Here's an idea for finding new ideas by forcing connections between stuff you happen upon while Web surfing and your
problem or challenge. First, you need to visit sites that have nothing, or very little, to do with sustainable development.
Here's a list of some places to go:
One way to generate new ideas is to visit a new place that's unrelated to the problem area and force associations
between the place and the problem. You can think of these Web sites as being "virtual visits to bookstores, a department store
(for eBay) and a library. And here are three suggestions for making the most of your visit:
1. Make sure you have a clear and specfic statement of the problem to guide your thinking. The problem can be quite specific
or very broad, as in "I need some new ideas in the area of marketing energy conservation practices."
2. Visit one of the sites listed above, or something that's logically similar such as an online music store or art
gallery.
3. Consider the layout, content, and marketing techniques you encounter at the site. Also consider the products at the
site, including their organization and characteristics. List as much information as you can. Force yourself to make associations
between this list and your problem.
4. When visitng a bookstore, you can also stop and "browse" at any category of books that happens to seem interesting
at the moment. Use the titles, organization, appearance, themse, and so forth as sources of ideas.
