The Lotus Blossom

Why?

The Lotus Blossom is an idea generation template invented by Yasuo Matsumura. The technique helps the students to solve problems and create more and better ideas. Upon completion, the students will have at least 64 new ideas related to the original problem or theme.

How?

The teacher asks the students to follow these four steps:

• State the problem to be solved in the central box
• Undertake a brainstorm on related components, themes, or solutions, and enter these in the surrounding eight boxes, around the central box (A-H)
• Move the values from these eight boxes out, and use them as centres of eight new lotus blossoms on the outer edges of the sheet.
• Start a new brainstorm on related components, solutions, or themes, in these eight outer boxes of the lotus blossom.

The students should try their best to fill out all the blossoms in order to maximize the quantity and quality of ideas.

Tips

The teacher has, in advance, defined a central theme and placed eight photos, related to this theme around the central box and in the outer eight boxes of the lotus blossom. The students use these eight photos as the starting point for a brainstorm. This is a quick and easy way to kick-start the method.

Literature

Higgins, J. M. (1994). 101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques: The Handbook of New Ideas for Business. New York, NY: New Management Publishing Company.