. EVALUATION

The fourth stage is this idea of EVALUATION . This is something I have a problem with. I think it is an area that a lot of creative people struggle with because often you have so many ideas and you have a limited amount of time. So the evaluation stage is important because this is where it requires self-criticism and reflection. It is asking yourself questions like:

"Is this a novel or new idea or is it one that is just re-hashed and has been done before?"

It's the idea of going out to a small group of trusted friends and saying:

"I've had this idea, what do you think about this?"

It is very important part because we only have a limited amount of time to do certain things. Often you find that people who are called the most 'creative people' are often very good at this stage, the evaluation stage. They have all these ideas but they can use self-criticism and reflection to say "these are the ones that have the most merit and that I'm going to work on".

5. ELABORATION

And then we have the final stage. This is called ELABORATION . This is where Edison said that it's "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration". Now the elaboration stage is the 99% perspiration stage. This is where you are actually doing the work. So many people out there think that the creative process is that insight, that 'Aha' moment, or the the preparation part. But really a creative individual isn't complete, and I don't think they can do anything that really lasts, unless they can go through that and actually put in the hard work. The elaboration; testing the idea, working on the idea, those late nights in the studio, working at your desk, those hours in the labratory if you are scientist, those days testing and micro-testing products. This is the elaboration stage.

So to recap we have The Five Stages of Creativity:

1. Preparation

2. Incubation

4. Evaluation

5. Elaboration

In the subsequent videos I'll take you through each of these and show you how you can be better at each of these different stages.

Popular Posts

Sir david omand, author of how spies think – 10 lessons in critical thinking #338.

Explore key insights on intelligence and decision-making from Professor Sir David Omand’s book, focusing on critical thinking and creativity.

Meilleur conférencier principal en teambuilding

Les conférences virtuelles et les sommets peuvent être des moyens très efficaces pour inspirer, informer

Meilleur conférencier principal sur le bien-être

Les conférences sur le bien-être et la santé mentale sont essentielles pour promouvoir un environnement

Meilleur conférencier principal en communication

Les conférences virtuelles, les réunions et les sommets peuvent être un moyen très efficace d’inspirer,

Meilleur Conférencier en Stratégie

Les conférenciers en stratégie jouent un rôle crucial dans l’inspiration et la motivation des entreprises

Meilleur Conférencier Culturel

En tant que conférencier de keynote sur la culture, il est essentiel d’avoir un partenaire

James is a top motivational keynote speaker who is booked as a creativity and innovation keynote speaker, AI speaker , sustainability speaker and leadership speaker . Recent destinations include: Dubai , Abu Dhabi , Orlando , Las Vegas , keynote speaker London , Barcelona , Bangkok , Miami , Berlin , Riyadh , New York , Zurich , motivational speaker Paris , Singapore and San Francisco

Latest News

• 415.800.3059
• [email protected]
• Media Interviews
• Meeting Planners
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

© 2024 James Taylor DBA P3 Music Ltd.

• Art and Psychology

Graham Wallas and the Four Stages of the Creative Process