Exercise: Open and closed briefs

Research

I thought it best to research the terms divergent and convergent thinking as to better understand these before reflecting on my results.

Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing, “non-linear” manner, such that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive fashion. Many possible solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected connections are drawn. Following divergent thinking, ideas and information are organized and structured using convergent thinking, which follows a particular set of logical steps to arrive at one solution, which in some cases is a “correct” solution. The psychologist J.P. Guilford first coined the terms convergent thinking and divergent thinking in 1956.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergent_thinking#:~:text=Divergent%20thinking%20is%20a%20thought,in%20an%20emergent%20cognitive%20fashion.

Convergent thinking is a term coined by Joy Paul Guilford as the opposite of divergent thinking. It generally means the ability to give the “correct” answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity, for instance in most tasks in school and on standardized multiple-choice tests for intelligence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_thinking#:~:text=Convergent%20thinking%20is%20a%20term,multiple%2Dchoice%20tests%20for%20intelligence.

Review

It’s quite clear from doing this exercise that depending on the notion of the brief as a graphic designer you need to be able to think like both a divergent and a convergent. In this case the client appears to know exactly what they want so be a convergent thinker and get the job done asap. However i feel it’s always worth asking the questions like a divergent thinker, is the client sure this is how they want to display the information, maybe give the client various options before they make a decision. It’s always worth speaking to the client and making sure they are clear and concise with their demands and what would be best for their needs.