TEDxTokyo
Shimpei Takahashi: Play this word game to come up with original ideas
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Shimpei Takahashi always dreamed of designing toys. But when he started work as a toy developer, he found that the pressure to produce squashed his creativity. In this short, funny talk, Takahashi describes how he got his ideas flowing again, and shares a simple word game anyone can play to generate new ideas. (In Japanese with English subtitles.)
Shimpei Takahashi - Toy designer
Shimpei Takahashi thinks we should forget about analyzing data or sales figures and just come up with ideas -- lots and lots of ideas. Full bio
Shimpei Takahashi thinks we should forget about analyzing data or sales figures and just come up with ideas -- lots and lots of ideas. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:14
Hello.
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I'm a toy developer.
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With a dream of creating new toys
that have never been seen before,
that have never been seen before,
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I began working at a toy company
nine years ago.
nine years ago.
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When I first started working there,
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I proposed many new ideas
to my boss every day.
to my boss every day.
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However, my boss always asked
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if I had the data to prove it would sell,
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and asked me to think of product
development after analyzing market data.
development after analyzing market data.
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Data, data, data.
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So I analyzed the market data
before thinking of a product.
before thinking of a product.
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However, I was unable to think
of anything new at that moment.
of anything new at that moment.
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(Laughter)
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My ideas were unoriginal.
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I wasn't getting any new ideas
and I grew tired of thinking.
and I grew tired of thinking.
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It was so hard that I became this skinny.
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(Laughter)
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It's true.
(Applause)
(Applause)
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You've all probably had
similar experiences and felt this way too.
similar experiences and felt this way too.
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Your boss was being difficult.
The data was difficult.
The data was difficult.
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You become sick of thinking.
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Now, I throw out the data.
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It's my dream to create new toys.
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And now, instead of data,
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I'm using a game called Shiritori
to come up with new ideas.
to come up with new ideas.
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I would like to introduce
this method today.
this method today.
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What is Shiritori?
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Take apple, elephant
and trumpet, for example.
and trumpet, for example.
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It's a game where
you take turns saying words
you take turns saying words
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that start with the last letter
of the previous word.
of the previous word.
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It's the same in Japanese and English.
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You can play Shiritori as you like:
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"neko, kora, raibu, burashi," etc, etc.
[Cat, cola, concert, brush]
[Cat, cola, concert, brush]
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Many random words will come out.
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You force those words to connect to what
you want to think of and form ideas.
you want to think of and form ideas.
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In my case, for example,
since I want to think of toys,
since I want to think of toys,
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what could a toy cat be?
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A cat that lands after doing
a somersault from a high place?
a somersault from a high place?
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How about a toy with cola?
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A toy gun where you shoot cola
and get someone soaking wet?
and get someone soaking wet?
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02:12
(Laughter)
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Ridiculous ideas are okay.
The key is to keep them flowing.
The key is to keep them flowing.
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The more ideas you produce, you're sure
to come up with some good ones, too.
to come up with some good ones, too.
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A brush, for example.
Can we make a toothbrush into a toy?
Can we make a toothbrush into a toy?
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We could combine
a toothbrush with a guitar and --
a toothbrush with a guitar and --
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(Music noises) --
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you've got a toy you can play with
while brushing your teeth.
while brushing your teeth.
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(Laughter) (Applause)
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Kids who don't like to brush
their teeth might begin to like it.
their teeth might begin to like it.
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02:41
Can we make a hat into a toy?
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How about something like a roulette game,
where you try the hat on one by one,
where you try the hat on one by one,
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and then, when someone puts it on,
a scary alien breaks through the top
a scary alien breaks through the top
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screaming, "Ahh!"
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I wonder if there would be
a demand for this at parties?
a demand for this at parties?
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Ideas that didn't come out while you stare
at the data will start to come out.
at the data will start to come out.
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Actually, this bubble wrap,
which is used to pack fragile objects,
which is used to pack fragile objects,
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combined with a toy,
made Mugen Pop Pop,
made Mugen Pop Pop,
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a toy where you can pop
the bubbles as much as you like.
the bubbles as much as you like.
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It was a big hit when it reached stores.
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Data had nothing to do with its success.
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Although it's only popping bubbles,
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it's a great way to kill time,
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so please pass this around
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amongst yourselves today and play with it.
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(Applause)
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Anyway, you continue to come up with
useless ideas.
useless ideas.
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Think up many trivial ideas, everyone.
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If you base your ideas on data analysis
and know what you're aiming for,
and know what you're aiming for,
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you'll end up trying too hard,
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and you can't produce new ideas.
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Even if you know what your aim is,
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think of ideas as freely as if you were
throwing darts with your eyes closed.
throwing darts with your eyes closed.
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If you do this, you surely will hit
somewhere near the center.
somewhere near the center.
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At least one will.
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That's the one you should choose.
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If you do so, that idea will be in demand
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and, moreover, it will be brand new.
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That is how I think of new ideas.
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It doesn't have to be Shiritori;
there are many different methods.
there are many different methods.
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You just have to choose words at random.
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You can flip through a dictionary
and choose words at random.
and choose words at random.
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For example, you could look up two
random letters and gather the results
random letters and gather the results
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or go to the store
and connect product names
and connect product names
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with what you want to think of.
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The point is to gather random words,
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not information from the category
you're thinking for.
you're thinking for.
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If you do this, the ingredients for
the association of ideas are collected
the association of ideas are collected
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and form connections
that will produce many ideas.
that will produce many ideas.
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The greatest advantage to this method
is the continuous flow of images.
is the continuous flow of images.
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Because you're thinking
of one word after another,
of one word after another,
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the image of the previous word
is still with you.
is still with you.
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That image will automatically
be related with future words.
be related with future words.
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Unconsciously, a concert will
be connected to a brush
be connected to a brush
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and a roulette game
will be connected to a hat.
will be connected to a hat.
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You wouldn't even realize it.
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You can come up with ideas that
you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
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This method is, of course,
not just for toys.
not just for toys.
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You can collect ideas for books, apps,
events, and many other projects.
events, and many other projects.
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I hope you all try this method.
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There are futures that are born from data.
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However, using this silly game
called Shiritori,
called Shiritori,
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I look forward to
the exciting future you will create,
the exciting future you will create,
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a future you couldn't even imagine.
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Thank you very much.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Shimpei Takahashi - Toy designerShimpei Takahashi thinks we should forget about analyzing data or sales figures and just come up with ideas -- lots and lots of ideas.
Why you should listen
Shimpei Takahashi has developed many toys for Bandai, including the popular Mugen Puchi Puchi, a game that exploits the universal love of popping bubble wrap. The toy received the Grand Prize "Trendy Toy" Award from the Japan Toy Association.
In 2005, Takahashi invented a board game called Simpei, while he also works in the digital realm, having designed the social gaming app, Onedari Wanko (Fawning Puppy).
Shimpei Takahashi | Speaker | TED.com