So, what is this creative process we hear about all the time in Destination Imagination® (DI) and why is it important?
The mission of Destination Imagination®:
“To inspire and equip youth to imagine and innovate through the creative process”
One of the goals of the DI Challenge program is to give students the chance to learn, experience, and work within the components of the creative process.
It is through this process that leads to new and innovative outcomes.
The creative process as it relates to the DI Challenge program*:
RECOGNIZE
- Becoming aware of the Challenge
- Gaining an in-depth understanding of the Challenge
IMAGINE
- Generating ideas with team members
- Focusing on promising ideas
- Creating a project timeline
INITIATE & COLLABORATE
- Researching, exploring and experimenting
- Committing to options
- Building and completing all requirements
ASSESS
- Assessing progress
- Reworking or reimagining ideas
- Practicing presenting the solution
EVALUATE & CELEBRATE
- Presenting at a tournament
- Reflecting on and celebrating the experience
While the term process implies a linear concept, the creative process in DI is anything but! Teams will likely go back and forth between the stages multiple times. As a matter of fact, the more loops around the process a team takes, chances are the more innovative their solution could be!
Remember the phrase, ‘think outside the box’?
“The creative process gets thoughts out of that box!”
Why is this important?
As a Challenge solution evolves and improves through these stages of development, a DI participant’s critical and creative thinking skills will also grow and evolve. Team members who develop an understanding of the creative process can more effectively approach problems and take solutions to the next level.
In 2013, DI added a Tournament Data Form (TDF) where teams are asked to actively reflect on and assess the creative process throughout the season. This can help them better articulate the process they used to achieve their solution when speaking with Appraisers.
The creative process beyond DI
These same skill sets can also benefit a participant’s ability to succeed at a job interview. For example, when interviewing potential employees, many employers often ask the interviewee to explain how they would go about solving a problem, as well as ask questions that can be used to gauge his or her teamwork skills. Skills learned through reflection and self-assessment can help an individual confidently answer these types of interview questions.
Skills such as reflection and self-assessment are integral to 21st century readiness and can enable students to develop new, creative abstractions. Abstract thinking allows us to consider concepts beyond what we observe physically, and it is through this process that leads to new and innovative outcomes. Exactly what employers and organizations are looking for!
As you can see the creative process supports DI’s vision:
“Ignite the power of ALL youth to be the creative and collaborative innovators of tomorrow.”
*Source: Destination Imagination, Inc., 2021, 2021-22 Roadmap, Accessed: September 12, 2021,<https://resources.destinationimagination.org/resources.php>