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CREATIVE    AEROBICS®

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WORD SALAD is one of the most useful all-purpose techniques in the Creative Aerobics Toolbox. It can be used to help a group quickly explore and brainstorm almost any idea, concept, topic, or theme --anything involving the target, the product, the competition, the positioning, or the brand.

WORD SALAD can be used to accomplish two intellectually important functions:

• get to the heart or core of a topic or issue ("convergent thinking")
• break mindset and explore interesting new aspects and possibilities of an idea or issue ("divergent thinking")

 Preparation

Identify the keyword(s) or concept(s) that you want the group to explore.

• Put markers and piles of half-sheets of paper around table/room.
• Setup flip chart.
• (Optional) Tear-off many short strips of masking tape and stick along edge of wall where display will be taped up.

Steps

1.      Present the keyword/concept to the group. 

2.      Give everyone five minutes to SILENTLY write out what
          comes to mind when they think of the keyword/concept.

• Instruct them to write ONE word or phrase or drawing per sheet of paper--written large enough to be easily read from a distance.

3.      After participants have begun writing, collect the initial work
          and begin taping the sheets on the wall.

• Try to "cluster" the sheets by similarity of idea or theme as you tape them up.
• If the group is very large or the participants are prolific, you will need to recruit one or more people to help you tape the sheets on the wall--after you have established the initial clusters as a reference.
• Use the previously torn pieces of tape (see preparation) to help you put up sheets as quickly as possible. 
• Option:  recruit someone to stand by you to tear and hand you pieces of tape.

4.      GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

• Lead group in reviewing the entire wall display.
• Point to and quickly read each sheet out loud.
• Ask the group to identify core ideas and themes--e.g., frequently mentioned ideas or words or words that capture the "essence" of the concept.
• Record the "core" words, ideas, themes on the flip-chart.
• Discuss.

5.      BREAKING MINDSET and looking for new avenues of thought

• Now ask the group to nominate the ideas and themes on the wall that they find to be the most unusual, interesting, or puzzling--e.g., words or ideas that are not typically associated with the concept. Ask authors of puzzling items to  come forward and explain what they were thinking.  Facilitate discussion.
• Make a list of the most unusual or interesting words on the flip-chart
• Discuss.  Add to the display or flip-chart list, if you need to.

(6.)   (Optional) Repeat WORD SALAD exercise using the most
          promising of the unusual or interesting words as the "seed." 

• Look for the core/essence of this new word or idea as well as it's unusual or interesting "edges."
• By repeating this exercise several times using the most unusual or interesting words produced each time, you lead the thinking further away from the original keyword/concept but in a way that follows a "logic track." The goal is to arrive at an entirely new and interesting place in your thinking.

Materials

• 6 - 25 participants
   
• Half-sheets of typing paper (e.g., one or more reams of "legal-size" copy paper [8.5 x 14-inches] cut in half)
   
• Markers
   
• Masking tape
   
• Flip-chart and pad
   
• Large unencumbered wall space