The document discusses the children's cartoon series "The Stinky and Dirty Show". It describes how the show teaches children problem-solving skills through the adventures of Stinky the garbage truck and Dirty the backhoe loader. They model approaches like understanding problems, learning from mistakes, changing perspectives, visualizing solutions, brainstorming with others, and testing prototypes. The show was praised for its ability to engage children in creative problem-solving.

1. • Legend has it that in the summer of 1994, as the production of Toy
Story was wrapping up, four Pixar creatives went to lunch to
brainstorm ideas for new projects.
• They sketched on napkins and teased out ideas for what would
become Wall-E, Monsters, Inc., A Bug’s Life, and Finding Nemo.

3. • The Stinky and Dirty Show is an Amazon Prime Video cartoon series
about the exploits of two friends: Stinky, a garbage truck, and Dirty, a
backhoe loader. The clue is in the names 🙂
• The cartoon series is based on the books of Jim and Kate McMullan
and was produced by Guy Toubes (thank you Guy!). It was shown for
the first time in the US in 2015.
• In each episode, the two unlikely heroes find themselves facing all
sorts of problems. The rest of the episode is about how the duo solve
these problems.
• The problem-solving aspect of the show caught the attention of
educator and “The Gift of Failure” author Jessica Lahey.
• Her opinion mirrors my own thoughts: “What I love about Stinky and
Dirty is their ability to learn by playing and trying to understand what
works and, as a teacher, I can say that this is the best way to learn”.

4. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Bc_6AuCLI&t=113s

5. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVZmnNPuvlg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtEAxm9TKKU

6. In 2017 the Parents’ Choice Award for Television gave The Stinky and
Dirty Show first prize. The program’s innovative approach to teaching
children problem-solving skills was noted:
THE STINKY AND DIRTY DESIGNER
The Stinky and Dirty duo teach children, and adults, how to confront
and solve problems through analysis and the use of available resources.
Stinky, the garbage truck and the most creative character, uses objects
he finds in his trash truck “body” and his beloved trash dump.
He makes do with what he has and wastes nothing. Dirty, on the other
hand, is the more rational member of the team who’s into controlling
processes.

7. • Stinky and Dirty’s adventures always involve a problem. The two
heroes then go about solving the problems and considering all the
challenges the problem-solving process poses. Their main aim,
though, is to understand the characteristics of the problem they face.

8. • LEARN FROM MISTAKES
• Stinky and Dirty use the same, efficient, approach to problem-solving
as children.
• The two friends make simple assumptions about the nature of the
problem.
• Indeed, by changing something, you begin to understand just what
the problem is.
• Stinky and Dirty then test their solutions with little experiments. That
they try and fail does not worry them.
• They keep on trying and eventually they are successful. What Stinky
and Dirty are doing is demonstrating how to learn from our
mistakes…

9. CHANGE PERSPECTIVE
• Very often Stinky and Dirty try to change how they look at a problem
to see it with new eyes.
• They put themselves in the shoes of others or ask themselves what
would happen if the circumstances were completely different.
• Maybe the writers of Stinky and Dirty are familiar with William James’
words: “Genius is none other than the ability to observe reality from
non-ordinary perspectives”.

10. DESCRIBE VISUALLY
Once you understand the characteristics of a problem, solutions
emerge. Using the most abundant of resources – the earth, Dirty often
uses sketches (and often Stinky)to help him to understand a problem.

11. DIVE IN AND FIND SOLUTIONS
• Only once the characteristics of a problem are clear is it
brainstorming time.
• Solving problems on one’s own is not easy. This is why brainstorming
sessions are so effective. As the old adage goes, a problem shared is a
problem halved. We can build on each other’s ideas. During the
cartoons, Dirty often goes quiet for a moment while he reflects on a
situation. Seeing what his chum is doing, Stinky says “I know what
you’re doing, you’re thinking! Let me help! Let me help”. A good idea
for those who sometimes forget others can’t read their minds!

12. • And this is the moment when Stinky and Dirty chant their magic
phrase “what if” – just the same as in the divergent phase of Design
Thinking.
• Judging others is not part of the brainstorming process. Instead, you
need to build freely upon each other’s ideas showing the utmost
mutual respect and always taking advantage of strengths as well as
using the resources that you have available at that precise moment.
Typically, in the case of Stinky and Dirty, this means junk!

13. • For Stinky and Dirty trash is a tool.

14. • Once they have found the solution, Stinky and Dirty never waste time.
They immediately build a prototype and test it to see if it works. If it
does not, they refine it until they have solved the problem. Thanks to
their high degree of problem-solving expertise, they often make new
friends in the process!

15. The Power of Images
• In 1970 Scientific American magazine published Ralph Haber's
research showing that individuals have a recognition accuracy of
images between 85 and 95 percent. There is a well-known quote, "A
picture is worth a thousand words".

16. What is a Mindmap?
• Mindmap is a data visualization technique to graphically establish
connections between several ideas or pieces of information.
• This technique involves writing down each idea and then linking this
idea to other related pieces by lines or curves.
• This results in a web of relationships.
• By analyzing & shifting these relationships, we can figure out the best
course of action & the expected outcomes. Using mind maps, we can
capture, classify, analyze and visualize complex ideas and concepts.

17. • Mind Mapping converts a long list of monotonous information into a
colorful, memorable and highly organized diagram that works in line
with your brain's natural way of doing things.

18. • All mindmaps have some commonalities.
• They have a natural organizational structure that radiates from the
center and use lines, symbols, words, color and images according to
simple, brain-friendly concepts.
• Hence, mind mapping converts monotonous information into
colorful, memorable & highly organized diagram that is in-line with
brain’s natural workings

19. • People have been using their mind maps for more than 40 years. Tony
Buzan, a renowned UK consultant and researcher, presented the
concept of mindmap in his book, Use Your Head in 1972.
• Initially, the concept was mainly to facilitate notes taking and idea
capturing. Since then, the concept has been improved and
popularized among businesses.
• Today, many business managers create and use visual maps to plan
projects and structure their ideas.

20. • The Five Essential Characteristics of Mind
Mapping:
• The main idea, subject or focus is crystallized
in a central image
• The main themes radiate from the central
image as 'branches'
• The branches comprise a key image or key
word drawn or printed on its associated line
• Topics of lesser importance are represented as
'twigs' of the relevant branch
• The branches form a connected nodal
structure

22. For example, a you can visualize clients’ purchase process by creating a
sales funnel mind map that identifies the factors that impact lead
generation, conversion and revenues. You can capture any
assumptions, quotes, estimates, recommendations, guidelines, and
other ideas that emerged from workshops & visually summarize this
information

23. • Here are more scenarios where Mind Maps could be of immense
help:
• Capturing ideas during brainstorming sessions
• Updating new scope items during the project lifecycle
• Review, refine, agree and improve project objectives and goals
• Design a visual representation of stakeholder relationships
• Mind Map the team structure with details on roles and
responsibilities
• Add notes and records to enrich your project map with additional
information

24. Fundamental Rights in India

26. • Is Mind Mapping Effective?
• A Johns Hopkins study indicates that students who utilize Mind
Mapping increase their grades by 12%.

27. Creative thinking
• Creative thinking is:
• A way of looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective
that suggests unorthodox solutions (which may look unsettling at
first).
• Creative thinking can be stimulated both by an unstructured process
such as brainstorming, and by a structured process such as lateral
thinking.

29. • Creativity is the ability of a person or group to make something new
and useful or valuable, or the process of making something new and
useful or valuable. It happens in all areas of life - science, art,
literature and music.
• Creativity is any act, idea, or product that changes an existing domain,
or that transforms an existing domain into a new one...What counts is
whether the novelty he or she produces is accepted for inclusion in
the domain.

30. • Three reasons why people are motivated to be creative:
• need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation
• need to communicate ideas and values
• need to solve problems

31. Ways that "creativity" is commonly used:
• Persons who express unusual thoughts, who are interesting and
stimulating - in short, people who appear to unusually bright.
• People who experience the world in novel and original ways. These
are (personally creative) individuals whose perceptions are fresh,
whose judgements are insightful, who may make important
discoveries that only they know about.
• Individuals who have changes our culture in some important way.
Because their achievement are by definition public, it is easier to
write about them. (e.g., Leonardo, Edison, Picasso, Einstein, etc.)

32. • Convergent thinking—Thinking that results in a single solution or
answer to a question or problem like MCQs
• Divergent Thinking—Thinking that opens things up and results in
many answers /possible solution to a single problem. Boosts
creativity.
• Eg like how many ways you can wear a scarf, use a fork etc

33. • Think of to use a brick. (You have two minutes)

34. • Think of to use a brick. (You have two minutes.

35. ?????

36. • Creativity is the ability to generate innovative ideas and manifest
them from thought into reality. The process involves original thinking
and then producing.

39. Creativity tools:
• Mind Maps
• Lateral thinking
• Change perspective

43. Graham Wallas was the first to create an
overview of a creative process
In the book The Art of Thought from 1926, Graham Wallas proposed
one of the first complete models of the creative process. Wallas
described how it consists of the four-stage process of preparation (or
saturation), incubation, illumination and verification (or
implementation). This 1920s’ theory continues to be highly cited
among professional design teams and in scholarly works on creativity.

44. Four Step Model of creativity

45. • Preparation: This first stage is all about gathering information. This is
the stage where you do user research and empathize with the users
in order to define the problem and your users’ needs. Some people
think that creative ideas just pop up from a vacuum, but creative
ideas are always solutions to a problem or a need. At this stage, you
also use various ideation methods to help you understand, attack and
build your design problem and creative idea from various angles. You
provoke your habitual thinking in order to better understand your
design problem, your idea and your design space.

46. • What is Ideation?
• Ideation is a creative process where designers generate ideas in
sessions (e.g., brainstorming, worst possible idea). It is the third stage
in the Design Thinking process. Participants gather with open minds
to produce as many ideas as they can to address a problem statement
in a facilitated, judgment-free environment.

47. • What is Design Thinking?
• Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to
understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and
create innovative solutions to prototype and test. Involving five
phases—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test—it is most
useful to tackle problems that are ill-defined or unknown.

48. • Nowadays, CEO’s and hiring managers across many disciplines are
calling on designers to improve their products or services.
• From consumer products, healthcare, travel, non-profit community
programs, and even self-improvement, design thinking has proven a
useful problem-solving tool for innovators and entrepreneurs alike.

49. • Incubation: At this stage, you take a step back from the problem and
allow your mind to wander to let it contemplate and work the
problem through. You nurture the unconscious thought process, for
example, by staying open to the ideas that come to you while you do
the dishes or go for a walk. You open your mind to all ideas—even the
crazy ones.

50. • Illumination: This is the third stage. This stage essentially describes
the classic “eureka!” or “aha” moment of insight. However, the fact
that illumination has an entire stage devoted to it shows that it’s
essentially not just a quick moment of insight and helps us
understand that it’s something we can—and should—work towards
achieving. The third stage is what most people think is a classic
characteristic of a creative person, but creativity is a process which
even the most seemingly unimaginative people can learn to manage
and nurture.

51. • Verification/implementation: At this fourth stage, you build on the
“aha” solution. You evaluate, analyze and build on your idea. You then
polish it to make sure that it’s both useful and novel. At this stage,
you would also often choose to prototype and test your idea in order
to find out if it meets the users’ needs which you defined at the
preparation stage—and, if so, polish it as needed.

52. Design thinking
• A designer’s biggest task is to identify and solve existing problems
with a product and leave users happier than they were before. At
times this task can seem overwhelming and hard to grasp.
The process of design thinking consists of five steps that designers
use to organize their information and find meaningful and successful
solutions to a problem. The design thinking steps go like this:

54. • Empathize: Understanding the user and the problems they face
through conducting user interviews, creating empathy maps, and
listening to user stories.
• Define: Organizing and analyzing the research information to produce
a concise problem statement and possible solution or hypothesis.
• Ideate: The brainstorming phase. Designers think of a wide variety of
possible solutions and evaluate each one.
• Prototype: Turning ideas into a physical representation of the product
that will solve the user’s needs, slowly adding greater detail and
complexity as designers move between testing and iteration.
• Test: Putting the prototype in the hands of the user and determining
whether the product has solved the problem at hand and reduced
friction or frustration.

56. • The idea behind design thinking is to keep the user in mind from
beginning to end. With the user at the forefront, designers can move
between these five design thinking steps to create problem solving
products with the potential to change industry standards and even
lives

57. Braun/Oral B Electric Toothbrush

58. • In 2016, Braun and Oral B recruited the expertise of designers Kim Colin and Sam Hecht,
founders of the London-based design studio Industrial Facility, to create a smarter
electric toothbrush.
• When they initially partnered with Braun and Oral B, the manufacturers suggested Colin
and Hecht design an electric toothbrush with a variety of sophisticated data-tracking
features including a music player, ways to sense how well the user’s were brushing every
single tooth, and even how sensitive their gums were.
• However, Hecht and Colin quickly advised them to think more about the customer’s
experience as opposed to their own vision for the product. They suggested how a few
simple additions to the brush could solve many of the frictions their user’s were
reporting. Hecht and Colin added on-the-go, USB charging and made it easier for user’s
to order replacement brush heads, both problems that Braun and Oral B consumers had
already expressed.
• The result was an exceptional product that took user feedback into consideration to
boost sales and increase customer loyalty.

60. Airbnb
• It’s hard to believe that the ever-successful start-up Airbnb was once making less
than $200 per week. What grew their revenue and transformed Airbnb into a
billion dollar business? Lots of experimentation, risk, and thinking outside of the
norm.
• Joe Gebbia and Paul Graham, co-founders of Airbnb, remember going over
numerous charts, graphs, and codes with their design team trying to find some
clue as to why their growth was nearly zero.
• It wasn’t until Gebbia began moving through the app like a user that he realized
why no one was wanting to book a stay—the pictures looked terrible! Without
any data to back their next decision, Graham and Gebbia decided to rent a
camera, travel to New York and spend some time with their customers to replace
the amateur photos with more professional-looking ones.
• A week later, their revenue nearly doubled. By taking a risk on a non-scalable
solution, Graham and Gebbia witnessed their dwindling start-up transform into a
thriving enterprise that revolutionized the travel industry.

61. • Whether it’s a new app, a community service, or a physical product,
the best thing you can do to innovate successfully is keep your user in
mind at every step in the design process. It can be tempting to create
a flashy, high-tech product.
• Instead, focus on what your users are asking for.
• It’s easy for designers to become disconnected from their user. Don’t
be afraid to take risks and immerse yourself in the lives of the people
who will actually interact with your product. Then implement their
feedback and test your results. Eventually you’ll land on that final
iteration with the potential to change the world around you.