🛠 Having ideas {

Learning how to program is one thing, learning to have ideas for what to make is another. Let’s look at some ways to come up with ideas.

In this module

• What is a good idea?
• Using a timer
• Starting with an example
• Starting with a prompt
• Making variations
• Asking for help

What is a good idea?

A good idea is something that

1. You can confidently imagine how to execute (with help of course) (e.g. it has to be doable)
2. You can stay interested in for the duration of the project (e.g. there is nothing worse than being bored by your own idea)
3. Isn’t just an example of a genre (e.g. “I’ll just make a platformer”)
4. Reflects your personal sensibility (e.g. it could only have been made by you - are you funny? deep? weird? It should be in there)
5. Is simple (e.g. don’t make it complicated, make it clear)

So, you can just sit down and have ideas, but sometimes it helps to have a specific technique. Here are a few… ideas…

Using a timer

Set a timer for 10 minutes and generate 50 ideas. That’s one idea every 12 seconds. This will importantly give you no time to second guess yourself. Just throw down ideas as fast as possible and don’t worry about their quality. It’s all about quantity.

Use something like this interval timer to set up a 12 second (or other length) interval and run it until you have your 50 (or other number of) ideas. Using the “clapping” sound effect is recommended for maximum self-esteem!

When you’re done, revisit the ideas and figure out which ones appeal to you. Develop them further.

Starting with an example

Is there an example from the course (or elsewhere) that resonates with you? Could you make it the starting point of your own process? Sometimes this can combine well with other approaches because it gives you some constraints on what kind of thing you’re going to be making.

• Course examples
• p5 examples
• Open Processing examples

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
Only work with examples you understand!
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

Starting with a prompt

If your brain is really feeling dry and uninspired, consider getting a prompt of some kind that you can react to. There are lots of examples of you could use, such as:

• Load a random wikipedia page and try to imagine how you could make a simple interactive experience that reflects it somehow
• Roll some story dice and think about what kind of program could incorporate them all
• Use a game idea generator to give you constraints like settings and “mechanics” (though remember to keep it simple)
• Stare confusedly an one of the Oblique Strategies by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt

Making variations

One generative way to create an interesting project is to take a pre-existing experience and to make variations on that original. That way you get the constraints of an entire experience and can focus on novel ways of making it different. Pippin is obsessed with this:

• PONGS
• SNAKISMS, Let’s Snake: Ancient Greek Punishment, Sibilant Snakelikes
• BREAKSOUT, Indie Bungle 2: Breakout Indies
• Chesses, Chesses 2, Chesses 3, Chogue, Best Chess, Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Chess Edition

Asking for help

Tried all that and still stuck? Talk to someone else! Classmates, the TA, the instructor, your cat! Ask for help.

Summary

When you’re having ideas you need quantity and then quality. Try to let yourself feel free to have any idea and then worry about it later.

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