What I would recommend that you do before that is come up with a map of the idea-space, describing where the possible solutions might be found
There is a formal technique for doing this, developed by Edward DeBono, and called a “concept fan”. I did a quick web search but didn’t find anything that actually explained the technique—everything I found on the web has a very shallow description that mostly misses the point of the technique, i.e., its systematic nature.
In a concept fan, you separate ideas from intentions, so that you see an idea like “carbon credits” as an idea for the intention of “reduce carbon use”, which in turn is intended to “have less carbon in the atmosphere. You can then intentionally ask, “what are other ways to reduce carbon use?” or, “what are other ways to end up with less carbon in the atmosphere?”, and so on.
(The technique is described in more detail in DeBono’s book, “Serious Creativity”… a book which has as its main premise that creativity is something that can and should be approached systematically. Even when randomness is used (e.g. random words as provocations), they’re recommended for use in a systematic way, for the specific purpose of keeping brains from going in circles over already-known territory, rather than as a source of mysterious inspiration.)
There is a formal technique for doing this, developed by Edward DeBono, and called a “concept fan”. I did a quick web search but didn’t find anything that actually explained the technique—everything I found on the web has a very shallow description that mostly misses the point of the technique, i.e., its systematic nature.
In a concept fan, you separate ideas from intentions, so that you see an idea like “carbon credits” as an idea for the intention of “reduce carbon use”, which in turn is intended to “have less carbon in the atmosphere. You can then intentionally ask, “what are other ways to reduce carbon use?” or, “what are other ways to end up with less carbon in the atmosphere?”, and so on.
(The technique is described in more detail in DeBono’s book, “Serious Creativity”… a book which has as its main premise that creativity is something that can and should be approached systematically. Even when randomness is used (e.g. random words as provocations), they’re recommended for use in a systematic way, for the specific purpose of keeping brains from going in circles over already-known territory, rather than as a source of mysterious inspiration.)
Reminds me of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys