Creative digital Problem Solving

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Creative (digital) Problem Solving

• DIG 2821 - Introduction
• J. Michael Moshell
• University of Central Florida

(image from http//www.weblo.com/asset_images/larg
e/creativity.com_479f8882bf3f1.jpg)
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• Creative Digital Problem Solving
• Why this course?

• Good media-makers are CREATIVE
• - Boring content won't attract users / viewers
• Innovative interfaces make life better for all
• Same old stuff won't get you a job
• 2. Creativity can be LEARNED

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• Creative Problem Solving
• Why Moshell?

www.edupics.com
I am interested in intelligence. How does the
left (logical) brain get jump-started by the
right (creative) brain? I'm a leftie, and I left
computer science to get close to the right-brain
wierdos where all the good ideas seem to come
from. The most fun can be had by learning and
I want to learn to be more creative. So, get
busy - - teach me!
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• Creative Problem Solving
• How does the course work?
• (The left-brain stuff)

www.toy-train-table-plans-store.com

• It's built around a series of lectures and
  creative exercises.
• Lectures
• Read the assignment beforehand
• Practice the skills to be demonstrated in class
• Creative Exercises
• Individual and group play-shows every lecture
  (25)
• Group DEMONSTRATIONS (for credit) 3x in
  semester

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Creative Problem Solving A Walk through
the Syllabus
pixdaus.com
The legal fine print ... What you can do and
must do and must not do blah blah blah Sign
here ______________________________
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Topic 1 The Creative Mind

• The Bicameral Mind ("left brain, right brain")
• Logical sequential
• A, B, C, D, E

neuronarrative.wordpress.com
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Topic 1 The Creative Mind

• The Bicameral Mind ("left brain, right brain")
• Logical sequential
• A, B, C, D, E
• Intuitive parallel
• Hey, I see a flower
• over there!

neuronarrative.wordpress.com
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The Semantic Net

• Whats an IDEA? CONCEPT RELATIONSHIP
• A currently popular hypothesis
• - ideas are like computer programs in the head
• - may include pattern recognizers, and actions
• - may be a bundle of other ideas (attributes)
• - for instance
• bee insect, small, stings, makes honey

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The Semantic Net

• Ideas form a NETWORK
• bee insect, small, stings, makes honey

bee
Is-a
insect
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The Semantic Net

• Ideas form a NETWORK
• bee insect, small, stings, makes honey

bee
Has-property
Is-a
small
insect
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The Semantic Net

• Ideas form a NETWORK
• bee insect, small, stings, makes honey

bee
Has-property
Is-a
small
insect
Has-action
stings
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The Semantic Net

• Ideas form a NETWORK
• bee insect, small, stings, makes honey

bee
Has-property
Is-a
small
insect
Has-action
Has-action
Makes honey
stings
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The Semantic Net

• Ideas form a NETWORK
• bee insect, small, stings, makes honey

bee
Has-property
Is-a
small
insect
Has-action
Has-action
Has-image
Makes honey
stings
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The Semantic Net Learns

• Learning means GROWING your NET
• Camels like to eat carrots

rabbits
Eaten-by
carrot
Eaten-by
Is-a
Vegetable
Has-shape
wolves
conical
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The Semantic Net Learns

• Learning means GROWING your NET
• Camels like to eat carrots

rabbits
Eaten-by
carrot
Eaten-by
Is-a
Vegetable
Has-shape
Eaten-by
wolves
camels
conical
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Evidence for the Semantic Net

• We are building a house. Our interior designer
  recommended a particular light-fixture store.

glowing
LightStyle
Is-a
Have-appearance
Store
sells
bulbs
include
Light fixtures
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Evidence for the Semantic Net

• He said
• Ive heard glowing reports about the LightStyle
  store!

glowing
LightStyle
Is-a
Have-appearance
Store
sells
bulbs
include
Light fixtures
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Evidence for the Semantic Net

• He said
• Ive heard glowing reports about the LightStyle
  store!

• Discussing a particular kind of ceramic tile
• Its not as good as its cracked up to be.

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Evidence for the Semantic Net

• He said
• Ive heard glowing reports about the LightStyle
  store!

• Discussing a particular kind of ceramic tile
• Its not as good as its cracked up to be.

• Playing flute, make a mistake
• I blew it!

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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.

carrot
Eaten-by
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• A sentence is like a TRIP across the net
• Carrots

carrot
Eaten-by
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• A sentence is like a TRIP across the net
• Carrots are eaten by

carrot
Eaten-by
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• A sentence is like a TRIP across the net
• Carrots are eaten by camels.

carrot
Eaten-by
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• Another sentence is like another trip across the
  net
• Camels

carrot
eat
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• Another sentence is like another trip across the
  net
• Camels eat

carrot
eat
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• Another sentence is like another trip across the
  net
• Camels eat carrots.

carrot
eat
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• Another sentence is like another trip across the
  net
• Camels eat carrots.
• SEQUENTIAL
• Or SERIAL
• Processing

carrot
eat
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• The workings of the semantic net
• are not limited to, or based on the logic
  of language.
• Another sentence is like another trip across the
  net
• Camels eat carrots.
• SEQUENTIAL
• Or SERIAL
• Processing
• (Left Brain)

carrot
eat
camel
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The Semantic Net At Work

• But a Pattern recognition task is based on an
  immediate
• sky-view of a part of the net.

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The Semantic Net At Work

• But a Pattern recognition task is based on an
  immediate
• sky-view of a part of the net. PARALLEL
  processing.

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The Semantic Net At Work

• But a Pattern recognition task is based on an
  immediate
• sky-view of a part of the net. PARALLEL
  processing.
• (Right Brain)

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The Poor Old Computer

• Computers are SEQUENTIAL DEVICES, mostly
• They use Programming LANGUAGES

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The Poor Old Computer

• Computers are SEQUENTIAL DEVICES, mostly
• They use Programming LANGUAGES
• Computers are LOUSY at pattern recognition tasks

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The Poor Old Computer

• Computers are SEQUENTIAL DEVICES, mostly
• They use Programming LANGUAGES
• Computers are LOUSY at pattern recognition tasks
• People are GREAT at pattern recognition tasks

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The Poor Old Computer

• Computers are SEQUENTIAL DEVICES, mostly
• They use Programming LANGUAGES
• Computers are LOUSY at pattern recognition tasks
• People are GREAT at pattern recognition tasks

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• People like to understand things. It has
  survival value.
• That is, they like to find things in their
  net,
• or ADD them to the net.

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• People like to understand things. It has
  survival value.
• That is, they like to find things in their
  net,
• or ADD them to the net of meaning.

• Regular patterns are easy to recognize
• I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  I I looks nicer than
• XMQFZYUOMNERWTYMBNMCNXBVEME.
• It takes less energy to classify it.

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• People like to understand things. It has
  survival value.
• That is, they like to find things in their
  net,
• or ADD them to the net of meaning.

• Regular patterns are easy to recognize
• I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  I I looks nicer than
• XMQFZYUOMNERWTYMBNMCNXBVEME.
• It takes less energy to classify it. but its
  BORING ...

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• Patterns within patterns give the brain
  something to do
• I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  I I I I I I I I

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• Patterns within patterns give the brain
  something to do
• I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  I I I I I I I I
• And it can get richer and richer
• I I I I x I I I I xx I I I I xxx I I I I xx I I I
  I x I I I I
• Here we see bilateral symmetry.

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• Patterns within patterns give the brain
  something to do
• I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  I I I I I I I I
• And it can get richer and richer
• I I I I x I I I I xx I I I I xxx I I I I xx I I I
  I x I I I I
• Here we see bilateral symmetry. How smart I
  am!

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• Patterns within patterns give the brain
  something to do
• I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  I I I I I I I I
• And it can get richer and richer
• I I I I x I I I I xx I I I I xxx I I I I xx I I I
  I x I I I I
• Here we see bilateral symmetry. How smart I
  am!
• Computer programs can recognize this kind of
  regularity.
• Artists are taught how to use it.

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Beauty And the Semantic Net

• Patterns within patterns give the brain
  something to do
• I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  I I I I I I I I
• And it can get richer and richer
• I I I I x I I I I xx I I I I xxx I I I I xx I I I
  I x I I I I
• Here we see bilateral symmetry. How smart I
  am!
• Computer programs can recognize this kind of
  regularity.
• Artists are taught how to use it.
• It works (It pleases people.)

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Beauty And Meaning

• Art's meaning is about relationships and
• the connection of ideas, feelings,
  experience
• Art has these characteristics
• Artifact (people make it)
• Style (a particular combination of techniques)

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Beauty And Meaning

• Art's meaning is about relationships and
• the connection of ideas, feelings,
  experience
• Art has these characteristics
• Artifact (people make it)
• Style (a particular combination of techniques)
• Metaphor (triggers your semantic net)
• Emotion (people feel something about the
  artwork)

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Beauty And Meaning

• Picasso
• "Computers are useless. They only have answers!"

specialedandme.wordpress.com
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Topic 2 Building The Creative Mind

• The Logical Mind can SCHEDULE the practices,
• The intuitive mind has to DO them, to get the
  skills.

http//www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/clipa
rt/uk/dk/arts/image_arts021.jpg
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The Comfort Zone

• If you are comfortable, you are not taking risks
• Many of our exercises will
• make you uncomfortable.
• Get used to it.
• Get "high" on it.
• Steer toward the sound of the guns.

http//img222.imageshack.us/img222/9922/898293depo
rtemesetapata.jpg
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Today's Exercise The Swami

• Give me an object
• I will tell you the history of this object.

ecommons.cornell.edu
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Thursday Bring an unusual object

• Make your own 30 second story about it.
• You will be given someone else's object
• and you will make a story about it!