Play this game to come up with original ideas | Shimpei Takahashi | TEDxTokyo
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0:17 - 0:18Hello.
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0:18 - 0:21I'm a toy developer.
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0:21 - 0:25With a dream of creating new toys
that have never been seen before, -
0:25 - 0:28I began working at a toy company
nine years ago. -
0:28 - 0:30When I first started working there,
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0:30 - 0:34I proposed many new ideas
to my boss everyday. -
0:34 - 0:37However, my boss always asked
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0:37 - 0:40if I had the data to prove it would sell,
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0:40 - 0:43and to think of product development
after analyzing market data. -
0:43 - 0:44Data, data, data...
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0:45 - 0:49So, I analyzed the market data
before thinking of a product. -
0:49 - 0:53However, I was unable to think
of anything new at that moment. -
0:53 - 0:55(Laughter)
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0:55 - 0:57My ideas were unoriginal.
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0:57 - 1:01I wasn't getting any new ideas
and I grew tired of thinking, -
1:01 - 1:06It was so hard that I became this skinny.
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1:06 - 1:08(Laughter)
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1:08 - 1:09It's true.
(Applause) -
1:11 - 1:14You've all probably had similar experience
and felt this way too. -
1:14 - 1:17Your boss was being difficult.
The data was difficult. -
1:17 - 1:19You become sick of thinking.
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1:19 - 1:22Now, I throw out the data.
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1:22 - 1:25It's my dream to create new toys.
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1:25 - 1:27And now, instead of data,
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1:27 - 1:31I'm using a game called "shiritori"
to come up with new ideas. -
1:31 - 1:35I would like to introduce
this method today. -
1:35 - 1:37What is "shiritori"?
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1:37 - 1:39Take apple, elephant, and trumpet,
for example. -
1:39 - 1:42It's a game where you take turns
saying words that start with -
1:42 - 1:44the last letter of the previous word.
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1:44 - 1:46It's the same in Japanese and English.
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1:46 - 1:48You can play "shiritori" as you like.
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1:48 - 1:51"neKO, KOra, RAibu, BUrashi," etc, etc.
(cat, cola, concert, brush) -
1:51 - 1:54Many random words will come out.
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1:54 - 1:59You force those words to connect to what
you want to think of and form ideas. -
1:59 - 2:03In my case, for example,
since I want to think of toys, -
2:03 - 2:06what could a toy cat be?
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2:06 - 2:09A cat that lands after doing
a somersault from a high place? -
2:09 - 2:11How about a toy with cola?
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2:11 - 2:14A toy gun where you shoot cola
and get someone soaking wet? -
2:14 - 2:15(Laughter)
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2:15 - 2:18Ridiculous ideas are okay.
The key is to keep them flowing. -
2:18 - 2:24The more ideas you produce, you're sure
to come up with some good ones, too. -
2:24 - 2:29A brush, for example.
Can we make a toothbrush into a toy? -
2:29 - 2:32We could combine
a toothbrush with a guitar and -- -
2:32 - 2:35"Strum! Strum! Strum!"
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2:35 - 2:38-- you've got a toy you can play with
while brushing your teeth. -
2:38 - 2:40(Laughter) (Applause)
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2:40 - 2:43Kids who don't like to brush
their teeth might begin to like it. -
2:43 - 2:47Can we make a hat into a toy?
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2:47 - 2:51How about something like Russian Roulette,
where you try the hat on one by one, -
2:51 - 2:56and then, when someone puts it on,
a scary alien breaks through the top -
2:56 - 2:58screaming, "Aaahh!!"
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2:58 - 3:01I wonder if there would be
a demand for this at parties? -
3:01 - 3:06Ideas that didn't come out while you stare
at the data will start to come out. -
3:06 - 3:12Actually, this bubble wrap,
which is used to pack fragile objects, -
3:12 - 3:17combined with a toy,
made "Mugen Pop Pop," -
3:17 - 3:20a toy where you can pop
the bubbles as much as you like. -
3:20 - 3:22It was a big hit when it reached stores.
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3:22 - 3:25Data had nothing to do with its success.
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3:25 - 3:28Although it's only popping bubbles
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3:28 - 3:30but it's a great way to kill time,
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3:30 - 3:32so please pass this around
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3:32 - 3:34amongst yourselves today and play with it.
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3:34 - 3:36(Applause)
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3:39 - 3:42Anyway, you continue to come up with
useless ideas. -
3:42 - 3:44Think up many trivial ideas, everyone.
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3:44 - 3:46If you base your ideas on data analysis
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3:46 - 3:50and know what you're aiming for,
you'll end up trying too hard, -
3:50 - 3:52and you can't produce new ideas.
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3:52 - 3:54Even if you know what your aim is,
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3:54 - 3:58think of ideas as freely as if you were
throwing darts with your eyes closed. -
3:58 - 4:01If you do this, you surely will hit
somewhere near the center. -
4:01 - 4:03At least one will.
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4:03 - 4:05That's the one you should choose.
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4:05 - 4:08If you do so, that idea will be in demand
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4:08 - 4:10and, moreover, it will be brand new.
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4:10 - 4:12That is how I think of new ideas.
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4:12 - 4:16It doesn't have to be "shiritori";
there are many different methods. -
4:16 - 4:18You just have to choose words at random.
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4:18 - 4:20You can flip through a dictionary
and choose words at random. -
4:20 - 4:25For example, you could look up two
random letters and gather the results -
4:25 - 4:29or go to the store
and connect product names -
4:29 - 4:32with what you want to think of.
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4:32 - 4:35The point is to gather random words,
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4:35 - 4:38not information from the category
you're thinking for. -
4:38 - 4:44If you do this, the ingredients for
the association of ideas are collected -
4:44 - 4:47and form connections
that will produce many ideas. -
4:47 - 4:51The greatest advantage to this method
is the continuous flow of images. -
4:51 - 4:54Because you're thinking
of one word after another, -
4:54 - 4:57the image of the previous word
is still with you. -
4:57 - 5:00That image will automatically
be related with future words. -
5:00 - 5:02Unconsciously, a concert will
be connected to a brush -
5:02 - 5:04and a roulette will be connected to a hat.
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5:04 - 5:07You would't even realize it.
You can come up with ideas -
5:07 - 5:09that you wouldn't have thought otherwise.
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5:09 - 5:11This method is, of course,
not just for toys. -
5:11 - 5:16You can collect ideas for books, apps,
events, and many other projects. -
5:16 - 5:19I hope you all try this method.
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5:20 - 5:23There are futures that are born from data.
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5:23 - 5:28However, using this silly game
called "shiritori," -
5:28 - 5:31I look forward to exciting future
you will create, -
5:31 - 5:34a future you couldn't even imagine.
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5:34 - 5:37Thank you very much.
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5:37 - 5:40(Applause)
- Title:
- Play this game to come up with original ideas | Shimpei Takahashi | TEDxTokyo
- Description:
-
Shimpei Takahashi always dreamed of designing toys. But when he started work as a toy developer, he found that the pressure to use data as a starting point for design quashed his creativity. In this short, funny talk, Takahashi describes how he got his ideas flowing again, and shares a simple game anyone can play to generate new ideas.
- Video Language:
- Japanese
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 05:55
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) | ||
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) | ||
Ivana Korom approved English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) | ||
Ivana Korom commented on English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) | ||
Dewi Barnas edited English subtitles for 高橋 晋平 「新しいアイデアのつくり方」 (TEDxTokyo) |
Ivana Korom
What a nice a fun talk! Thank you for the translation!