Stimulating Engineers' Creativity

In Stimulating Engineers' Creativity, you'll learn ...

• Techniques to develop and foster creative energies and focus imagination to achieve innovative results
• Time-tested approaches to finding novel solutions or helping with the technical investigations that breed different thinking
• Methods to achieve a more creative work environment
• Established techniques for delivering out-of-the box technical solutions

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 4 PDH

Length: 78 pages

Many people understand the terms “engineering” and “creativity” as a dichotomy in spite of the fact that we are all surrounded by outstanding examples of engineering creativity. Creative geniuses like Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and many others are examples of creative minds who dared to challenge their contemporaneous constraints.

While Engineering training curriculum is often loaded with basic technical skills that provide students with the tools needed to successfully solve a set of pre-determined or already defined problems, accomplished engineers confirm that the set of technical skills learned during the school years, while very important, is not sufficient to ensure a successful engineering career. Other extra-curricular skills are also needed, such as presentation skills, communication skills, selling skills, etc. Among those, technical creativity should be given a priority.

This course introduces a few techniques that allow individuals with a technical background to develop and foster their creative energies and to focus their imagination to achieve innovative results. The creative process is approached from a number of directions, each being supported by time-tested techniques for finding novel solutions or helping with the technical investigations that breed different thinking (Context Map, Triz, Six Thinking Hats, Brainstorming, Reverse Planning, Grid methods, etc.).

Creativity can rarely be imposed, mandated or demanded, but it can always be facilitated, stimulated and encouraged. The material will focus on ways to achieve a more creative work environment and will provide a few established methods that can deliver out-of-the box technical solutions. Illustrative examples on how to apply those techniques are also provided. Properly applying those methods can only lead to increased inventiveness, better products and market differentiation, and finally more highly satisfied customers.

This course will help junior and senior Engineers, Engineering Managers, Project Managers and any other technical personnel to increase their creative contribution to the projects with out-of-the box, yet practically feasible solutions.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the stages of creativity and how the solution-finding process typically develops.
• Describe characteristics of a work environment that is conducive to creativity and stimulates technical imagination.
• Apply the Context Map method to understand the constraints of a problem.
• Use the Problem Statement method to define a technical problem accurately.
• Explain how brainstorming can enable experts from various disciplines to generate innovative solutions.
• Apply the TRIZ method of inventive problem-solving.
• Use the How-How diagram to guide an analyst along the solution-finding path.
• Apply the Pugh methods, or grid methods, to evaluate candidate solutions and select the best one.
• Use the Kipling method to identify the best solution from a pool of candidate solutions.
• Apply the Six Thinking Hats technique to evaluate solutions from multiple perspectives and propose alternatives.
• Use the Head, Heart, and Hands method to gain buy-in and implement a novel solution.
• Explain the basics of the Reverse Planning method for finding a novel solution.
• Describe the Force Field Analysis method for evaluating unclear needs and specifications, fuzzy states, and situations with incomplete information.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 20 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.