What is it?

• A suite of 5 tools that guide participants through a structured creative problem solving process.
• It helps groups generate breakthrough ideas, expand them, select the best, and test feasibility.

Why is it useful?

• Stimulates breakthrough thinking and creativity.
• Helps people postpone judgment and move beyond obvious ideas.
• Provides systematic tools to expand, select, and test solutions.
• Builds confidence that the best ideas are chosen, not just the most popular.

Objectives

• Generate a list of highly creative ideas for a shared challenge.
• Systematically select the best ideas and test feasibility.
• Strengthen creative thinking skills within the team.

When would you use it?

• When you want breakthrough ideas or the “next big thing.”
• When you need participants to suspend judgment and explore alternatives.
• When you want to inject energy, fun, and creativity into problem solving.

Four stages of creative problem solving

1. Idea generation
2. Idea expansion
3. Idea selection
4. Idea feasibility

Always start with ABC Avalanche. Then choose 1–2 expansion tools, before moving into selection and feasibility.

Process

Idea generation

ABC Avalanche

Generate at least 26 ideas by using the alphabet as a structure.

1. Write down the central question.
2. Write the alphabet in two columns.
3. Generate many ideas, sorted by first letter.
4. Aim to complete the alphabet.

Because participants focus on quantity, they suspend judgment and move past the obvious ideas.

Idea expansion

Breaking Assumptions

Challenge ingrained patterns or assumptions.

1. List 5 assumptions about the challenge or ideas so far.
2. Flip each assumption to its opposite.
3. Brainstorm new solutions from these opposite views.
4. Add them to your idea list.

Association Flower

Use associations to spark fresh thinking.

1. Write a keyword in the centre of a page.
2. Add four associations around it.
3. For each, create a chain of five further associations.
4. Force connections back to the challenge.
5. Generate new ideas and expand the list.

Visual Connections

Use images to stimulate new access points.

1. Look at a picture, object, or magazine page.
2. Note impressions, reactions, and observations.
3. Connect these back to the challenge.
4. Repeat with several visuals.

SCAMPER

Use Osborn’s classic checklist of creative prompts:

• Substitute
• Combine
• Adapt
• Maximise
• Minimise
• Put to other uses
• Eliminate
• Reverse

Encourage participants to use whichever prompts spark useful new ideas.

Analogy with Nature (Biomimicry)

Draw inspiration from the natural world.

1. List several animals.
2. Pick one unusual animal.
3. List 10 characteristics that make it unique.
4. Use each trait as inspiration for new ideas.
5. Force-fit back to the challenge.

Idea selection

COCD Box

Prioritise the long list into a smaller shortlist.

1. If you have 5–15 ideas: each person picks 1–3 favourites.
2. If you have 15–40 ideas: identify 5 sparkling ideas per person, then use dot voting to narrow to a top 5.
3. If >40 ideas: use the COCD box (Blue = feasible, Yellow = innovative, Red = breakthrough). Narrow to a top 5 in each colour.

Idea feasibility

Concepting

Enrich and bundle related ideas.

1. Take a shortlisted idea.
2. Add supporting or related ideas from the master list.
3. Combine to strengthen the concept.
4. Give each enriched idea a title.

PPCO (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns, Overcomes)

Test feasibility positively.

1. Pluses: Why should we do this?
2. Potentials: What extra benefits could it bring?
3. Concerns: What problems or barriers might we face?
4. Overcomes: How could we address these concerns?

This approach leaves the group in a positive, realistic position with stronger ideas.

Secret Sauce

• Push beyond the first obvious ideas.
• Focus on quantity first – judgment comes later.
• Use at least two expansion tools before selecting.
• Aim for a balance of feasible (blue), innovative (yellow), and breakthrough (red) ideas.
• Record the narrative of decisions to explain later why ideas were prioritised.