post-its!!!

Yesterday in class we used the affinity technique as a means of solving a problem.  I must say... I'm a big fan!!  I really enjoyed the different approach to brainstorming, and I found it very helpful to see all of our ideas spread out on the wall.  This technique also made it a lot easier to narrow down our top 5 "useless items" because they could simply be pulled down from the wall and grouped together.  Another benefit to using this method was the repeats of ideas could be grouped together to make it visually obvious if a majority of people approved of the same solution.  It made the elimination of ideas more efficient as well, because they could just be taken off the wall.  The only negative aspects of this method in my opinion were the post-its' lack of ability to stick to the concrete wall, and the color of the post-its.  Not that it's a big deal, but I am a big fan of the neon post-its, so if our group were to do this again, I would definitely make sure to bring some hot pink ones : ) 

I also thought our group was able to come up with some pretty ingenious ideas for the use of a "corroded, exploded, dead battery."  Brett was the one who came up with most of the ideas, including its use in hypnosis, and to balance a table.  Ellen came up with the slingshot idea and using the acid to cure a wart.  All in all, I had a lot of fun yesterday, and I don't think I have laughed as much in any other class as I did yesterday in COM 320.  

I LOVE OUR GROUP!!!

-Kristen Gilson