Shimpei Takahashi: Play this game to come up with original ideas

譯者: 家平 林 審譯者: Wang-Ju Tsai

Hello.

各位好。

I'm a toy developer.

我是一名玩具研發員。

With a dream of creating new toys that have never been seen before,

一直以來我都夢想著創造出 前無古人後無來者般的新玩具，

I began working at a toy company nine years ago.

於是九年前，我開始 在一家玩具公司上班。

When I first started working there,

當我剛入職的時，

I proposed many new ideas to my boss every day.

我每天都向上司提出許多新點子。

However, my boss always asked

可是我的上司總會問我，

if I had the data to prove it would sell,

是否有數據能夠證明 這些產品賣得出去，

and asked me to think of product development after analyzing market data.

並且要求我分析了市場數據之後 才開始考慮產品的研發。

Data, data, data.

數據，數據，還是數據。

So I analyzed the market data before thinking of a product.

於是我便先分析市場數據， 再考慮產品研發。

However, I was unable to think of anything new at that moment.

然後，我當時根本想不出任何新點子。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

My ideas were unoriginal.

我的想法都不是原創的。

I wasn't getting any new ideas and I grew tired of thinking.

我想不到新點子， 並且開始厭倦了思考。

It was so hard that I became this skinny.

那段時間真是折磨啊， 我都瘦成這樣了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's true. (Applause)

是真的哦。（掌聲）

You've all probably had similar experiences and felt this way too.

或許在座各位都有過 類似的經歷和相同的感受。

Your boss was being difficult. The data was difficult.

你的上司很難取悅， 而數據又難以分析。

You become sick of thinking.

你開始厭倦思考。

Now, I throw out the data.

現在，我要拋開數據。

It's my dream to create new toys.

我的夢想是創造出新玩具。

And now, instead of data,

但是現在，我不用市場數據，

I'm using a game called Shiritori to come up with new ideas.

而是用一個叫做 Shiritori 的遊戲， 來想出新點子。

I would like to introduce this method today.

今天我想把這個方法介紹給大家。

What is Shiritori?

Shiritori （文字接龍）是什麼？

Take apple, elephant and trumpet, for example.

就拿蘋果、大猩猩、喇叭 這三個詞舉例。

It's a game where you take turns saying words

在這個遊戲裡，你們要輪流 說出一系列的日語詞彙，

that start with the last letter of the previous word.

而新詞彙的第一個音節 必須是前一個詞彙的最後一個音節。

It's the same in Japanese and English.

這個遊戲在日語和英語裡都可以玩。

You can play Shiritori as you like:

你可以以你喜歡的方式玩 Shiritori：

"neko, kora, raibu, burashi," etc, etc. [Cat, cola, concert, brush]

“neko, kora, raibu, burashi, ” 諸如此類 [日語：貓，可樂，演奏會，刷子]

Many random words will come out.

許多看似隨機的詞彙就會蹦出來。

You force those words to connect to what you want to think of and form ideas.

你將這些詞彙與你想要思考的東西 聯繫起來，然後形成新點子。

In my case, for example, since I want to think of toys,

就拿我自己來說， 我想要思考和玩具有關的，

what could a toy cat be?

一個玩具貓可以是什麼樣的呢？

A cat that lands after doing a somersault from a high place?

一個可以從高空中翻筋斗、 然後安然著地的貓咪？

How about a toy with cola?

帶可樂的玩具，這個主意如何？

A toy gun where you shoot cola and get someone soaking wet?

一把可以用來發射可樂、 把別人弄成落湯雞的玩具槍？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Ridiculous ideas are okay. The key is to keep them flowing.

哪怕是荒唐的想法也沒關係， 關鍵是要一直有新點子。

The more ideas you produce, you're sure to come up with some good ones, too.

你能想出的新點子越多， 你就一定會有好點子。

A brush, for example. Can we make a toothbrush into a toy?

比如說，一把刷子。 我們能不能將牙刷做成玩具呢？

We could combine a toothbrush with a guitar and --

我們可以將牙刷與吉他結合， 結果就是 ﹣

(Music noises) --

（音樂響起） ﹣

you've got a toy you can play with while brushing your teeth.

你刷牙的時候就有玩具可以玩啦。

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑聲）（掌聲）

Kids who don't like to brush their teeth might begin to like it.

不喜歡刷牙的小孩可能會愛上刷牙哦。

Can we make a hat into a toy?

我們能不能把帽子做成玩具呢？

How about something like a roulette game, where you try the hat on one by one,

俄羅斯輪盤怎麼樣？ 你們可以輪流戴上帽子，

and then, when someone puts it on, a scary alien breaks through the top

然後輪到某個人時， 突然有個可怕的外星生物衝破帽頂，

screaming, "Ahh!"

尖叫道，“啊！”

I wonder if there would be a demand for this at parties?

我猜想，各類派對會不會 對這樣的產品有需求呢？

Ideas that didn't come out while you stare at the data will start to come out.

你盯著數據看時無法獲取的想法， 這樣一來便輕而易舉地出現了。

Actually, this bubble wrap, which is used to pack fragile objects,

實際上，用來保護易碎物品的氣泡膜

combined with a toy, made Mugen Pop Pop,

可以與玩具結合，成為「無窮氣泡」，

a toy where you can pop the bubbles as much as you like.

你就可以隨心所欲地按壓上面的氣泡。

It was a big hit when it reached stores.

這個產品上架時便大紅大紫。

Data had nothing to do with its success.

它的成功和數據無關。

Although it's only popping bubbles,

儘管這個玩具只不過是擠壓氣泡而已，

it's a great way to kill time,

它不失為一個消磨時間的好方法，

so please pass this around

所以請四處傳遞一下這個玩具，

amongst yourselves today and play with it.

以供在座各位賞玩。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Anyway, you continue to come up with useless ideas.

但不管怎樣，你還是 會有一些無用的想法。

Think up many trivial ideas, everyone.

各位，想想那些不值一提的小點子。

If you base your ideas on data analysis and know what you're aiming for,

如果你只將點子基於數據分析， 始終清楚地盯著一個目標看，

you'll end up trying too hard,

那你一定會努力過了頭，

and you can't produce new ideas.

反而想不出什麼新點子。

Even if you know what your aim is,

即使你清楚地了解自己的目標，

think of ideas as freely as if you were throwing darts with your eyes closed.

而且輕而易舉就能想到新點子也沒用。

If you do this, you surely will hit somewhere near the center.

但如果你這樣做，你遲早會接近成功，

At least one will.

至少有一個點子會成功。

That's the one you should choose.

那就是你應該做出的選擇。

If you do so, that idea will be in demand

如果你這樣做了， 市場就會對那個點子產生需求，

and, moreover, it will be brand new.

不僅如此，這就會是一個全新的點子。

That is how I think of new ideas.

我就是這樣想出新點子的。

It doesn't have to be Shiritori; there are many different methods.

不一定是要通過玩 Shiritori； 還有許多不同的方法。

You just have to choose words at random.

你需要做的，僅僅是隨機選出一些詞。

You can flip through a dictionary and choose words at random.

你可以翻開一下字典，隨意選一些詞。

For example, you could look up two random letters and gather the results

比如說，你可以隨意查看兩個詞， 然後把它們相結合，

or go to the store and connect product names

或者走進一家商店，把商品的名稱

with what you want to think of.

與你想要考慮的方向相結合。

The point is to gather random words,

關鍵在於獲取隨機詞彙，

not information from the category you're thinking for.

而不是從你所想的分類中挑選信息。

If you do this, the ingredients for the association of ideas are collected

如果你這樣做，你就會獲得各種想法，

and form connections that will produce many ideas.

並且形成一些列的關聯， 從而產生許多新點子。

The greatest advantage to this method is the continuous flow of images.

這個方法最大的優勢在於 有源源不斷流動的畫面。

Because you're thinking of one word after another,

因為當你一個接著一個地想詞彙時，

the image of the previous word is still with you.

前一個詞所產生的圖片 還存在於你的腦海中。

That image will automatically be related with future words.

那幅圖片將會與接下來的詞 自動產生聯繫。

Unconsciously, a concert will be connected to a brush

不知不覺中，演唱會 就和牙刷扯上了關係，

and a roulette game will be connected to a hat.

輪盤就和帽子扯上了關係。

You wouldn't even realize it.

你甚至都不會察覺到這個過程。

You can come up with ideas that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

你可以獲得那些前所未有的想法。

This method is, of course, not just for toys.

當然啦，這個方法不僅僅使用與玩具。

You can collect ideas for books, apps, events, and many other projects.

你也可以為書籍、軟體應用、活動， 以及其它各種計劃籌集想法。

I hope you all try this method.

我希望你們都會試著去應用這個方法。

There are futures that are born from data.

有些未來的確誕生於數據。

However, using this silly game called Shiritori,

然後，有了這個名叫 Shiritori 的傻遊戲，

I look forward to the exciting future you will create,

我很期待看到你們將會 創造出的精彩未來，

a future you couldn't even imagine.

一個你們之前根本無法想像的未來。

Thank you very much.

非常感謝各位。

(Applause)

（掌聲）