The hybrid chart, is a slightly more structured way to think creatively. As many (if not all) other techniques for creative thought processing and innovation this technique provokes you to think in extremes, that will then eventually affect your design. The thought is that an extremum will merely pull your general design a bit in its direction, thus keeping your design within an element of reason whilst forcing it to go new directions.

This technique was introduced to me during a lecture at ITU, and proceeds as follows. First of all you create a chart consisting of 5 rows and columns. In each of the middle 3 upper cells you write 1 word, which you wish to have associated with your subject. In each of the 3 middle cells to the right you find a random image. There are no restrictions nor requirements for these images, just that they are more or less random. In each of the 3 central bottom cells you now write 1 random word, and last of you write 1 word in each of the central left cells, that you think describes your person.

These random words and images can be found by going onto a news site and picking the second word in each of the news titles, or you could open up a magazine and simply point your finger in an article and chose that word.

(obviously this technique can be varied and adapted widely, as the central issue here is the process of creating the hybrids rather than determining your periphere words and pictures)

Now if everything went as it should, you should now be left with a chart looking somewhat like the above. Now the real task comes, and that is to try and combine the words and images in the cells where they cross-over, if any combinations appear in your mind that combine all 4 words and picture, then that’s great – however that’s not the essential issue here, the goal of the technique is to help you see otherwise hidden connections between seemingly disconnected subjects. For instance “Random word 2″ and “Word about you 1″ may give you an idea for an edgy and rememberable self-promotion, in which case you write down the idea or descriptive word in the cell where the previously mentioned column and row meet.

What I personally like about this technique is the combination of self-related words and random ones, that (once you get started) can turn out to give you some great ideas.