Metaphors, analogies and similies are one of the most useful tools in brainstorming and creative thinking.
A common element in virtually every language, these ‘figures of speech’ compare an existing situation, objective or problem with another, usually unrelated situation, objective or problem. Not to turn this into an English lesson, but here are three examples of each, with the precise differences between them.
A Situation: All the world’s a stage.
This is a metaphor: something is something else.
A Problem: Finding my car keys is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
This is an analogy, which explains how one thing is like another thing, which explains both of them.
An Objective: My cat is like the devil.
This is a simile: something is like something else.
That’s officially the end of the English lesson. But if you want more, go here.
More to the point, don’t get hung-up on the differences.
Just think of them as ‘metaphors’ to help you in creative thinking, which you can use in three different ways:
- Identifying similarities between the two disparate problems
- Examining an old problem in a new way, either by context or perspecvtive
- Looking outside what we know, as well as our comfort zone, for potential solutions
Use these instructions to incorporate metaphors into your creative thinking or brainstorming.
Four Steps for Creative Thinking and Metaphors
1. State the problem facing you right now.
Whether working solo or in a group, you need a single sentence that clearly and simply says what the problem is right now. Start with one. But, bon’t over-think it! Just get something out of your head onto paper. And, when you have one, now try to write it 5-6 other days – just to stretch and re-describe the problem in a new way.
If you’re working in a team, start with a description of the problem, but deliberately make it wordy. Ask each person to write down their single sentence on a separate page. Then, have them pass their page to the left, and ask the new ‘owner’ to re-write it in a new way. Pass again and edit, and again and edit until the page returns to the original author. Ask the group for the most concise, simple or interesting problem statements, and if possible – in plain conversational words.
Remember to state the problem as a problem. One client said the problem was compliance. That’s not a problem, that’s a single word.
Instead, we created this better problem sentence: Patiences forget to take their medication regularly.
2. Paraphrase the problem statement by re-stating it as a metaphor.
The easiest way to do this is to complete this sentence: This problem is like (fill in the blank).
As examples, here’s some metaphors we created to re-launch a product that was a failure the first time around. But, we wanted the audience to give is a “second chance” for Launch #2.
- This problem is like a bad date who keeps calling you for a second chance.
- This problem is like a getting your hand burnt a second time on the stove.
- This problem is like your partner wanting to return to a holiday destination that you detested the first time you visited.
- This problem is like hearing your sister is going to re-marry her no-good ex-husband.
Whether working independently or in a group, try to come up with at least 10 different metaphors to start. Be as silly and weird as you can.
3. Select one metaphor that you find imaginative or provocative.
Ask:
- What unique perspective is revealed in this metaphor?
- How might I use the suggestion uncovered in the metaphor to solve my unrelated problem?
- What’s similar between the two problems (original and the metaphor)? Is there an insight?
- What are the potential ways to use this new metaphor to solve my original problem?
4. Transfer the solution from the metaphor to your specific problem or issue.
It’s important to remember that you often need to force-fit the metaphor.
Ooof, cometimes the metaphor will be so obscure or illogical that your brain can’t make sense of it. That’s actually good!
You need tension and confusion to disrupt your assumptions and former thinking. By trying to make sense of a nonsensical metaphor, your subconscious will help resolve the problem with a new idea. To help, team up with another person. Or, break your workshop participants into groups of 2 or 3.
An Example of Metaphorical Thinking in Brainstorming
A hair-care company wanted us to create new ways to encourage people to trial its products.
Problem
No surprise, women in the category already have their preferred shampoo. Worse, most of them were not interested in trying something untested.
Examples of Metaphors
People don’t like to change. So, our problem is like …
- Getting children to eat vegetables
- Converting people to a new religion
- Trying to give the cat a bath
- Trying to make a dog to swallow a pill
- Begging someone to love you
What are the potential ways to use this new metaphor to solve my original problem?
- Find other ways to prepare the vegetables to disguise the fact they’re vegetables
- Make the vegetables fun by creating a game, a song, or a story
- Create demonstrations where women – similar to our audience – are trying the product successfully. Was there a Tupperware party or Avon Calling aspect to create for our hair-care products?
- Show how others like vegetables, so much that they’ll eat yours if you’re not careful
How can transfer any of these solutions to our problem?
- How do we re-package or disguise our hair-care products as something else?
- How do we make our hair-care products fun?
- How do we turn our hair-care products into a game?
- How do we create songs/stories out of our hair-care products?
- How do we show our new products are exclusive, hard-to-get, or something that everyone else has?
Some other suggestions to try metaphors in your creative thinking:
If you didn’t come there directly, you might start with my Introduction to Metaphors.
Also, using metaphors with visual thinking: Using Images as Metaphors for Creative Thinking.
And, a favourite brainstorm technique using metaphors and multiplicity: New Point of View, using wildly unrelated occupations to solve the problem.
Have you tried using metaphors in your brainstorming? How has it worked? Do you have any example to share? Please add your thoughts and comments below.
No comment yet, add your voice below!