The following is a summary of the Glanside Creative Techniques used in the development of:

Laddering

The Specific Ideas

The Laddering Technique has been used to develop a framework of themes, concepts and ideas that ‘ladders-out’ from the chosen subject matter (i.e. chosen specific ideas).

The subject matter is The Workington Craft Beer Association. The specific ideas listed have been drawn from reports concerning microbreweries.

Phrases defining the specific idea: –

  • The complex mix of ingredients and processes that lead to the winning position in the world of craft beer.
  • Success in Craft Beer Brewing follows from years of small innovations in critical elements of the process.
  • The Craft Beer Society wants its members to be like the best of their beers, with hidden depths, but also with an amber clarity.

The General Ideas

Creative Thinking Technique: Laddering

The following are ladders consisting of climbing idea rungs that define a framework of themes, concepts and ideas.

Derived General Ideas

The following is a list of ‘points of departure’ from the above idea ladders.

The Workington Craft Beer Association

  • Ingredient: This corner of the world was the last bastion of beer made with the floral garnish method.
  • Reform: Tastes have changed.
  • Challenge: The craft beers they had produced for a hundred years no longer held their own against competition.
  • Storm: Sent shock waves throughout the craft beer producers.
  • Harbour: Workington – with its back to the sea – was never designed to protect itself from a threat from that direction.
  • Innovate: years of small innovations in critical elements of the brewing process
  • Blame: The exchange of recrimination.
  • Constrain: When authority is sure of itself, any challenge will be seen as a disruptive action.
  • Obsess: A beer researcher obsessed with the possibility of the new.
  • Reform: At times of great uncertainty the solution is to turn to the certain.
  • Mistake: It is wise when handling alcohol to know your limits.
  • Obscurity: at the very back of one of the cupboards he book containing notes from twenty five years ago.