Most of the engineering design process involves creative and innovative thinking. Design can be described a type of problem solving. Albert Einstein, a German physicist, once said that ‘We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them’ . According to the Oxford dictionary, creativity is defined as ‘the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness’ . Alex Faickney Osborn, the father of brainstorming, once said that ‘creativity is more than mere imagination. It is imagination inseparably coupled with both intent and effort’ . There are two main types of thinking known as vertical thinking and lateral thinking. Vertical thinking is an accepted, conventional and logical process …show more content…
5. White Hat: The White Hat focuses on the information. The wearer of this hat presents information in an unbiased way. This information includes facts, figures and data. 6. Yellow Hat: The Yellow Hat represents optimism and brightness. Wearing this hat helps you deliberately think about the benefits and feasibility of an idea. Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats is a simple and effective technique that can be used to promote discussion, innovation and general agreement. The Six Thinking Hats technique was developed to allow a change in modes of thinking. The use of these metaphorical hats also establishes rules that everyone involved must follow. Engineering design requires creativity and lateral thinking in order to generate solutions. Lateral thinking is concerned with creativity. As Edward de Bono said, ‘The need for lateral thinking arises from the limitations of the behaviour of mind as a self-maximizing memory system’ . As I said, lateral thinking is not a substitute for the traditional vertical thinking. They compliment each other. Lateral thinking is especially useful in design and in the generation of new