Designers are problem solvers. For this reason, it makes sense for us to flex our creative muscles, expand our imaginations, and engage in activities that plant seeds for new ideas.
Every Wednesday afternoon my team and I hold a creativity and play session. I dubbed these sessions Chill Pill.
Below includes highlights from some of our 2019 Chill Pill sessions.
Lego Challenge
Build an object based on a given theme. At the end of the time limit, team members guess what they are.
- Tool: Lego blocks
- Time: 5 minutes
Theme: Tech Companies
Representing companies through color and/or shape.
Theme: Events in History
Historical events that are significant or memorable to our team members.
Theme: Movies
Representing film through color and/or shape.
Cut & Paste Collage
Draw a teammate’s name from a hat. Create a collage portrait of him/her. At the end of the time limit, team members guess who they are.
- Tools: old magazines, scissors, glue, and blank paper
- Time: 10 minutes
Circles
Turn as many circles as possible into recognisable objects within the time limit.
- Tools: pens and pencils, paper with printed circles
- Time: 3 minutes
Non-Dominant Hand Sketches
Use your non-dominant hand to sketch objects.
- Tools: 3–5 different objects, blank paper, markers
- Time: 5 minutes
Repurpose
Reimagine a new use for a designated object. At the end of the time limit, team members explain their repurposes.
- Tools: any common use object, blank paper, markers, pens, pencils
- Time: 3 minutes
Master Artist
Recreate works of art by the masters in 3D.
- Tools: blank paper, markers, scissors, tape
- Time: 10 minutes
On the surface, our Chill Pill sessions are playful, fun and, for a few minutes every Wednesday, shift us out of task mode.
Looking a few levels deeper, Chill Pill activities are selected to elicit different thinking, imagine new applications for existing solutions, and view situations from various perspectives.
How does your organization nurture creativity?
Which activities do you suggest we try next?