week 4 - Divergent and Convergent thinking

Lesson 3 is about divergent and convergent thinking.

We always do brainstorming in order to solve a problem. This is where we use divergent thinking to generate different ideas or solutions in a short period of time. Divergent thinking is a process involves exploring as many  possible solutions as possible. With divergent thinking, people start out thinking about a single concept, and develop many solutions in random and different directions. So in the end, instead of getting one idea, there may be a whole host of possibilities. I think divergent thinking is major component of creativity as it is associated with creative pursuits and the humanities, which we tend to think in a free form method.

Following divergent thinking, the ideas and information will be organized using convergent thinking.

Convergent thinking combines or joins different ideas together based on elements these ideas have in common. All the general possibilities are narrowed down to one specific or best solution. Therefore, we use convergent thinking to make decision and find the best solution to solve a problem.

I personally tend to use convergent thinking more as i often think in a logical way. But as a design student, i should practice divergent thinking more as it helps me in thinking creatively. So, it is best for design students to use both divergent and convergent thinking. We should not neglect the type of thinking that is your least favorite or weaker suit as balance helps.