One of my favorite novelty detour stories is how one of our Creative Facilitators used MAD Magazine covers to get a room full of bankers to think differently about their financial services.
When clients and resource groups are too close to the product or they are super analytical, you must be prepared with novelty detours to help them stretch their thinking.
When you first ask the group to play, be ready for a few moments of silence. Even though it may seem like it is taking an eternity for the group to respond, trust the process enough to give them time to shift mental gears and get into the detour. The new ideas will be well worth the wait!
Here are a couple of techniques to try:
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Bring a stack of magazines to your session and let participants pick out a picture they like in one of the magazines. Using one image at a time:
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Ask the resource group to help you make a list of words that come to mind while looking at the picture. Create a side-list detour of those words and ask the resource group to make new connections and add those ideas to your list.
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Ask each participant to offer one idea based on the picture they chose.
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Project a collage of images on the screen during your session.
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Ask the resource group to pick a picture on the screen and add an idea to the list based on something they see.
Check out this link to Cover Junkie which offers a collage of topical, granted a tad racy and provocative, images to consider.
Creative Resources is standing by with more detours to inspire novelty on your list of ideas!