Creative Thinking Process Toward Success cwhsuehcsie ntu edu

Creative Thinking Process Toward Success 薛智文 助理教授 台大資訊＆網媒所 cwhsueh@csie. ntu. edu. tw http: //www. csie. ntu. edu. tw/~cwhsueh/ “It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. ” - Robert H. Goddard 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 1

Outline • Information Overflow • 教育的未來 • Why this seminar? • Basic Elements of Successful R&D • Positioning your research • Developing a R&D road map • Getting Your Ideas across • Creative Thinking Process Workshop • Conclusion • Q&A 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 2

欲善其事、必先利其器 The entrance to graduate school marks a critical phase of transition for most graduate students from absorbing knowledge to creating knowledge… - Prof. Lui Sha, UIUC • To excel in research, we must sharpen our skills in • positioning R&D strategically • identifying and formulating high impact problems • communicating ideas and results effectively 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 3

Why this seminar? • Why you listen to anything? • Why you write your report that way? • 老生常談 • ？到 • ？道 • Instruct, Invite, Inspire Enable, Empower, Energize 劉炯朗, 我愛談天你愛笑 • Accept, Achieve, Accomplish 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 4

Cone of Learning (Edgar Dale) • After two weeks, we tend to remember: • Passive learning: • • 10% of what we read 20% of what we hear 30% of what we see (pictures) 50% of what we hear and see • Active learning: • 70% of what we say • 90% of what we say and do So we want you to say and do in this workshop The more energy that you put into a subject, the more you can remember. - Prof. Lui Sha, UIUC 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 6

3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 7

Level of Educational Objectives (B. S. Bloom) • Level 1: Knowledge: List, and recite • Level 2: Comprehension: Explain, and paraphrase • Level 3: Application: Calculate, solve, determine, and apply • Level 4: Analysis: Classify, categorize, derive, and model • Level 5: Synthesis: create, predict, construct, design, imagine, improve, and propose • Level 6: Evaluation: judge, critique, verify, and debate 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 8

R. Keith Sawyer • Innovation requires no special thought processes, says an expert. Creative people just work harder at it. • Ideas don’t magically appear in a genius’ head from nowhere. They always build on what came before. And collaboration is key. • Creative people have tons of ideas, many of them bad. The trick is to evaluate them and mercilessly purge the bad ones. But even bad ideas can be useful. from “The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind” Time Magazine, Jan. 16, 2006 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 9

Why You Should Learn Creative Thinking Process ? ! You don’t want to be the lower part of M-Society. (下流社會 -- 中產階級 蒸發了), Mar 15, 2006 • It’s your responsibility and duty as a person living in Taiwan. • Recognize yourself. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 10

What’s Next about Taiwan and You? • The World is FLAT. • Are we still in East Asian Four Tigers? • How could we compete with BRICs? • What is the role of Taiwan in the world? • Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) • Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) • Intellectual Property Creator (IPC) • What are you going to do after graduation? • • 3/2/2021 Be an engineer or a scientist? Be a professor? Be an enterpriser? Any else, for example… ? The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 12

Basic Elements of Successful R&D Active learning and thinking at higher levels • How to transit from lower levels of learning to higher levels of learning: a shift • from a focus on recites, apply, and solve • to a focus on categorize, critique, and create. • What are the habits that you plan to • Overcome? • Cultivate? 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 14

Basic Elements of Successful R&D 1. Positioning your research • What is gift and what is your gift? • To what degree it overlaps with your interests? • “May the force be with you”: what are forces in R&D that can help you? 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 15

Research Focus The path to success consists of three simple elements. Find what interests you 1 that you can do well 2, and is needed by the people 3. - Prof. Lui Sha, UIUC Gifts Interests Societal Needs Research Focus 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 16

Being Wisdom - Understanding Yourself Understand others is intelligence. Understand yourself is wisdom. - Lao Tze 知 人 者 智 ， 自 知 者 明 - 老子 • What is easier for you? • Writing a complex software program? • Proving a difficult theorem? • What excites the community at large and what excites you? • Does it play into your strength? 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 17

Basic Elements of Successful R&D 2. Developing a R&D road map • What is the role of concrete application scenarios in research? • How do you spot opportunities that could create new trends of R&D? • What is the key factor that makes a result significant? • What are the categories of research and their • Risks • Impacts 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 18

Creating an Exciting Application Scenario “As a mathematical discipline travels far from its empirical source, or still more, if it is a second and third generation only indirectly inspired by the ideas coming from ‘reality, ’ it is beset with very grave dangers. … that the stream, so far from its source, will separate into a multitude of insignificant branches, and that the discipline will become a disorganized mass of details and complexities. ” - John Von Neumann, “The Mathematician, ” 1957 • Exciting application scenarios will • motivate you, • expose the limitations of existing solutions, and • help you to focus your efforts. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 19

Thinking Out-of-Box Great advancements in science and engineering often are the repudiation (rejection) of generally accepted beliefs. - Anonymous • Most researchers/engineers are constrained by models and generally accepted assumptions of the real world. But our knowledge of the nature is never perfect, and the underlining technologies are rapidly changing. • Velocity of light is constant – embrace it as a low of physics and we have theory of relativity. • Clients request and server computes… -- Why not send some of the code to client instead? • E. g. , • Is TCP appropriate for wireless communication? • Is fairness a good metric for real-time computing? 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 20

Pick the Right Problems to Work on • What is the difference between a theorem and a homework problem to be proven by students? • Both were proven to be correct. • In fact, some homework problems are harder than some of theorems. • E. g. , stack scheduling protocol and priority ceiling protocol are easy but useful. • Therefore… If we decide to spend time on a problem, shouldn’t we work on a problem with greater potential impacts? Of course, you should persuade your advisor if you find a great impact topic. ^^ 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 21

Know What has been Done and Estimate the Impacts • New directions • Challenging long-held beliefs and pioneering a new path • Broad applicability • For the further development of theory • For solving practical problems • Unification / Integration • Proving a unifying structure or theory and give deeper understanding to seemingly diversified approaches • Advancement along an established line of inquires • You need to significantly improve performance, reliability, or scale. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 22

Basic Elements of Successful R&D 3. Getting Your Ideas across • How can we help audience understand your points? What should be made concise and what should be elaborated? • How can we make our presentations? ‧More informative ‧More interesting ‧More insightful - Prof. Lui Sha, UIUC 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 23

Impart an Understanding • Understanding is an act that builds a bridge between what your audience already know to what they need to know. • Focus on key ideas and key results, go from specific to general and from concrete to abstract. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 24

Managing Human “cache memory” • Human short term memory can only hold about 5 unfamiliar items • • Don’t load it up with unimportant details. Suppose you need to present an OS overhead formula unfamiliar to your audience, (2 S + …). • • Don’t say we now add “two S” to …. This forces others to remember what S means. Poor use of human short term memory. Say we add “round trip context switching time to…” • Think carefully about the new ideas you want your audience to absorb. • Keep them in the “cache” by periodic refreshing during your talk, until your audience “write the new ideas” into their long term memory. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 25

Techniques that help get ideas across Techniques that reduce “unfamiliarity” and help “write through”: ‧Read out the physical meaning of the terms. ‧Use analogy familiar to your audience. An ideal presentation is one that is: ‧Informative ‧Interesting ‧Insightful 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 26

Being Informative Inform: give new knowledge… • “New” is relative to your audience. • What they already know? • What they should know after your presentation? • What are the steps in-between? • For example: • Managers: the key ideas, expected impacts, and costs. • Experts: new challenges and new insights/results 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 27

Being Interesting: unexpected, counter intuitive, difficult to believe • Seemingly unimportant fact that actually holds the key • Seemingly true but it is in fact false • A “difficult” problem is solved with ease and elegance. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 28

Being Insightful Insight: impart a deeper understanding • Explain a seemingly complex and confusing problem in a way that is easy to understand. • Unearth hidden/unstated assumptions. And quickly put an argument to rest. • Show things in new angles, new lights and new forms and gain new understandings. • Demonstrate subtle but important connections/interdependencies between seemingly unrelated subjects. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 29

Syllabus • Meeting 0: Introduction • Meeting 1: Creative thinking process, case study, and team formation • Meeting 2: Presentation – each team should propose two potential research topics. • Meeting 3: Discussion and refinement • Meeting 4: Presentation (discussion, and refinement) – each team should further elaborate one research topic. • Meeting 5: Final presentation 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 30

Assignment • Each one has to prepare a five-minute presentation, which should introduce: • • 3/2/2021 The global trends that you think Your interests Your gifts/strengths The trends related to your interests or strengths The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 31

“The Creative Thinking Process” Workshop Meeting 1 Creativity is a mechanical and learnable process. - Prof. Lui Sha, UIUC 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 32

Creative Thinking Process • Identify potential research topics in the context of people’s gifts and interests. • Position the research focus on the intersection of your gifts, your interests, and societal needs. • Examine the Trends • • 3/2/2021 How the idea relates to the research trends? What are the key related works? How to spot opportunities that could create new trends? Look deeper into the Challenges • What can be solved by current technology? • What needs to be invented? • What is the estimated effort? • What is the key factor that makes a result significant? The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 33

Creative Thinking Process (Cont. ) • Estimate the Impacts • What are the categories of research and their risks/impacts? • new directions, unification/integration, broad applicability, incremental improvements. • Look ahead into the Future • What else will the future technology enable? • What are the new and exciting application scenarios that established technologies stop working? • What is truly hard and what can be removed from your design? • understand the true nature of constraints and separate the hard constraints from the soft ones. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 34

Creative Thinking Process (Cont) • Expand to a Device Family • A group of devices where each member is complemented and reinforced with each other. • What are their intrinsic characteristics? • What are their strength and limitations? • Layout an Elegant Architecture • Optimally use the advantages of each member. • Build Low Level Details • Publish papers and file patent. • Create new architectures, protocols, … • Prototype demonstration and identify industrial partners. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 35

End Products • From incremental improvements to existing architectures & product lines • To the creation of a new product line • architecturally different from the existing products • new form of information sharing and exchanging • enabled by emerging technologies 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 36

The Process to Find the Next-Wave Technology Details Trends gifts A New Architecture societal needs Product Line interests Research focus & next-wave technology Device Family 3/2/2021 Future Challenges Impacts The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 37

Creative Thinking Process Summary How the idea relates to research trends? Identify Potential Research Topics Trends Key related works Estimated efforts What needs to be invented? Challenges Look Deeper What can be solved by current technology? What are the key factor/cores? Expected impacts Creative Process -Mechanical -Learnable Impacts Nature of impacts New directions Broad applicability Unification/integration Incremental Look Further What else will the future technology enable? Extend to Device Family Role Setting for Each Member Elegant Architecture Intrinsic characteristics Strength and limitations Optimally use the advantages Build Low-Level Details 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 38

Successful Stories • Apple Computer Company • E-Ink Corporation • Discussion 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 39

Case 1 The Apple Computer Company Steven Wozniak and Steve Jobs had been friends in high school. They had both been interested in electronics, and both had been perceived as outsiders. They kept in touch after graduation, and both ended up dropping out of school and getting jobs working for companies in Silicon Valley. (Steven Wozniak for Hewlett. Packard, Steve Jobs for Atari) Apple Computer was born on April 1, 1976. At that time Jobs was 21 and Wozniak was 26. 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 40

Product History (1/2) 1976 Apple I 1977 Apple II 1983 Lisa / Lisa 2 / Mac XL 1984 Graphical User Interface (GUI) Macintosh 1987 Macintosh II 1989 Macintosh Portable 1991 Power Book 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 41

Product History (2/2) 1993 Newton Message Pad Macintosh Color Classic II 1994 Power Macintosh 1998 i. Mac 1999 i. Book 2004 i. Pod Mini 2007 i. Pod touch 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 42

Steve Jobs • He is the CEO of Apple Computer and the Chairman and CEO of Pixar Animation Studios. • He was stripped his duties in 1985. After that, he founded Ne. XT Computer. • In 1986, Steve Jobs bought Lucasfilm's computer graphics division from George Lucas for $10 million and named the new computer animation studio Pixar. • In 1996, Apple bought Ne. XT for $402 million, bringing Jobs back to the company he founded. • Stay hungry, stay foolish – 2007 Stanford 畢業 典禮 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 43

Case 2 The E-Ink Corporation Electronic Ink is a display technology designed to mimic the appearance of regular ink on paper. Unlike a conventional flat panel display, which uses a backlight to illuminate its pixels, electronic paper reflects light like ordinary paper and is capable of holding text and images indefinitely without drawing electricity or using processor power; as these resources are only required to change or erase the image. Sony Librie EBR-1000 EP, 2004 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 44

Technology Review Developed in 1997 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 45

Product Lines • High Resolution Displays • Segmented Displays 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 46

台灣軟體大廠 • 趨勢 • 病毒 • 防火牆 • 資安保險服務 • 訊連 • product • bundle • service • 聯發科 • driver • IC design • EM Service 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 47

Discussion • Please give us your opinions. • How to keep a company alive? • Does every creative product work? 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 48

Reference • http: //www. apple. com • http: //www. apple-history. com/ • http: //www. eink. com/ • http: //www. wikipedia. org/ 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 49

Homework 2 • Team formation – 2 to 4 people in a team • Select one possible research topic or new product. The slides should includes: • • The trend related to your topic Your topic or your product Target feature or system architecture Claimed goal (give us the killer application if possible) Key related work such as paper or data sheets The Strength of each member related to your topic Related issues and challenges when marching to the goal (rank the priority of these challenges) • List possible future technologies related to your topic in the future if needed • Expected Impacts 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 50

研院創意中心 • 魔境 水之械 廢土花盆 吸水泥土 光電共生原生植 物園 導電玻璃罐 影舞集 幸福科技 運動果汁機 innovation future before innovator 3/2/2021 moderate The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC adaptor 51

3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 52

3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 53

移動八大能力- 歐盟百大指標企業升遷要件 顯性能力 45% 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 55

好點子從哪裡來？- 2006 全球CEO意見調查 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 62

Conclusion • 台灣製造 台灣創造 • 削弱填鴨式補習文化 • 重要的不是創新 而是有用的創新 – 李開復 • 創意心法 – 研院 • neuro-linguistic programming • 絕不是靠運氣 – Eliyahu M. Goldratt • Innovation = invention ＋ insight • 個人成功要件 • skills + expertise + intrinsic motivation (passion) • 團隊成功要件 • people + product + press （氛圍） + platform 3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 63

Q&A • How to be an architect? • • How to think （out-of-box) ? • • recognize yourself, respect others 思考的技術 – 大前研一 What is the main problem of Taiwan industry? • culture • What is T S M C? • Why is your theses topic? SIG? • What is 8 100 13 150 16 400? • What is 20 10 30 100 40 1000 50 x ? • What to do next? • • • 3/2/2021 PNP = NPP ? Real-Taiwan OS mu-Department NUWeb … The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 64

3/2/2021 The Creative Thinking Process @CS. NPIC 65