We asked top creatives to ideate using ChatGPT and this is what they told us
Innovating with ChatGPT: 3 Top Takeaways from Using AI for Ideation
Top creatives are already known for their exceptional creativity. We were curious to see if ChatGPT could take their ideation process to the next level. To test our hypothesis, we conducted three ideation sessions with senior innovators and top creatives, and the results were nothing short of surprising.
As you already know, ChatGPT is the AI tool taking the world by storm. One of the things we explore at Pitchlab is how we can use it to generate new ideas and solutions in a fast and efficient way. And what better way than to see what senior innovators and creatives think of it? We held three ideation sessions with top creatives, and here are some of the surprising things we learned.
1. The importance of critical thinking
While ChatGPT can generate interesting ideas, it’s not a magic button for creativity. Real work is involved, and the role of the innovator becomes more focused on vision, direction, and guiding the innovation process. Critical thinking is crucial to evaluating and building on the ideas that ChatGPT generates. One creative remarked:
“For people with good critical thinking skills, ChatGPT is a game changer. People that don’t have these skills are going to be left behind.”
The discussion also focused on the change in skillset from traditional design skills to skills needed to make the best of these new tools.
“We need to start educating creative teams as well as new design students today to use these new tools. It’s not just a magic button. New skills are needed to use these new tools in an effective way and it will only become more prevalent.”
2. The Creativity is in prompt building
A lot of creativity is needed for good prompt building, which is essential to get the most out of ChatGPT. With well-structured prompts, the tool can help to explore a problem area quickly and efficiently, which is great for research.Just make sure to put in the effort upfront to create those killer prompts.
As one designer remarked:
“I went in half expecting ChatGPT would do all the heavy lifting when it came to generating ideas, but I quickly realized that my creativity was just as important in building effective prompts. The prompts set the tone and direction for the whole process, so I had to make sure they were engaging and thought-provoking. It was a new challenge, but it really brought out the best of my creative skills”
3. Focus on the human element
One senior creative observed:
“It’s crucial to add the human touch when working with ChatGPT. Interacting with a computer screen feels one-dimensional.”
If we’re not super careful, this one-dimensional experience limits perspective and creativity. It’s our job to make sure that what you’re creating resonates with actual people in the real world.
With these insights in mind, here are four creative ways in which top creatives use ChatGPT:
Tip #1. Use ChatGPT as your mentor
Have ChatGPT analyze and critique your ideas, acting as a design guru and helping to drive your design process. This can help to push your ideas to the next level.
Example prompt:
Take on the role of IDEO founder David M. Kelley. Take on his personality,
behave and respond just as he might do in a design process.
Ask questions to the design team. Share insights and ideas.
Whenever you find my answers lacking, keep asking for clarification
until you are satisfied as a top designer. Limit yourself to one
question, insight or idea per response.Tip #2. Mix in deliberate ambiguity
Turn the idea inside out by deliberately introducing ambiguity into the prompt. This can help to spark unexpected ideas and push beyond preconceptions. Do this by using metaphors and analogies in your prompt, and see what ChatGPT comes up with.
Example prompts:
Describe the problem {{PROBLEM}} using the metaphor of a tree.
How does the tree relate to the problem?
How do the branches, roots, leaves etc. translate to the problem?
How would an analogy with a tree surgeon making the tree healthy
fit with this problem and metaphor?
What other metaphors and analogies would be useful to brainstorm solutions?Tip #3. Creating different perspectives around personas
Instead of just generating personas, use ChatGPT to create different perspectives around those personas. This can help to explore new angles and solutions.
Example prompts:
Create a persona for a person suffering from {{PROBLEM}}.
Create 4 different perspectives on this person,
using people from their daily environment, such as {{ROLE}}.
What do they experience? How does it relate to the problem?
What other perspectives might be useful to include?Tip #4. Emprace the unexpected
ChatGPT can generate unexpected and surprising ideas. Embrace this aspect of the tool and don’t be afraid to push beyond preconceptions. Cultivate that ‘yes, and’ mindset — and keep prompting it to go out of the treaden paths!
Example prompts:
Generate a solution for {{PROBLEM}}
What else can you come up with?
What else can you come up with?
What else?
...In conclusion, ChatGPT is a valuable tool for ideation and creativity, but it’s important to approach it with the right mindset and understanding of its capabilities. With these tips and insights in mind, you can use ChatGPT to generate new and innovative ideas that can take your project to the next level.
If you’re interested in learning more, sign up for our upcoming ideation session or webinar to experience the power of ChatGPT for yourself!
We captured the learnings of this and other Generative AI powered ideation sessions in a 72 page ebook published through WRKSHP.tools. It’s coming out in March 2023 and if you want to get it, follow this link:
In conclusion, our experience using ChatGPT for ideation was nothing short of transformative, and we’re excited to share our insights and strategies with you in our upcoming ebook. We believe that the power of AI can unlock incredible possibilities for innovation and creativity, and we’re committed to helping you explore those possibilities to the fullest. So be sure to sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media to be the first to know when our ebook is available.
Thank you for joining us on this journey of exploration and discovery!
