A little history Walt Disney Animator, writer, voice actor and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. BUT he was also a father…. Spent days with his children at Los Angeles area amusements…usually on the bench. “Why would you want to “my park will not be be in that business”? anything like those”! “Amusement parks are dirty, unsafe, and the people who work there are nasty” Years before Disneyland opened, Walt Early Concept Drawing Disney and his staff considered building an amusement enterprise right across the street from their Burbank studio. Drawn from Disney Studio Original “Imagineers” professionals Herb Ryman painted many of the conceptual illustrations of the park to be built in Anaheim. “There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward— opening up new doors and doing new things—because we’re curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We’re always exploring and experimenting. At WED, we call it Imagineering—the blending of creative imagination with technical know-how.” -Walt Disney Imagineering The Process How it is used to design and build attractions (and so much more) Share a story about Imagineering and CM/ECF Apply a lesson to a current court challenge The importance of story to the Imagineers doesn’t mean that every attraction tells a story; instead, it suggests that every attraction is based upon a story. Also, an attraction’s story is not always (or even often) and fleshed- out narrative (as in having plot, characters, with a beginning, middle, and end, etc.). Sometimes the story behind an attraction is better described as a theme or concept than what we often think of when we think of the word story. Creative Intent Creative intent defines the experience the designer hope to accomplish and create for the audience. It is also one factor in evaluating whether an attraction was successful…did it achieve its creative intent. Brainstorming Brainstorming isn’t just about generating lots of ideas. It’s also about identifying potential ideas, and grouping together similar ideas, and growing them. Every idea gets written down! Rule 1: There’s no such thing as a bad idea. We never know how one idea (however far-fetched) might lead into another one that is exactly right. Rule 2: We don’t talk yet about why not. There will be plenty of time for realities later, so we don’t want them to get in the way of the good ideas now. Rule 3: Nothing should stifle the flow of ideas. No buts or can’ts or other “stopping” words. We want to hear words such as “and”, “or”, and “what if?” Rule 4: There’s no such thing as a bad idea. (We take that one very seriously.) Brainstorming Spread the word among the people who will participate in the brainstorming session(s) about the subject matter and the need to be addressed. It’s like the pre-show introducing the audience to an attraction. Launch a rumor. Get the word out, to everyone. Notify all participants of the “target topic” in advance. Giving introverts time to start thinking won’t hurt extroverts a bit. Distribute The 7 Agreements of Brainstorming for everyone to bone up on brainstorming. “Target Topic.” Write the project topic at the top of a big blank pad and clarify the project. Every subsequent sheet should have a title at the top, target topic, subtopic … No boundaries brain bouncing. From time to time, convene a session to see what you might dream up on ANY topic. This also maintains the spirit of your organization being “open to new ideas” on anything. Brainstorming We don’t talk yet about why not. There will be plenty of time for realities later, so we don’t want them to get in the way of the good ideas now. Don’t mix or combine creative thinking with critical thinking. Start with creative thinking. There will be time for critical thinking later! Creative Thinking is always a distinctly different and separate activity from Critical Thinking.Separate Creative Thinking as a stand-alone activity from Critical Thinking (Agreement No. 7). Start with inventing, creating, and imagining a big pile of ideas. Say everything that comes to mind. Hold nothing Creative Thinking is messy, loud, playful, chaotic, non-linear, fun, back. Write it all down and post everything around the exhausting, and highly productive. (The hidden secret of a good room for everyone to see. brainstorming session is that it is also a great team-building activity.) Learn not to care whether any idea will work, make sense, or is affordable— for now. Three words—It all boils down to: Think. Say. Write. around the room for everyone to see. No commentary, no analysis, critique, or decision- making—Critical Thinking comes later. It is a separate, different process from creating. Brainstorming Remember Second City last year? Well like the rules of improvisation, use “Yes, and…” to help build upon the ideas” It a great method for building on each others ideas. “Yes, and …” keeps the creative process moving forward. It is virtually impossible to be negative, critical, disagreeable, or argumentative when you begin each comment with “Yes, and ...” Without these two words, we risk grinding to a halt. At this stage, the project suffers. Productivity bogs down, stops. You say, “Yes,” meaning, “I hear all that idea … AND how about this too?” Learn not to care (about cost or feasibility of any idea). Think up. Speak up. Write it down. Get it up on the wall. PLAY! Do not be afraid to be loud, wacky, nonlinear, messy. Add to anything that is offered. Build upon every idea. Develop a propensity for the improbable. All ideas are accepted Maintain a free flow of ideas. Don’t stop to “figure it during Creative Thinking. out.” No technical or financial details are needed. Don’t analyze. Brainstorming Blocking adds nothing. It creates nothing. It slows down everything and runs the risk of depleting spirits and diminishing enthusiasm. Everyone on the team needs the wit, wisdom, and creativity of everyone else. We inspire and expand on each other’s ideas. Torturing every idea with incessant evaluation, analysis, and appraisal damages the process. Blocking reduces and eliminates active participation. At the heart of brainstorming is full participation by The only BAD IDEAS are the unexpressed, unshared ideas we keep every member of the team. in our heads. NO BLOCKING anything or anyone during Creative Thinking. Anyone can call “blocking” on anyone, at anytime. Every person and every idea is accepted. (Silly Blocking often occurs in your own head. Stop it. Wimping is blocking ideas and stupid questions are encouraged.) No disguised as concern. Devil’s Advocates need not apply. evaluating, analyzing, criticizing, deciding, testing, feasibility studies, or budgeting— yet. OPTION: Blocking costs one dollar per block, or equivalent. Denying that you’re blocking is also blocking. Add one dollar. Brainstorming Even when you think you can’t, come up with even more ideas. Set outrageous goals to keep things moving: Fifty ideas on an aspect of the session. (Play with set time limits: five or seven minutes per exercise. Shorter is best.) Work quickly. The initial goal during Creative Thinking is quantity: MORE! Take a breath, a bite, a walk, refresh your mind, go outside. Field Trip ideas to jump-start Snacks. Film Watch a short, silly movie during snack Story Time The Last Five Minutes. When you think you have thought of, said, Do a dramatic reading from your employee manual or and written down everything you can possibly imagine—and you the menu of a favorite eatery. are ready to give up—each team member gives three to five more ideas. You are beyond figuring it out. You no longer care Just a five-minute “Silly Break.” The Silly Game®: “The about the quality of your ideas (or success). silliest thing I can think of for this project is …” Go around the room three times. At the end decide who You just need to say five things … MORE. had the silliest thought,. Award a prize. Brainstorming The wilder the better. Even the seemingly craziest ideas are worth pursuing, because even if they don’t end up being used on their own, they can lead to other ideas. Remember There’s no such thing as a bad idea. (Disney takes that one very seriously.) Anything goes. Whatever comes to your mind, SAY IT. (Don’t you BLOCK you.) WILD ideas are a vital ingredient to successful brainstorming (and vital to successful marketing, sales, new product development, corporate identity redesign, dynamic office décor, inspiring leadership …) If you had unlimited RESOURCES (including budget), then what? WILD ideas are expensive, impossible, and embarrassing to say out loud—at first. Newsletter of the Future®—imagine twenty years hence, what will your organization be doing? “How?” and “How Much?” can not be a part of the Creative Thinking process. (If someone offers an idea and no one can imagine how it could be done, head that way!) Brainstorming This is Focused, purposeful, and intentional thinking Our technique GRAB, GROUP and GROW GRAB—Select a specific topic, from your thousands of ideas, to re-focus and focus your Creative Thinking on GROUP—Assemble all existing ideas (from your lists) that fit this new target topic and group them under the new header.