In the Define stage, we successfully converged the complex qualitative interview coding and established challenging HMW (How Might We) questions for the four teams. However, defining a good question is only the first step. In the Develop stage, the goal is to break patterns and widen horizons. To prevent teams from falling into intuitive, mediocre solutions, we introduced at least two unique divergence techniques: the "Doraemon Gadget Association" (bridging Taiwanese and Japanese cultures) and the high-pressure, time-boxed "6-Box Brainstorming". Below is our practical record of wild exploration in the uncharted waters of creativity.
I. Doraemon Gadget Association
Since many Waseda students participated in this co-creation camp, we introduced a medium that resonates deeply with both cultures—"Doraemon Gadgets"—as our first random association technique.
This technique is forced association. We designed a random drawer. When facing a hard HMW challenge, the team draws a gadget. No matter what they get (e.g., "Memory Bread", "Translation Gummy", or "Anywhere Door"), members must associate it and say: "How can we use this gadget's concept to solve our rural challenge?"
This absurd constraint sparked lateral thinking:
- For "entering rural life is hard and lacks guideposts": Drawing the "Beginner's Manual" led to the idea that the brain needs step-by-step guidance just like appliances. This directly inspired translating complex leasing, livelihoods, and social rules into a structured 3-stage guidebook to eliminate entry barriers.
- For "consumers don't know the real environment and hesitate to register": Drawing the "Indoor Travel Machine" inspired projecting 360-degree landscapes to build virtual reality VR experiences. Providing VR headsets at city markets lets customers have a "3-minute virtual harvest" before booking, easing anxiety.
This cross-cultural association pushed discussions to a climax, turning serious roadblocks into bursts of laughter and insights.
II. 6-Box Brainstorming
After generating wild ideas, the teams used the "6-Box Brainstorming" method to flesh out concrete details, pushing divergence to the limit.
Each group wrote their HMW question, pain points, and goals at the top of a 6-box A4 sheet. Fast-paced music played, and under strict timing (only 2-3 minutes per round), everyone wrote an initial solution in the first box. When the bell rang, sheets were passed to the right.
In the second round, participants could not start from scratch; they had to read the previous partner's idea, extend it, or write a new one in the next box. Members reminded each other: "There are no bad ideas!" In this high-pressure, non-judgmental relay, brain defenses were shattered by the rhythm, and many absurd yet inspiring ideas grew rapidly on paper, laying the foundation for final solutions.
III. From Divergence to Convergence
Divergence is about exploring possibilities, but design thinking must land. After accumulating hundreds of ideas, the teams returned to rationality.
We categorized ideas using sticky notes and sorted them on an "Effort vs. Impact" matrix. We filtered out technically and financially unfeasible ideas and merged similar ones. For instance, Team A converged liquid molasses toolkits into a simple "Sugarcane Farmer Brand Diagnostic Map"; Team B turned Anywhere Door concepts into a "Dual-Track Passport for Farms and Classrooms".
This process from "Develop (Diverge)" to "Converge" ensured our ideas were both breakthrough and physically feasible, stepping confidently into the final stage—Deliver!
With ideation completed, the teams enter the Deliver phase! In the next article, we will reveal the final prototypes, verification, and field test feedback!