FORCED ASSOCIATION

Forced Association techniques are essentially based upon the association approach. In his book “Creatività ricerca e innovazione. Individui e imprese di fronte alle sfide della società post-industriale”, Gian Carlo Cocco briefly outlines their guidelines:

“They are essentially based upon an individual process of mental links (this approach can be also used by workgroups). Unlike non binding medical use (the so called free association largely used in psychotherapy), these associations are managed by someone. These techniques, also called forced or cross relations, make a forced connection between two or more ideas or products, which are not usually associated. They help to find out innovative combinations to improve ideas, processes, products, etc. With tthe forced association technique you identify what is directly related to the item or activity to be modified or replaced. Secondly, you look for another item or activity apparently not related to the item or activity under discussion. Finally, you compare them to generate a meaning that can initially appear remote.” (Cocco, 1987)

Hereunder follows a representative exemple of this technique by Alex Osborn (1992):

“[...] An example of this technique is represented by the analysis of each idea and their associations.
In showing a system for creating new ideas to an office fittings producer, you can list the items produced by his company, like desks, chairs, desk lamps, filing cabinets, bookcases. Firstly, you examine the desk-chair relation. Starting from this relation, you try to develop a free association chain which could generate new products, like for instance combined unities of chairs and desks and so on.
As regards the desk-desk lamp relation, most ideas would probably suggest to build up the lamp in the desk design, to withdraw the lamp or to adjust it by pushing a button. Afterwards, some ideas would be selected to be carefully examined.” (Osborn, 1992)

CLASS	B
PHASE	Idea Generation
DESCRIPTION	Forced Association techniques are essentially based upon the association approach. In his book “Creatività ricerca e innovazione. Individui e imprese di fronte alle sfide della società post-industriale”, Gian Carlo Cocco briefly outlines their guidelines: “They are essentially based upon an individual process of mental links (this approach can be also used by workgroups). Unlike non binding medical use (the so called free association largely used in psychotherapy), these associations are managed by someone. These techniques, also called forced or cross relations, make a forced connection between two or more ideas or products, which are not usually associated. They help to find out innovative combinations to improve ideas, processes, products, etc. With tthe forced association technique you identify what is directly related to the item or activity to be modified or replaced. Secondly, you look for another item or activity apparently not related to the item or activity under discussion. Finally, you compare them to generate a meaning that can initially appear remote.” (Cocco, 1987) Hereunder follows a representative exemple of this technique by Alex Osborn (1992): “[...] An example of this technique is represented by the analysis of each idea and their associations. In showing a system for creating new ideas to an office fittings producer, you can list the items produced by his company, like desks, chairs, desk lamps, filing cabinets, bookcases. Firstly, you examine the desk-chair relation. Starting from this relation, you try to develop a free association chain which could generate new products, like for instance combined unities of chairs and desks and so on. As regards the desk-desk lamp relation, most ideas would probably suggest to build up the lamp in the desk design, to withdraw the lamp or to adjust it by pushing a button. Afterwards, some ideas would be selected to be carefully examined.” (Osborn, 1992)
REFERENCES	Cocco G.C., Creatività ricerca e innovazione. Individui e imprese di fronte alle sfide della società post-industriale, Milano, Franco Angeli, 1987. Jaoui H., La creativité mode d'emploi, Paris, ESF éditeur-Enterprise Moderne d'Edition et Libraires Techniques, 1990. Osborn A.F., L'arte della creativity, Milano, Franco Angeli, 1992, ed. orig. del 1953.