The 'What if?' activity is intended for the idea generation stage of the design process. It is a creativity technique for AS & A2 students to use to generate ideas and provide new perspectives on a problem. Creativity techniques like this enable students to build on each other’s ideas and encourage new ways of thinking. These are important elements of successful ecodesign.

The Activity
• Get into a small group and ask your teacher for a large sheet of paper and a marker pen
• Choose a product in your group would like to redesign 
• Pick a sustainability issue relating to the product that you would like to improve

The rules: do not criticise, be as crazy as you like, listen to each other, have fun.

• In your group, generate some ‘What if…’ questions related to the chosen sustainability issue e.g. if they were looking at energy reduction they might ask
‘What if…we wanted to do the opposite?’
‘What if…money was no object?’
‘What if…we needed the solution tomorrow?’
‘What if…there was no oil left in the world?’

• Write the ‘What if…’ questions on the large sheet of paper and come up with possible solutions to their questions, e.g. 'What if there was no oil left…?'
'We could use alternative technology like solar or wind, or we could walk/ride a bike'

Conclusion
• By the end of the session your group should have generated a whole range of new ways of tacking the issue
• Circle the ideas that you like the most and which you think you may be able to use


Click on an creativity activity you would like to access: What if? or Random words