Lesson 6 - Random Word / Image Association

Random words is a simple but surprisingly effective creative technique.

How to use it?
1) Find a random word that will be used as a stimulus for new ideas.You can do this in a number of ways such as...

• Look around you.
• Open a book at a random page. Run your finger around the page and stop at a random point. Look for a suitable word near your finger.
• Ask the people you are with to give you a random word.

2) Find associations

• Think about other things which the word reminds you.
• Follow associations to see where they go.
• When working with a group of people, you can write these down on a flipchart as people call them out.

3) Use the associations to create new ideas

• Create new ideas by linking any of the associations with your problem.
• Write the ideas either next to their associations from step 2 or on a separate page.
• If other people give ideas that trigger further ideas from you, then you can go off down that route to see where it goes.

How it works?

Random words works in particular by making you go elsewhere for ideas, and hence pushes you out of your current thinking rut. It uses the principle of forced association to make you think in new ways and create very different ideas.

Examples of random words and image association..

Exercise:

We are asked to create a scary image or an object with association of an image of a kitten that will instill fear among people through out the ages. Then explain what and why it is scary to us.

Kitten: paws, sharp teeth, furry, pointy ears 

RAWR. So scary..