generate-creative-ideas skill

---
name: generate-creative-ideas
description: Creative problem-solving and ideation using SCAMPER, First Principles, Random Word, and AI-optimized techniques. Use when generating ideas, breaking creative blocks, brainstorming alternatives, or innovating.
---

# Creativity Skill

## Workflow

1. **Ask** → "What problem/challenge?"
2. **Understand Context** → Ask about current practice/situation BEFORE suggesting
   - "What do you currently do?"
   - "What have you tried?"
   - "What's working? What's not?"
   - **NEVER suggest improvements without understanding current state**
3. **Diagnose** → Match situation to technique(s)
4. **Guide** → Walk through technique step-by-step
5. **Output** → Structured ideas + next actions (Thai if user uses Thai)

> ⚠️ **Anti-pattern:** Jumping to solutions without understanding context = generic noise, not useful ideas

## Situation → Technique Matrix

| Situation | Techniques |
|-----------|------------|
| Stuck / No ideas | Random Word, Forced Connections, Oblique Strategies |
| Need breakthrough | First Principles, Challenging Assumptions, Combinatorial Engine |
| Improve existing | SCAMPER, Reverse Brainstorming, TRIZ-AI |
| Explore systematically | Morphological Box, Six Thinking Hats, Constraint Injection |
| Reframe problem | How Might We (HMW), Jobs to be Done |
| Team ideation | 6-3-5 Brainwriting, Multi-Persona Parallel |
| Too many ideas | Impact/Effort Matrix, Idea Clustering |
| AI ideas too similar | Divergence Guard, Constraint Injection, Incubation Cycling |
| Technical/engineering | TRIZ-AI, First Principles |
| Cross-domain innovation | Combinatorial Engine, Analogical Thinking |

## Technique Quick Reference

| Technique | One-liner |
|-----------|-----------|
| **SCAMPER** | 7 lenses: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse |
| **Random Word** | Random noun → list attributes → force connections to problem |
| **Reverse Brainstorm** | "How to make it worse?" → Invert each idea |
| **First Principles** | Strip to fundamentals → Rebuild from scratch |
| **Six Hats** | 6 perspectives: Facts, Feelings, Risks, Benefits, Ideas, Process |
| **HMW** | Reframe as "How Might We [verb] for [user] so that [outcome]?" |
| **Morphological Box** | Parameters × Variations matrix → Combine systematically |
| **Analogies** | "How does [other domain] solve this?" |
| **Assumptions** | List assumptions → Challenge/invert each |
| **Forced Connections** | Combine 2 unrelated concepts |
| **Jobs to be Done** | "When [situation], I want [motivation], so I can [outcome]" |
| **Oblique Strategies** | Random creative prompts to break deadlocks |

### AI-Optimized Techniques

| Technique | One-liner |
|-----------|-----------|
| **Incubation Cycling** | Generate → Pause → Fresh restart (no prior context) → Compare |
| **Combinatorial Engine** | Abstract → Retrieve 3 domains → Generalize → Combine → Instantiate |
| **Multi-Persona Parallel** | Run 4+ personas SIMULTANEOUSLY (not sequentially) |
| **Constraint Injection** | Add random constraint (budget/time/anti-feature) → Force novel solutions |
| **Divergence Guard** | Force opposite → Domain shift → Absurdity injection |
| **TRIZ-AI** | Apply inventive principles (segmentation, nesting, dynamization, etc.) |

### Convergent (Refine)

| Technique | One-liner |
|-----------|-----------|
| **Impact/Effort** | 2×2 matrix: High Impact + Low Effort = Quick Wins |
| **Idea Clustering** | Group similar → Name clusters → Pick best from each |

## References

- **Step-by-step guides**: [techniques.md](references/techniques.md)
- **AI methodology & research**: [methodology.md](references/methodology.md)
- **Random word bank**: [random-words.md](references/random-words.md)

## Related Skills (Optional)

| When | Suggest |
|------|---------|
| Technical contradiction / trade-off | `/triz` - systematic innovation |
| Need structured problem-solving | `/problem-solving` - Polya, 5 Whys |
| Business strategy context | `/manage-business-strategy` - SWOT, Porter's |
| Design new business model | `/design-business-model` - BMC, Lean Canvas |
| Need current facts/research | `/deep-research` - comprehensive research |

**Note:** These skills are optional. Generate-creative-ideas works standalone for ideation.