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2014 / Gestoos /

Initial Challenge

Traditional brainstorming sessions often encounter cognitive barriers, limiting participants’ creativity and problem-solving abilities. The challenge was to develop a technique that could reset participants’ mindsets, fostering an open and innovative environment to address specific objectives from fresh perspectives.

The Method

Collaborated with Exipple Studio to design and test the Metaphor Method, a brainstorming technique utilizing metaphors to unlock creative thinking. The approach involved:​

  • Development of Materials: Created a booklet and a set of play-cards featuring diverse images seemingly unrelated to the challenges being addressed.

  • Facilitated Sessions: Conducted workshops where participants, guided by Exipple team members, used the metaphorical materials to explore problems from new angles.​

  • Iterative Testing: Refined the toolkit based on feedback from multiple sessions to enhance its effectiveness in stimulating innovative solutions.

The Solution

The Metaphor Method Toolkit emerged as a tangible set of resources designed to:​

  • Encourage Lateral Thinking: By engaging with metaphorical imagery, participants could break free from conventional thought patterns.​

  • Facilitate Creative Problem-Solving: The toolkit provided a structured yet flexible framework for addressing various challenges innovatively.​

  • Enhance Collaborative Workshops: Served as an effective tool in group settings to stimulate discussion and idea generation.

We developed and tested the Metaphor Method—a creative problem-solving technique rooted in the power of metaphors. The method uses a guided set of visual cards to help participants break habitual thinking patterns and spark fresh ideas.

The process involved:

  • Designing and curating a set of images that, at first glance, seem unrelated to the design challenge at hand

  • Creating a booklet and facilitation structure to guide participants through metaphorical exploration

  • Leading co-creation sessions to test and refine the method across diverse topics and teams

My Involvement

As a Design Strategist & Junior Interaction Designer at Exipple Studio, my contributions included:​

  • Conceptualization: Participated in the ideation and design of the Metaphor Method framework and materials.​

  • Content Creation: Developed the visual and textual content for the booklet and play-cards.​

  • Workshop Facilitation: Led sessions utilizing the toolkit, guiding participants through the metaphor-based brainstorming process.​

  • Evaluation and Refinement: Gathered feedback from users to iteratively improve the toolkit’s design and functionality.