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Constraint-Based Creativity Template

Workflow

Copy this checklist and track your progress:

Constraint-Based Creativity Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Gather inputs and clarify the creative challenge
- [ ] Step 2: Select or design 1-3 strategic constraints
- [ ] Step 3: Generate 20+ ideas within constraints
- [ ] Step 4: Evaluate and refine top solutions
- [ ] Step 5: Document and validate

Step 1: Gather inputs and clarify the creative challenge

Ask user for problem/creative challenge, context (what's been tried, why stuck), success criteria, existing constraints (real limitations), and preferred constraint types (if any). Use Input Questions to gather comprehensive context.

Step 2: Select or design 1-3 strategic constraints

If existing constraints → Work within them creatively. If no constraints → Design strategic ones using Constraint Selection Guide. Maximum 3 constraints to avoid paralysis. Document constraint rationale in the output file.

Step 3: Generate 20+ ideas within constraints

Use Idea Generation Techniques to produce volume. Document ALL ideas including "failures" - they contain insights. Aim for 20+ ideas minimum before evaluating. Quality comes after quantity.

Step 4: Evaluate and refine top solutions

Apply Evaluation Framework to select strongest 2-3 ideas. Refine by combining elements, removing complexity, and strengthening the constraint-driven insight. Document why these solutions stand out.

Step 5: Document and validate

Create constraint-based-creativity.md file with complete documentation. Validate using Quality Checklist before delivering. Ensure constraint-creativity causality is explained.

Input Questions

Ask the user to provide:

1. Creative Challenge:

What needs solving, creating, or improving?
What's the core problem or opportunity?

2. Context:

What's been tried already? Why didn't it work?
Why does ideation feel stuck or stale?
What assumptions are currently in place?

3. Success Criteria:

What does a good solution look like?
How will you know if the constraint-based approach worked?
Are there measurable goals (cost, time, engagement)?

4. Existing Constraints (Real Limitations):

Budget limitations? (exact amount)
Time constraints? (deadline)
Technical limitations? (platform, tools, compatibility)
Material/resource limitations? (team size, equipment)
Regulatory/policy constraints? (legal, compliance)

5. Constraint Preferences (Optional):

Are there specific constraint types that interest you? (resource, format, rule-based, technical, perspective)
Any constraints you want to avoid?
Preference for tight vs loose constraints?

Quick Template

Create file: constraint-based-creativity.md

# Constraint-Based Creativity: [Project Name]

## Problem Statement

[What creative challenge needs solving? Why is it important?]

## Context

**What's been tried:** [Previous approaches and why they didn't work]

**Why we're stuck:** [Pattern that needs breaking - e.g., "All ideas feel incremental" or "Default to expensive solutions"]

**Success criteria:** [What makes a solution successful? Measurable if possible]

## Active Constraints

**Constraint 1: [Type] - [Specific Limitation]**
- Rationale: [Why this constraint will unlock creativity]
- Enforcement: [How we'll ensure it's respected]

**Constraint 2: [Type] - [Specific Limitation]**
- Rationale: [Why this constraint matters]
- Enforcement: [How we'll check compliance]

**Constraint 3 (if applicable): [Type] - [Specific Limitation]**
- Rationale: [Strategic purpose]
- Enforcement: [Validation method]

## Idea Generation Process

**Technique used:** [e.g., Rapid listing, SCAMPER within constraints, Forced connections]

**Volume:** Generated [X] ideas in [Y] minutes

**Mindset:** [Notes on staying within constraints vs urge to bend rules]

## All Ideas Generated

1. [Idea 1 - brief description]
   - Constraint compliance: ✓/✗
   - Initial assessment: [Quick gut reaction]

2. [Idea 2]
   - Constraint compliance: ✓/✗
   - Initial assessment:

[Continue for all 20+ ideas...]

## Insight from "Failed" Ideas

[Document ideas that broke constraints or didn't work - what did they reveal?]

## Top Solutions (Refined)

### Solution 1: [Name/Title]

**Description:** [Detailed explanation of the solution]

**How constraints shaped it:** [Explain causality - this solution wouldn't exist without the constraints because...]

**Strengths:**
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]
- [Strength 3]

**Implementation notes:** [How to execute this]

**Risks/Limitations:** [What could go wrong or where it falls short]

### Solution 2: [Name/Title]

**Description:** [Detailed explanation]

**How constraints shaped it:** [Constraint-creativity causality]

**Strengths:**
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]

**Implementation notes:** [Execution plan]

**Risks/Limitations:** [Honest assessment]

### Solution 3 (if applicable): [Name/Title]

[Same structure as above]

## Evaluation

**Constraint compliance:** All top solutions fully respect the imposed limitations

**Novelty assessment:** These solutions are [novel/somewhat novel/incremental] because [reasoning]

**Problem fit:** Solutions address the original challenge by [explanation]

**Actionability:** [Can these be implemented? What resources needed?]

## Creative Breakthrough Explanation

[Explain how the constraints drove the creativity. What thinking pattern did they break? What unexpected angle did they reveal? Why wouldn't these solutions exist in unconstrained brainstorming?]

## Next Steps

1. [Immediate action]
2. [Follow-up action]
3. [Testing/validation plan]

## Self-Assessment (using rubric)

[Score against rubric criteria before delivering to user]

Constraint Selection Guide

If user has existing constraints (real limitations):

Accept and amplify: Make the constraint tighter to force more creativity
- Budget is $5K → Challenge: "Design for $1K"
- Timeline is 2 weeks → Challenge: "Ship in 3 days"
Add complementary constraint: Pair resource constraint with format constraint
- Low budget + "No text, visuals only"
- Short timeline + "Using existing tools only"

If user has no constraints (brainstorming is just stuck):

Diagnose the stuck pattern:
- Ideas too complex? → Add simplicity constraint ("Maximum 3 features")
- Ideas too conventional? → Add rule-based constraint ("Can't use industry standard approach")
- Ideas too similar? → Add perspective constraint ("Design for opposite audience")
Choose constraint type strategically:

Stuck Pattern	Recommended Constraint	Example
Too complex/feature-bloated	Resource or Format	"One-page explanation" or "$100 budget"
Too conventional	Rule-based	"Can't use competitor's approach" or "No best practices"
Too similar to each other	Technical or Medium	"Text-based only" or "Works offline"
Too vague/abstract	Format	"Explain in 6 words" or "Show with single image"
Too incremental	Historical or Audience	"Design as if it's 1990" or "For 5-year-olds"

Apply the "1-3 rule":
- 1 constraint: Safe, good for first-timers
- 2 constraints: Sweet spot for most challenges
- 3 constraints: Maximum before over-constraining
- 4+ constraints: Usually paralyzes creativity (avoid)

Idea Generation Techniques

Technique 1: Rapid Constraint-Compliant Listing

Set timer for 15 minutes
List every idea that respects constraints, no matter how wild
Don't judge or refine - just capture volume
Aim for 30+ ideas in timeboxed session
Good for: Getting unstuck quickly

Technique 2: Constraint-Focused SCAMPER

Apply SCAMPER prompts while respecting constraints:
- Substitute: What can replace X (within constraints)?
- Combine: What can merge (within constraints)?
- Adapt: What can we adapt from elsewhere (within constraints)?
- Modify: What can we change (within constraints)?
- Put to other use: Different purpose (within constraints)?
- Eliminate: What can we remove (constraint might already do this)?
- Reverse: What can we flip (within constraints)?
Good for: Systematic exploration

Technique 3: Forced Connections

Pick 3 random elements (objects, concepts, brands)
Force connection between challenge + random element + constraint
Example: "App redesign" + "Coffee shop" + "No images" = Text-based app with coffee shop naming metaphors
Good for: Breaking patterns completely

Technique 4: Constraint Escalation

Start with mild constraint, generate 5 ideas
Tighten constraint, generate 5 more
Tighten again, generate 5 more
Example: "$10K budget" → "$1K budget" → "$100 budget"
Good for: Finding the creative sweet spot

Technique 5: The "Yes, And" Game

Build on each idea while adding constraint layer
Idea 1: "Simple landing page"
Yes, and (constraint): "...with no images, text only"
Yes, and: "...using only questions, no statements"
Yes, and: "...in under 50 words"
Good for: Progressive refinement

Evaluation Framework

Phase 1: Constraint Compliance Check

For each idea, verify:

Respects ALL imposed constraints (no "bending" or exceptions)
Uses constraint as feature, not workaround (embraces limitation)
Would be eliminated in unconstrained brainstorming (proves constraint drove it)

Eliminate any ideas that fail these checks.

Phase 2: Problem-Solution Fit

For remaining ideas, assess:

Addresses the original creative challenge
Meets success criteria (if measurable)
Is actionable with available resources
Differentiates from existing approaches

Rank ideas by problem fit.

Phase 3: Novelty Assessment

For top-ranked ideas, evaluate:

Novel (5): Completely unexpected angle, wouldn't exist without constraint
Fresh (4): Interesting twist on existing concept, constraint made it distinctive
Improved (3): Better version of known approach, constraint forced refinement
Incremental (2): Slight variation, constraint didn't add much
Derivative (1): Essentially same as existing, constraint was superficial

Select ideas scoring 4-5 for refinement.

Phase 4: Refinement

For selected ideas:

Combine elements: Can you merge strengths from multiple ideas?
Subtract complexity: Remove anything non-essential
Strengthen constraint insight: Make the constraint-creativity link more explicit
Add implementation details: How would this actually work?
Acknowledge limitations: Where does this solution fall short?

Quality Checklist

Before delivering constraint-based-creativity.md to user, verify:

Constraint Integrity:

Constraints are clearly stated and rationalized
All top solutions genuinely respect constraints (no cheating)
Constraint enforcement was rigorous during ideation
Document includes 1-3 constraints (not over-constrained)

Idea Volume:

Generated 20+ ideas minimum
Documented "failed" ideas and insights
Showed quantity before quality approach
Timeboxed generation to avoid perfectionism

Solution Quality:

Selected 2-3 strongest solutions
Solutions are novel (not incremental variations)
Solutions solve the original problem
Solutions are actionable (not just conceptual)
Strengths and limitations are honestly assessed

Creative Causality:

Explanation of HOW constraints drove creativity
Clear link between limitation and breakthrough
Wouldn't exist in unconstrained brainstorming
Identified what thinking pattern was broken

Documentation:

Problem statement is clear
Context explains why stuck/what's been tried
Success criteria are stated
All ideas documented (including volume metrics)
Next steps are actionable

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Bending constraints mid-process

Symptom: "This constraint is too hard, can we adjust it?"
Fix: Constraint difficulty is the point. Breakthroughs happen when you can't take the easy path.

Pitfall 2: Accepting incremental ideas

Symptom: Ideas that are slight variations of existing approaches
Fix: Use novelty assessment. If it scores < 4, keep generating.

Pitfall 3: Over-constraining

Symptom: Zero ideas generated, complete creative paralysis
Fix: Reduce to 1-2 constraints max. Add constraints progressively, not all at once.

Pitfall 4: Arbitrary constraints

Symptom: Constraint has no relationship to the creative block
Fix: Choose constraints strategically (see Constraint Selection Guide). Constraint should counter the stuck pattern.

Pitfall 5: Skipping volume phase

Symptom: Evaluating/refining ideas before generating quantity
Fix: Force 20+ ideas before any judgment. Set timer and don't stop early.

Pitfall 6: Missing the causality

Symptom: Can't explain how constraint drove the creativity
Fix: If solution could exist without constraint, it's not constraint-based creativity. Keep generating.

Pitfall 7: Confusing constraint-based with regular brainstorming

Symptom: Treating constraints as optional or as framing device only
Fix: Constraints must be enforced rigorously. They're not suggestions.

Pitfall 8: Stopping at conceptual

Symptom: Solutions are interesting but not actionable
Fix: Add implementation notes. Verify solution can actually be executed.

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