A Technique for Producing Ideas: The simple, five-step formula anyone can use to be more creative in business and in life! Paperback – July 22, 2009

It was a great read. I found this book referenced in another publication on sparking ideas and took a Segway into James Webb Young’s book. The biggest take away for me is exposing myself to new experiences (directly and vicariously) and masticating the collected information to generate new ideas.Quick read, the language is a bit dated but it was written in 1965 (I believe this was the date). The modern day version of this book would’ve easily been a 3 page blog.I recommend this for any creative looking to get “back to basics” to create.

Short read, but very insightful and easy to test. Thank you James Webb young. Keep leading the way for all of us sir

I suppose this is either dated or just not that deep. Look up Design Thinking books to get a better sense of how to be user oriented and how to go wide, generate ideas, and then narrow in with stakeholder and end user feedback.

This booklet (28 pages) was originally published in 1940 and some new material was added twenty years later. The Foreword to the edition I have (published by Waking Lion Press in 2009) was provided by William Bernbach (1911-1982), one-time chairman and CEO of what was Doyle Dane Bernbach, then renowned for many of the greatest ads in the 20th century. The booklet's author, James Webb Young (1886-1973), added a "Prefatory Note" in 1960. His first publication, How To Become An Advertising Man (1963), focuses on core concepts that every ad practitioner and copywriter should know:o Knowledge of Propositionso Knowledge of Marketso Knowledge of Messageso Knowledge of Message Carrierso Knowledge of Trade Channelso Knowledge of How Advertising Workso Knowledge of The Specific SituationToday, these core concepts continue to provide the "basics" on which all effective marketing depends when attempting to create or increase demand for the given product and/or service and multi-media advertising is without doubt advertising's most powerful resource. However, for at least the past 75 years, everything begins with a compelling idea.In A Technique for Producing Ideas, Webb offers what he characterizes as a "simple, five-step formula anyone can use to be more creative in business and in life! " Although the process itself is indeed simple, completing it to achieve the given results is a wholly different matter. Webb's focus is on the process by which to generate ideas. "They appear just as suddenly above the surface of the mind [like a lovely atoll above the surface of a deep blue sea]; and with that same air of magic and unaccountability. But the scientist knows that the South Sea atoll is the work of countless, unseen coral builders, working below the surface of the sea." Keep in mind that Webb developed or encountered this insight decades ago.The details of the five-step "formula are best revealed in context, within the narrative. I will suggest now, however, that (a) this booklet is by no means relevant only to advertising or even to business in general, and (b) it can help almost anyone to develop more and better ideas when seeking a solution to a problem or an answer to a question. Because Webb thinks and writes so clearly, the booklet offers the additional benefit of helping its reader to reduce (if not eliminate) all the "clutter" in the mind that accumulates relentlessly over time.

I read about this in a wonderful curated blog called "Brain Pickings." I suggest anyone who enjoys life, literature and just plain thinking, will enjoy it. Years ago, too, I attended a great class through UCLA Extension on the Creative Process. Taught by a psychologist, he outlined over the course of weeks, what this book distills in a few pages. Not that I didn't like that class (I did, a lot), but reading a short book beats weeks in a classroom every time.The most important part of this process, as far as I can tell, is what I'd call the incubation period - where you take your focus off your problem or issue and just allow the creative process to work. That's really hard for many of us because we don't trust that this process CAN work or WILL work for us on our problem or issue. That strikes me as normal and human and yet, because I have a hard time with this too, rather sad in a way. One way I try to overcome this is to keep some sort of meditation habit in force which just helps me calm the part of my mind that doesn't believe in either the benevolence or at the very least, neutrality, of the universe. Which it seems to me, the creative process, is a big part of.This book closes with a truth - people reading this will be enthused at first and then not use the process. Oh, maybe once or twice, but over time they'll forget it. I agree with this, but I'm determined to be more active in inviting in the muse to help me creatively. I strongly suggest that you read this, practice, and have fun with it!

I was surprised to see the length of the book 46 pages, but it was written in an easily understandable way, it makes sense the idea producing process. I am motivated to try!

Clear, simple and interesting, this book gives us the willing to open up and believe that everyone has the power of creating.

If you've ever wondered how creative marketing people come up with their ideas, this book is for you.It takes you through a five step process which will probably feel very familiar. I suspect you have experienced the phenomenon where ideas just pop into your head when you're taking a shower, walking your dog or you wake up in the middle of the night. This is the result of your subconscious putting threads together.The book takes a few steps backwards and explains how you have to prepare the ground before you can reap the harvest.It is rightly regarded as an advertising classic but I should warn you it was published many years ago. While the book talks about using index cards and scrapbooks, you may prefer to use modern methods of data storage and manipulation.If you're involved in creative advertising or copywriting, this is a book that you should read regularly to remind yourself of the good practices involved.Paul Simister is a business coach who helps business owners who are stuck, get unstuck.

The first thing you cannot help but notice is the size of the book. It is very short and pocket sized. But, each page is packed with very well written advise.There are only 5 steps to churning out new ideas and the author clearly explains how this works. Like a lot of books in this area, the real progress comes from application. If you picked up a diet book you would expect some form of cutting down on calories and getting more exercise. This book is no different, you have to do something to get progress.Don't try and shortcut his system, it works as a continuous process. A very simple tool that many advertising folks use is the swipe file. They store useful letters and adverts for ideas and later use. The author recognises this and encourages you to get curious about your subject.I now keep this with me during the week. It is a book I re-read on a very regular basis. If you work in an idea based job, this is essential reading.

This is a very short book, and half of that is waffle. Despite this, I think that it contains some very valuable information. In the remaining short space it describes a process for generating ideas that fits in with, describes, and extends, what I have seen mentioned in passing in other peoples accounts of their experiences and once upon a time experienced - for a short time - myself. I recommend it. In fact, the cost in time and money is so small that I recommend it even if you violently disagree with every word in the book, because just thinking about this subject again is worth that very small expense.