FACILITATING

CREATIVE
THINKING

Lindsay M Deisher
DMGT 732
Winter 2014 e-learning

Facilitating Creative Thinking 1

Contents

OVERVIEW

WARM-UP

ANALYSIS

Project overview
3
Expected outcomes
3
Location 3
About the group
4

Overview 11
Progress and results
12
Takeaways 13

Workshop analysis

APPENDIX
VISUAL STORYTELLING

PROJECT PLAN
Defining the problem
6
Warm-up activity
7
Visual storytelling activity
8
Wrap-up 10

21

Overview 15
Progress and results
16
Takeaways 17

Video documentation
23
Informed consent form
24
Feedback form 27
Detailed design
31
References 33

http://livingincourageonline.com/courage/debras-articles/ninteen-life-lessons-can-learn-rom-dog/

Facilitating Creative Thinking 2

Overview

PROJECT GOAL

LOCATION

The goal of this project is to facilitate two activities for

non-designers that will require lateral thinking in order to
help group participants solve a local problem. In the end,
participants should have a new confidence in their ability to
think creatively, as well as some promising solutions to the
problem at hand.

The location for creative thinking exercises is extremely

important. The environment needs to be conducive to the
dynamics of the group including the number of people,
proximity to the participants, and the type of exercise. For
these reasons, the selected location for this project is the
Claymont Community Library.

EXPECTED OUTCOME

Located adjacent to the Darley Green Community, the

library presents an open and inviting environment for the
group. There are private conference rooms that can be
reserved by members of the library and this is where the
warm-up and visual storytelling exercises will be conducted.

Each part of this process has a similar goalto help people

think creatively. The warm-up activity is an opportunity for
the participants to gain confidence in their skills and to build
a trusting environment. During the visual storytelling exercise,
participants will learn about creativity they never knew they
had. Each person will feel rewarded in the work theyve
done and the creative solutions theyve come up with.
The overall goal of this exercise is not to implement and
solve the proposed problemit is simply to employ lateral
thinking to identify creative solutions to the problem.

www.DelawareToday.com

Facilitating Creative Thinking 3

Overview

ABOUT THE GROUP

KRIS BIZZARI

JANETTE MADISON

Darley Green is a residential community that sits on 67

acres in the heart of the Claymont Delaware Renaissance
District. Centrally located between Wilmington (DE) and
Philadelphia (PA), this prime location attracts a diverse
collection of people. After breaking ground a few years ago,
the new construction development has grown to include
town homes, condominiums, and even the township library.
The community is truly becoming a pillar within Claymont
which provides me with a meaningful and flexible group to
work with.

Business owner
Age: 25-30
Dog owner

Teacher
Age: 35-40
Dog owner

LENORE HACKENYOS

NATE BERGUM

DE Air National Guard

Age: 40-45
Non-dog owner

Financial analyst
Age: 25-30
Non-dog owner

SCOTT DEISHER

ANTHONY RIZZI

Civil engineer
Age: 25-30
Non-dog owner

Police officer
Age: 45-50
Non-dog owner

Given the diversity of the community, the participants have

been strategically selected to encompass a broad range of
perspectivesincluding residents and non-residents, dogowners and non-dog-owners.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 4

PROJECT PLAN

Facilitating Creative Thinking 5

Defining the problem

OVERVIEW
Over the past few years, the community has really become
a close-knit family. Neighbors are frequently discussing
ways to improve the community and address issues that
come up. Currently, there is one persistent problem that
we havent been able to crackdog poo. Many members
of the community are animal lovers. I think we all would
agree that its great to see a community so full of life and
energyincluding children, teenagers, adults, and pets.
The undesired consequence of having a community full of
animal-lovers is the waste it can leave behind. Not only is it
gross and inconvenient, but it can also pose serious health
hazards. Children and other pets in the area can contract
a series of parasites and diseases. More broadly, rain and
precipitation can cause fecal matter to enter into the water
supply and increase the spread of disease. While it may
be a gross (and highly stinky) problem, its one that the
neighborhood feels strongly about combating.

iStock PhotoiStock_000017926501Small.jpg

Approximately 78.2 million dogs currently live in the United

States which amounts to over 10 million tons of waste per year.
www.DoodyCalls.com

Facilitating Creative Thinking 6

Warm-up activityCollaborative portraits

OVERVIEW
This warm-up activity is one that has been tried and
tested in a variety of environmentswith both creative
and non-creative professionals. The short activity provides
participants an opportunity to get their minds moving and
pencils working while they loosen their creative abilities.
This game has no connection to the problem theyll be
addressing during the storytelling exercise, but it will
help participants get to know each other and get more
comfortable.
KEY IDEA
This exercise involves sketching, writing, and interacting
with peers in the group. Participants write their name on a
piece of paper and continue to pass it around to others for
them to add to their portrait.

ACTIVITY PLAN
STEP

TIME

FACILITATOR INSTRUCTIONS

1. Your name

3 min

Write your name on your piece of paper.

2. Exchange papers

1 min

Pass your paper to the person sitting to the left of you.

3. Draw a portrait

3 min

Begin drawing a portrait of the person to your right (whos name is written on the
paper you have).

4. Exchange papers

1 min

Pass your paper to the person sitting to the left of you.

5. Finish the portrait

3 min

Continue the portrait that was started by the person before you. Feel free to include
words, symbols, or anything else you want.

6. Exchange papers

1 min

Return the paper to its owner (the person whos name is written on the paper you
have).

7. Share and discuss

3 min

Each person shares their portrait with the group. Tell us one thing that surprises you
about your portrait and one thing you were delighted by.

While some people struggle with this activity at first, it is a

great way for participants to build confidence that theyre
in an open and trusting environment. They learn that the
exercise is not focused on their drawing skills, but on team
building, honest expression, and creativity.

15 MIN TOTAL

RESOURCES
This exercises requires basic sketching tools including:
Paper (1 piece per person)
Drawing utensilsPencils, pens, markers, etc.
Camera to record the activity

http://daxterpieces.blogspot.com/

http://blog.mudstuffing.com/?m=200701

http://www.pinterest.com/
pin/195202965071875995/

Facilitating Creative Thinking 7

Visual storytelling activityWhat, why, and how

OVERVIEW
The visual storytelling activity will help participants identify
potential reasons behind the problem at hand and creative
ways to solve them. Reinforcing lateral thinking principles,
the exercise will encourage quantity over quality to push
participants to think creatively.

ACTIVITY PLAN
STEP

TIME

FACILITATOR INSTRUCTIONS

1. Transition

2 min

Now that youve got your hands and minds warmed up, its time to continue your
creativity. This time, were going to put your creative thinking into solving a problem.

2. Overview

3 min

This exercise is designed to be a creative exploration. As a group, we will be working

to solve a problem that affects all of us. Its something that is a growing concern within
this community and across the globe, but we need to keep a positive and neutral
perspective. I ask you to keep your focus on the problemnot pointing blame, naming
names, or festering on the problem as it stands.

3. What

5 min

Today, the problem you will be focusing on is dog poo. As most of you already know,
there has been an increasing amount of uncleaned pet waste around the community.

4. Why

15 min

First, youre going to explore reasons behind the problem. Why do you think people
dont pick up after their animals? Using the activity guides provided, brainstorm each
reason in a series of why questions. Let this exercise lead you in any direction you
can think of. For example, maybe people dont pick up after their pets because of the
weatherbecause it makes it hard to pick upand its hard to pick up because theres
a foot of snow on the ground and you dont have boots onand you forgot to put
boots on because your dog ate them.

5. Share and discuss

10 min

Each person will share a few of their WHY statements. Which one do you most
closely relate to? Which solution are you most excited by? While each participant is
sharing, all activity guides will be grouped by category and posted around the room.

6. How

15 min

Utilizing the SNOW method (sticky notes on walls), the group will focus on how to
address the various reasons raised in the why portion of the activity. Each participant
will get a pad of sticky notes and the group will get 8 minutes to brainstorm. While
continuously walking around the room, they will write a single how concept on each
sticky note and place it with the appropriate why grouping. Get creative, there are no
wrong answers here and youre not limited by resources, funding, or feasibility.

7. Share and discuss

10 min

Each person will share a few of their HOW ideas. Which of your solutions do you feel
is the most innovative and why?

KEY IDEA
WHATThe first part of the activity is to identify and
define the problem. The facilitator will present the problem
to the group and spend time clarifying the problem if there
are any questions.
WHYNext, each participant will use sticky notes to
explore reasons for why the problem exists. Keeping a
neutral point of view (not including any names or personal
references), they will work independently to brainstorm as
many ideas as possible.
HOWThe final part of the exercise is to use creative
thinking to come up with ideas on how to solve the problem.
Each participant will select one reason from the WHY
exercise to focus on. Again, they will work independently to
brainstorm as many solutions as possible.
RESOURCES
This exercises requires basic sketching tools including:
Stick notes1 set per person
Drawing utensilsPencils, pens, markers, etc.
Camera to record the activity

60 MIN TOTAL

Facilitating Creative Thinking 8

Visual storytelling activityWhat, why, and how

ACTIVITY GUIDE
Instead of each participant using multiple sticky notes, the
activity guide will help them group their ideas for the why
section of the activity. In order to get the participants to think
more creatively, the laddering approach will be employed. By
asking why to the same statement three times, it will push
everyone to extend their thinking.

One reason why

people dont pick up
after their pets is...

Participants will be encouraged to write, sketch, doodle,

or describe their thoughts in any way they desire. Pencils,
markers, crayons, and other creative utensils will be provided.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Sample

Facilitating Creative Thinking 9

Wrap-up

OVERVIEW
A crucial part of the workshop is providing participants with
a sense of closure. While the scope of the workshop doesnt
continue into implementation, its important to ensure there
is a sense of value and contribution from each person. The
final closing of the workshop will focus on providing a re-cap
of the activities, a wrap-up that closes the day, and giving the
participants an opportunity to provide feedback.
RESOURCES
This exercises requires:
Feedback forms
Writing utensils
Camera to record the activity (if participants are willing)

ACTIVITY PLAN
STEP

TIME

FACILITATOR INSTRUCTIONS

1. Activity re-cap

2 min

Todays exercises were focused on utilizing your creative thinking to actively

brainstorm solutions to our problem. (Here I will discuss a few fantastic
examples of solution ideas that came from each participant.) Gather key takeaways and discuss next steps. I will gather all of the information and distribute
to the group. We can then share with the HOA and community if everyone
feels comfortable.

2. Wrap-up

1 min

While this activity ends with this workshop, I strongly encourage us to

continue pursuing this topicboth formally and informally. If any of you are
interested in continuing to pursue and implement solutions to the problem,
please reach out to me.

3. Thanks and feedback

7 min

I greatly appreciate your time today! This was a fantastic workshop and I hope
that each one of you learned something new. You now have new tools to take
with you in your work and personal lifehelping you think creatively. I would
like to get your thoughts and feedback on this workshop. Please use the
provided sheets to share your thoughts, suggestions, and honest feedback with
me. (Provide the opportunity for participants to video record their feedback
in addition to their written feedback.)

10 MIN TOTAL

Facilitating Creative Thinking 10

WARM-UP

Facilitating Creative Thinking 11

Warm-up activityCollaborative portraits

OVERVIEW
As detailed in the project plan, the warm-up activity is designed to be a creative icebreaker
for the group. Each person writes their name on a piece of paper and then the group
continues to exchange papers allowing different people to contribute to a single portrait.
Although the activity involves drawing, the focus is not put on accuracy of the portraits.
The goal of the activity is to get the group comfortable in a creative environment and to
have them interact with each other. It gets their minds working and their pencils moving
preparing them for the visual storytelling activity.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
Participants will build confidence in their creativity.
The group will connect with each other.
The environment will be built as trusting and safe.
The activity will evoke humor and camaraderie through lighthearted drawing.
RATIONALE FOR ACTIVITY SELECTION
First and foremost, the activity was selected to get the group comfortable in a creative
environment. By interacting with each other in a visually creative way, the group could
establish a level of comfort, understanding, and expression.
Its important to note that the selected participants have known each other for years.
The warm-up activity allowed the group to observe new traits about their neighbors and
express their existing knowledge of each others personalities.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 12

Warm-up activityDocumentation

IN PROGRESS

ACTIVITY RESULTS

The group was excited and ready to get started. They knew very little about the contents
of the workshop and they were a bit nervous when drawing was mentioned. After
quickly explaining the first step of the activity, the group got right to work. Within the first
couple minutes, they were starting to relax and even laugh.

The portraits produced by this activity are astonishing. Each one is creative and unique in
its own way. The participants were asked to share what they were surprised by and what
they were delighted by when looking at the portrait the group created of them:

Without much instruction, the group was able to effectively showcase visual and non-visual
attributes of each other. From the clothes they were wearing to their favorite hobbies, the
group exhibited their creativity in a variety of different ways. With a wide range of colored
markers, it was interesting to see most participants gravitate towards regular black or blue
pens. However, the process was not interrupted to remove the pens.

Janette: Im surprised that my eyes are blue...because theyre really brown. But Im delighted
that you included Onyx with me too.
Scott: I love my beard and my hat! And Im surprised that there isnt more color in my
portrait...Im wearing quite a few colors today.

Not that any of us are

artists, but Id say this is a
great bunch of portraits!
Kris Bizzari

Facilitating Creative Thinking 13

Warm-up activitySummary

TAKEAWAYS
Overall, the warm-up activity was successful. It effectively got the group thinking creatively and
allowed them to relax in the workshop environment. It also produced impressive results that
everyone was extremely proud of.
Based on the feedback of the group, the activity was fun and energetic. Unlike many other
icebreakers that are often forced and awkward, this activity provides the group with the
ability to be creative with few limitations. This encouragement for freedom and lateral thinking
contributes greatly to the success of collaborative portraits.
SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS
There are a few general areas where the collaborative portrait exercise can be improved.
Some are dependent on the setting of the workshop while others can be applied
regardless of workshop limitations.
L imit the time, but extend the activityGiven the short duration of the workshop, each
portrait was created as a collaboration of only 2 group members. By reducing the amount
of time each person has to draw (maybe 1 or 2 minutes), the facilitator could increase the
number of people who can contribute to each portrait. This would enhance collaboration
and create even more unique final portraits.
Provide a more broad array of materialsAfter the group members gravitated towards
normal pens, the portraits started to become very monochromatic. By removing all
traditional writing utensils (pens and pencils) and providing a wide range of more creative
utensils (markers, crayons, paints, etc.), it would force the group into an even greater level
of creativity.
Work BIGGiven the appropriate environment, there is a valuable opportunity to
work on large canvases (such as a 24 x 36 flip chart) as opposed to regular letter-sized
paper. The unusual format would be an unexpected element for the group and could be a
refreshing outlet for creativity.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 14

VISUAL
STORYTELLING

Facilitating Creative Thinking 15

Visual storytelling activityWhat, why, how

OVERVIEW
The visual storytelling activity is designed to dissect a problem into three different sections.
First, the facilitator explains the what (the problem theyll be trying to solve) to the
group. There is an opportunity for the group to ask questions regarding the problem at
hand. Next, there is a laddering activity that focuses on the why behind the problem or
the causes and contributors. After categorizing the why exercise into emerging themes,
the group moves onto the how which explores reasons or opportunities for how to
solve the problem at hand.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
Participants will exercise their creative thinking skills.
The group will be inspired by each others ideas.
The problem will be addressed in simple and manageable steps.
The activity will evoke humor and camaraderie.
Confidence will be built through a supportive environment.
Multiple solutions to the problem will emerge from the group.
RATIONALE FOR ACTIVITY SELECTION
The visual storytelling activity was designed to dissect a problem into small, actionable
exercises. People can often become overwhelmed when trying to solve wicked problems, but
the trick is to turn one big problem into several small steps. By walking the group through
the problem, why the problem exists, and how to solve the problem, each participant can
showcase their creative thinking.
By providing the group with deliberately selected toolsincluding the why activity guides
and sticky notesthe participants were forced to work in different ways. The tools provided
and the physical engagement in the how section both contributed to the support of the
creativity in the group.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 16

Visual storytelling activityProcess

IN PROGRESS
Without any hints, the group anxiously guessed the what that we would be focusing
on. One of their firsts guesses was correct and they were excited to put their energy
toward such a relevant problem. The relevant yet humorous problem immediately set an
informal and relaxed mood in the environment. Ready to get started, the group dove into
the why exercise full of creative ideas. Two participants didnt understand the laddering
concept at first, but we walked through it as a group for the first example and then they
were offquietly thinking and writing. Most of the group was excited to share their ideas.
The pride was visible on their faces.
When the group started the how activity, there was seriousness and humor around
the table. Dog poo (as suspected) opens itself to some pretty funny recommendations, but
each one provided value and insight to the discussion.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 17

Visual storytelling activityResults

ACTIVITY RESULTS
After the short activity, the results were truly impressive. The group was able to expand
their thinking to come up with valuable and diverse reasons behind the dog poo problem.
The group naturally started to categorize and organize their why activities which made
the process even more seamless.
For each why statement, there were multiple idea solutions from the group. The ideas
ranged from silly and quirky, to idealistic and futuristic, all the way down to feasible and
realistic. The group was able to think, react, and laugh.
The impressive results of the activity included installing bag holders where neighbors
can recycle their grocery bags, developing a neighborhood watch to keep an eye out for
perpetrators, and designing an extending pooper scooper to avoid walking in the grass or
touching the poo.

This is so entertaining! Not only are we actually making

progress to solve this problem, but were having fun!
Janette Madison

Facilitating Creative Thinking 18

Visual storytelling activitySummary

TAKEAWAYS
In terms of creative thinking, the What, why, how activity was effective at getting
participants to apply their creativity. By breaking down a complex problem into small,
digestible pieces, the participants were able to tackle the presented problem with
enthusiasm and confidence.
Each of the three pieces engaged the group in a different waymoving through various
levels of participation and interaction. Each participant continued to build upon the ideas
presented by their peers and the final product was an impressive bank of creative and
feasible solutions.
SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS
Despite the success of this activity, there is still a lot of potential for further development.
There are several improvements that could be made when conducting this exercise again.
Dig deeper into the howGiven the time constraints of this exercise, the work ended
with high level ideas for how to solve the problem. Many of the ideas presented were valid
and feasible, leaving the participants wanting to expand and deepen them. With another
round of brainstorming, a few of the ideas could be fleshed out into more concrete
concepts that move towards implementation.
Leave more time for discussionAfter each phase of the workshop, the group was given
time to share their work. That being said, the sharing was limited in order to keep the
session on track. At a few points, I had to cut off valuable conversations in the essence of
time. While each group may not be as chatty, the outcome of the workshop had more
opportunity to grow if the group had more time to discuss and react.
Use the wallsMy original plan was to use the walls to hang the activity guides and sticky
notes. The morning of the workshop, I was informed that nothing could be attached to the
walls. Using the table was an acceptable fix to the problem, but I truly feel that seeing the
work hanging on a wall creates a different experience.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 19

ANALYSIS

Facilitating Creative Thinking 20

Workshop analysis

WHAT WORKED?

PEER FEEDBACK

When looking back at the workshop, I am truly impressed and excited about the outcome.
First and foremost, I was able to successfully facilitate the group through a workshop that
tapped into their creativity. As I compiled the process book and video, it was rewarding to
see the ideas, concepts, and suggestions that came from a group of non-designers.

Peer feedback was valuable in guiding the development of my creative thinking workshop.
During our weekly video conferences, the group was honest and critical of the work I had
done. Their feedback thoroughly prepared me for the facilitation of my workshop. Their
comments were often focused around a few key themes:

One of my initial concerns was that the topic was going to elicit personal or negative
feedback from the group. The participants are all opinionated people, but I was delightfully
surprised at their ability to remain professional (yet fun) throughout the workshop. I was
able to successfully support and encourage their energy and silliness away from accusations
and finger-pointing.

Visual storytellingOur group talked a lot about the difference between activities that
employ visual storytelling and those that dont. Many of my past experiences in design are
focused around visuals, but thats not always the case in other professions. By discussing
ideas and concepts for the visual storytelling exercise, I was able to ensure that the activity
design would allow the group to think in a visual way.

Overall, the activities I designed were successful in supporting and stretching the
capabilities of the group. The results showed energy, passion, and engagementwhich
provided me with a great deal of validation in my work.

IdeationPeer feedback was valuable in designing the best possible activity for my selected
problem. My group shared resources, experiences, and inspiration for different types of
specific activities. This feedback was valuable in helping me understand the expansive
landscape of creative thinking activities.

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED?

Aside from the specific recommendations detailed in the warm-up and visual storytelling
activity sections, there is always room for improvement.
From a facilitation perspective, I will continually strive to hone my presentation and
communication skills. Preparation alone will not lead to a successful group activity. There
is an art and science to facilitation. The video recordings from the workshop are a great
resource to observe my facilitation skills. After watching the videos, I have made an action
plan around areas of improvement to work on during my next facilitation opportunity.
From an activity perspective, the execution of my ideas was a great way to test what
worked and what didnt. By continually experimenting with the same basic activities, I
can enhance the details of each exercise. In the warm-up and visual storytelling activities,
I learned a great deal about timing, preparation, and execution which will allow me to
improve them for future use.

Best practicesEach member of my group comes from a different industry in the creative
field. With different experiences in the realm of facilitation, I received valuable feedback
that allowed me to understand various best practices that relate to different activities and
facilitation methods. The diversity in my group allowed me to validate the relevance of my
activity concepts as they relate to peer perceptions.
Great facilitationAside from the workshop activity design, I received feedback from
my group regarding facilitation methods. From introductions and closings to interviews
and feedback, my peers provided me with insight into multiple approaches to facilitation.
By expanding my point of view of facilitation methods, I was able to enhance my overall
facilitation skills through this workshop.
I read you wanted feedback on your two potential storytelling activities. The first one
(What, Why, How) will be effective at helping you discover hidden causes for the
communitys problem. Something I would suggest (should you decide to go with this
option) is to use a technique called Laddering. I believe if you add at least a couple of
more Whys for every Why, you might get at the bottom of the really pressing factors
behind the issue. Laura Busche

Facilitating Creative Thinking 21

APPENDIX

Facilitating Creative Thinking 22

Video documentation

EXPERIENCING THE WORKSHOP

In addition to this process book, documentation has also
been compiled in the form of a video. Briefly walking through
the activities, the video provides deeper insight into the
group, the progress, and the outcomes of the activities.
The video can be viewed at http://youtu.be/scmUT9pqBXs

Facilitating Creative Thinking 23

Informed consent

GAINING PERMISSION
At the beginning of the session, the intent and purpose
of the workshop will be explained by the facilitator.
An informed consent form will be used to document the
participants willingness to be part of the activities.

Informed Consent Form

I voluntarily agree to participate in a workshop performed by a student from Savannah College of Art and Design. I understand that this
workshop is being conducted by Lindsay Deisher, in order to support her coursework for Facilitating Creative Thinking. The purpose of
this event is to use lateral and creative thinking exercises to solve an everyday problem that plagues the Darley Green community.

I understand that the evaluation methods which may involve me include:

1. the recorded (audio and/or video) observations of me and my work
2. photographs of me and my work and general workshop participation
3. my completion of an evaluation questionnaire(s)

I grant permission for the workshop to be recorded and transcribed, and to be used only by Lindsay Deisher for analysis. I grant
permission for the evaluation data generated from the above methods to be used in an educational setting.

__________________________________

___________________________________

_________________

Name

Signature

Date

Informed Consent Form

I voluntarily agree to participate in a workshop performed by a student from Savannah College of Art and Design. I understand that this
workshop is being conducted by Lindsay Deisher, in order to support her coursework for Facilitating Creative Thinking. The purpose of
this event is to use lateral and creative thinking exercises to solve an everyday problem that plagues the Darley Green community.

I understand that the evaluation methods which may involve me include:

1. the recorded (audio and/or video) observations of me and my work
2. photographs of me and my work and general workshop participation
3. my completion of an evaluation questionnaire(s)

I grant permission for the workshop to be recorded and transcribed, and to be used only by Lindsay Deisher for analysis. I grant
permission for the evaluation data generated from the above methods to be used in an educational setting.

__________________________________

___________________________________

_________________

Name

Signature

Date

Facilitating Creative Thinking 24

Feedback form

COLLECTING FEEDBACK
The feedback form will provide participants the opportunity
to share their honest thoughts about the workshop.
The format will be a combination of multiple choice and
open-ended questions to gauge the overall effectiveness
and success of the workshop.

Creative thinking workshop

Saturday, February 15th Facilitated by Lindsay M Deisher

Name ____________________________

This workshop was:

Well organized

Disorganized

Engaging

Boring

Useful

Not useful

Well-explained

Confusing

My favorite part of the workshop was ____________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

My least favorite part of the workshop was ________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

This workshop taught me ______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Facilitating Creative Thinking 25

Participant feedback

COLLECTING FEEDBACK

KRIS BIZZARI

Due to inclement weather, the workshop location

opened late which eliminated the facilitator preparation
time. This time constraint pushed the workshop back
and did not leave time for feedback during the workshop.
Each participant agreed to provide feedback virtually
within one week of the workshop. The designed form
was distributed via email and the submitted feedback
was aggregated into a single document.

This workshop was:

Well organized
Engaging
Useful
Well-explained

1 2 3 4 5 Disorganized
1 2 3 4 5 Boring
1 2 3 4 5 Not useful
1 2 3 4 5 Confusing

My favorite part of the workshop was: DOG POOP! I was worried the workshop was going to be
formal and boring. While we accomplished great results, the topic was fun and laid back. I think it
helped everyone feel comfortable and relaxed. You just cant take dog poop too seriously!
My least favorite part of the workshop was: Sharing. I completely understand why we each had to
share our work during each different part of the workshop, but it still makes me nervous. Im always
worried that my stuff isnt good enough.
This workshop taught me: That we can come up with some great solutions to any problem! I was truly
excited and shocked by the great ideas that we came up with.

JANETTE MADISON
This workshop was:
Well organized
Engaging
Useful
Well-explained

1 2 3 4 5 Disorganized
1 2 3 4 5 Boring
1 2 3 4 5 Not useful
1 2 3 4 5 Confusing

My favorite part of the workshop was: Getting to know my neighbors. These are people that Ive lived
near for years now, but Ive never worked with them on this level. Not only did we get to solve a
problem, but I also got to build deeper relationships.
My least favorite part of the workshop was: Nothing really. The workshop was fun, engaging, and
extremely useful. I cant wait to see if we can get some of these solutions into practice!
This workshop taught me: That Im more creative than I thought! Im a math teacher...not the most
creative job in the world. But Lindsay was able to extract some great creativity from me and the
group. Pretty impressive for a 90-minute workshop!
Facilitating Creative Thinking 26

Participant feedback

LENORE HACKENYOS
This workshop was:
Well organized
Engaging
Useful
Well-explained

1 2 3 4 5 Disorganized
1 2 3 4 5 Boring
1 2 3 4 5 Not useful
1 2 3 4 5 Confusing

My favorite part of the workshop was: The warm-up activity. I dont consider myself a very good artist,
but I had such a fun time working on the portraits.
My least favorite part of the workshop was: Being recorded. I know its just for educational purposes
and no one will really see the video, but it always makes me self conscious when Im on camera.
This workshop taught me: That my neighbors are really creative! For the short time we worked
together, we were able to come up with some great ideas. I really hope we can put some of them
into practice.

NATE BERGUM
This workshop was:
Well organized
Engaging
Useful
Well-explained

1 2 3 4 5 Disorganized
1 2 3 4 5 Boring
1 2 3 4 5 Not useful
1 2 3 4 5 Confusing

My favorite part of the workshop was: The post-it exercise was lots of fun. The topic wasnt too formal,
so we really let loose and had fun with the brainstorming.
My least favorite part of the workshop was: Nothing really...it was short, sweet, and fun.
This workshop taught me: That there are quite a few realistic ways we can solve our dog poop
problem. I plan on working with Lindsay to get some of our ideas into action.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 27

Participant feedback

SCOTT DEISHER
This workshop was:
Well organized
Engaging
Useful
Well-explained

1 2 3 4 5 Disorganized
1 2 3 4 5 Boring
1 2 3 4 5 Not useful
1 2 3 4 5 Confusing

My favorite part of the workshop was: Getting the chance to be creative. It was a great break to do
a fun workshop like this.
My least favorite part of the workshop was: The time limit. Since there was a group in the room
after ours, the end of the workshop felt a bit rushed. We were just getting going and I wanted to keep
talking about it.
This workshop taught me: That you can use creative activities to solve all kinds of problems. Ill be
working with Lindsay more to learn how I can use some of these techniques in my daily job.

ANTHONY RIZZI
This workshop was:
Well organized
Engaging
Useful
Well-explained

1 2 3 4 5 Disorganized
1 2 3 4 5 Boring
1 2 3 4 5 Not useful
1 2 3 4 5 Confusing

My favorite part of the workshop was: Post-its and markers! Im such a little kid at heart. Being a police
officer doesnt often give me a chance to write and sketch like this.
My least favorite part of the workshop was: I didnt have a least favorite part. Lindsay did a great job
walking us through the activities.
This workshop taught me: I learned that simple techniques can be applied to help solve any problem.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 28

Detailed design

DMGT 732 Facilitating Creative Thinking

Detail design for workshop activities

PROBLEM STATEMENT

THE GROUP

Over the past few years, the community has really become a close-knit family. Neighbors are frequently discussing ways to
improve the community and address issues that come up. Currently, there is one persistent problem that we havent been
able to crackdog poo. Many members of the community are animal lovers. I think we all would agree that its great to see a
community so full of life and energyincluding children, teenagers, adults, and pets.

Kris Bizzari
Janette Madison
Lenore Hackenyos
Anthony Rizzi
Nate Bergum
Scott Deisher

The undesired consequence of having a community full of animal-lovers is the waste it can leave behind. Not only is it gross and
inconvenient, but it can also pose serious health hazards. Children and other pets in the area can contract a series of parasites
and diseases. More broadly, rain and precipitation can cause fecal matter to enter into the water supply and increase the spread
of disease. While it may be a gross (and highly stinky) problem, its one that the neighborhood feels strongly about combating.

Business owner
Teacher
DANG
Police officer
Financial analyst
Civil engineer

TIME

INTENT (WHY)

METHOD AND STEPS (WHAT AND HOW)

MATERIALS

SET-UP

10:30-10:35

Ensure participants
understandand are
comfortable withthe
consent form.

Welcome everyone for coming. Walk through the consent form, hand out copies, and
provide time for the participants to review and sign. Then collect all forms.

Printed consent forms

Writing utensils (pens)

Have consent forms out on

the table (1 per participant)

10:35-10:40

Make participants feel

welcomed and valuable.

Provide the group with an overview of the workshop. Explain why theyre here, how
theyre helping, and thank them for their participation. Participants should have a solid
understanding of the hour to come.

10:40-10:55

Get the group relaxed,

comfortable, and ready to
think creatively.

Explain the warm-up activity (collaborative portraits). Walk the group through the
portrait activity, step by step.
Write your name on a piece of paper (3 min)
Pass your paper to the person on your left (1 min)
Begin drawing a portrait of the person to your right (3 min)
Pass your paper to the person on your left (1 min)
Continue the portrait (3 min)
Return the paper to its owner. (1 min)
Share your portrait with the group. Tell us one thing that surprises you and one thing
that youre delighted by. (3 min)

Blank paper
Writing utensils (crayons,
markers, colored pencils)

Put all materials out on

the table. Make sure each
participant has easy access to
all materials.

10:55-11:00

Connect the warm-up

activity to the visual
storytelling activity.

Now that youve got your hands and minds warmed up, its time to continue your
creativity. This time, were going to put your creative thinking into solving a problem.

Facilitating Creative Thinking 29

TIME

INTENT (WHY)

METHOD AND STEPS (WHAT AND HOW)

11:00-11:05

Get the group familiar

with the problem theyll be
working with.

This exercise is designed to be a creative exploration. As a group, we will be working to

solve a problem that affects all of us. Its something that were each personally affected
by, but we need to keep a positive and neutral perspective. I ask you to keep your focus
on the problemnot pointing blame, naming names, or festering on the problem as it
stands.

MATERIALS

SET-UP

Printed activity guides

Writing utensils (pens)

Have activity guides out on the

table (10 per participant)

Blank paper
Writing utensils (crayons,
markers, colored pencils)

Put all materials out on

the table. Make sure each
participant has easy access to
all materials.

Printed feedback forms

Writing utensils (pens)

Distribute feedback forms to

each participant. Provide the
opportunity for participants to
video record their feedback in
addition to written feedback.

A s members of the Darley Green community, you share a certain common set of
goals, desires, and problemsand you all share of goal of improving your homes
and neighborhood. Today, the problem you will be focusing on is dog poo. As most
of you already know, there has been an increasing amount of uncleaned dog waste
around the community.
11:05-11:20

Get the group to think

laterally about potential
reasons behind the
problem.

First, youre going to explore reasons behind the problem. Why do you think people
dont pick up after their animals? Using the activity guides provided, brainstorm each
reason in a series of why questions. Let this exercise lead you in any direction you
can think of. For example, maybe people dont pick up after their pets because of the
weatherbecause it makes it hard to pick upand its hard to pick up because theres
a foot of snow on the ground and you dont have boots onand you forgot to put
boots on because your dog ate them.

11:20-11:30

Inspire creativity through

sharing and dialogue.

Each person will share a few of their WHY statements. Which one do you most closely
relate to? Which solution are you most excited by?

11:30-11:45

Get the group to think

laterally about potential
solutions to the problem.

Select a single WHY statement. Using that why statement as your foundation, illustrate
solutions for how to solve that specific issue. Get creative, there are no wrong answers
here and youre not limited by resources, funding, or feasibility. Maybe the solution to our
no boots problem is a pooper scooper with an extending handle for long reach!

11:45-11:55

Inspire creativity through

sharing and dialogue.

Each person will share a few of their HOW ideas. Which of your solutions do you feel
is the most innovative and why? Gather key take-aways and discuss next stepsPoint
out a few ideas that are feasible. I will be responsible for presenting these concepts to the
Darley Green HOA and will follow up on any correspondence.

11:55-12:00+

Provide the group with

closure and explain the
benefits of the exercise
they just experienced.

Todays exercises were focused on utilizing your creative thinking to actively brainstorm
solutions to our problem. While this activity ends with this workshop, you are now
equipped with a few more skills to solve any problems you face in the future. You
now have new tools to take with you to apply in your personal or professional lives.
I greatly appreciate your time today! This was a fantastic workshop and I hope that each
one of you learned something new. I would like to get your thoughts and feedback on
this workshop. Please use the provided sheets to share your thoughts, suggestions, and
honest feedback with me.

90 MIN TOTAL

Facilitating Creative Thinking 30

References

Environmental Protection Agencyhttp://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm

National Resources Defense Councilhttp://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/0801.asp
USA Todayhttp://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/science/2002-06-07-dog-usat.htm
Huffington Posthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/21/dog-poop-tons-feces_n_1440383.html
Cesars Wayhttp://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/housebreaking/Unique-Solutions-to-Dog-Poop-Problems
Doody Callshttp://www.doodycalls.com/resources_toxic_dog_waste.asp
Doctors Foster and Smithhttp://www.drsfostersmith.com/Articles/clean_up_waste.cfm
Alamo Area Partners for Animal Welfarehttp://www.aapaw.org/education/dangers-of-dog-poop.html
Dog Talk 101http://dogtalk101.blogspot.com/2010/01/facts-about-dangers-of-dog-poop.html
MSN Real Estatehttp://realestate.msn.com/blogs/listedblogpost.aspx?post=850f766e-a5d0-4933-868d-fadeef080065

Facilitating Creative Thinking 31