Sometimes the most obvious and everyday”tool“may be the source of creative ideas.

I’m talking about our Five senses.

This tool can be used to generate ideas for product, space or room design, ideas for parties or special events, and much more.

This is how you can use our natural gifts to generate creative ideas.

First, think about the product, the place or the event.

List the senses that are activated by it and involved in it.

Then do one of the following:

1. intensify a sense: Choose one of the senses involved and make the experience stronger: intensify the visuals, make the sound more dominant, the touch more memorable, the taste stronger or the smell more noticeable.

   Example: In food products: make the taste and smell intense, and call the products with names that emphasize the extreme experience of eating and enjoying them.

2. change senses: Replace one of the senses with an alternative sense. Instead of sound, use written words, instead of vision, let people feel it through touch, etc.

   Example: Many fun games can be easily invented in the classroom or at parties where the participants need to use one sense instead of the other.

3. Combine multiple senses.: This is used to make the experience more holistic and powerful. Make the product or the place so that when you use it – several senses are activated at the same time – taste, smell, hearing, touch or vision.

   Example: A game room where when you touch the surface of the walls you hear a sound and a combination of lights is turned on (eg vision).

4. Neutralize a sense: Remove one of the existing senses from the experience. Eliminate or minimize their use as much as possible.

   Example: A children’s museum wanted to convey to children what it means to be blind. He came up with an exhibition in which there was total darkness in the room and the visitors were guided by blind guides, who helped them feel the way, without the help of normal sight.