UnBox: 'The Gordian Knot' to Creative Blocks | Service Design

UnBox: 'The Gordian Knot' of Creative Blocks

Being in design-related fields, creative blocks have always been my nemesis. They make you scratch your head so hard, expecting that the harder you scratch, the greater the idea that’ll pop out. But instead, anything that comes to mind either feels not good enough or already done. Fun, isn’t it?

We got the chance to take this problem head-on. Pursuing a master’s in design definitely has its perks—you meet a lot of creative minds who, ironically, struggle with creativity. And this isn’t just an assumption; it’s backed by data. Through a diary survey of 15 students, 66% of students deal with constant creative blocks, leading to compromised work output.

Sure, a vacation or a relaxing spa massage might be the perfect cure for those blocked-up neurons. But for our main stakeholders—students—their biggest constraints are time, money, and, well... time. So, we need a solution that’s quick, easy, and affordable.

The irony? Finding a solution for creative blocks often leads to... a creative block. As massive and tangled as this problem seems, maybe there’s a ‘Gordian Knot’ solution waiting to be discovered.

“In ancient times, there was a complex knot tied by King Gordius, and an oracle predicted that whoever could untie it would rule all of Asia. Many tried to unravel it meticulously, but they failed. When Alexander the Great encountered it, he simply cut the knot with his sword instead of struggling to untie it—solving the seemingly impossible problem in an instant.” - ChatGPT

Lesson: Most of the time, a problem appears gigantic and messy, but the solution might be as simple as changing your approach or perspective.

Let’s break this problem down into smaller issues that build it up: Stress, anxiety, constant pressure, inaction, fear of judgment, mental fatigue, time management, fear of imperfection, unsuitable work environment, workload, bad work-life balance, and idea scarcity.

This breakdown helped us identify one or two root problems that are internally linked to many others. If we resolve just one, we trigger a domino effect that gradually untangles the entire creative block.

Among them, ‘Idea Scarcity’ stands out as a major culprit—it’s deeply connected to multiple other challenges. So let’s focus on that.

At its core, idea scarcity is about lacking direction or feeling stuck. But what can give us direction?

TED Talks & research? Too time-consuming. [Creative blocks are faced most during a time crunch]
AI? Biased by its training data or input mindset. [The person has a set mindset and would ask questions following it]
Mentors & friends? Probable to biased opinions and soft feedback.
Other unknown people? Unbiased opinions and fresh perspectives. Bingo!

The Solution: Unbox

What if we create a service where students submit their project/idea details—wherever they feel stuck—while keeping their identity anonymous? Their doubts would then be displayed publicly, allowing strangers to provide raw, unfiltered opinions.

“Ideas often kindle each other, like electrical sparks” – Friedrich Engels

Why It Would Work:

Anonymity removes bias. No preconceived notions about the student or their work.
Multiple perspectives = a bank of fresh directions. Every response comes from a different mindset, offering diverse ideas without being influenced by others for shared knowledge and growth.
Mutual benefit. Not only does this help the blocked student think outside the box, but it also challenges contributors to expand their own thinking—creating a space.

We designed the entire service from raw idea structuring, service flow, branding, and marketing strategies and tested our prototype right in our college corridor. Turns out, students had been waiting for this! We achieved an 83% customer satisfaction rate, meaning roughly 9 out of 10 students resolved their creative blocks within a day. Wohoo! 🚀

For the full service process, blueprint, strategy, improvements, and results, check it out here: [Project: UnBox, Service Design]

But launching a service is only half the battle.

While seekers (students facing creative blocks) found real value in our service, sparkers (the strangers providing feedback and ideas) became harder to attract over time. The initial excitement of a new service started to fade.

Observations from Our Launch:

Only 30% of the people who approached actually provided feedback.
Some were hesitant to participate when there wasn’t much of a crowd around.
Giving feedback felt mentally tiring for some, as they had to think deeply about someone else’s project.
Many made excuses like "I’ll come later," "I have my own project," or "Maybe next time."
Those who gave feedback on Day 1 didn’t return, even though we had new student projects.
A loyalty card system (feedback on 3 different days = a free project consultation) worked for a few, but it wasn’t enough.

The Core Problem?

Incentives Weren’t Sticky Enough. Material incentives (like stickers) lose their pull over time—once people get them, there’s no real reason to keep coming back. So, we needed to tap into emotions.

How Do We Hit the Emotional Segment?

After digging into TED Talks, blogs, and behavioral insights, two key drivers aligned well with out service:

People need to see the impact of their effort. Did my feedback actually help someone? Did I make a difference?
People need to feel valued and appreciated. "From an evolutionary perspective, the need to be valued is primal and survival-based." — Tony Schwartz | Harvard Business Review. So, what if every valuable contribution elevates the feedback giver’s status? They don’t just provide feedback—they become a mentor. Their insights gain more weight and credibility, creating a sense of achievement beyond a one-time reward.

The Bigger Picture

Not every complicated problem needs a complicated solution. This service has the potential to grow following 'The Four Quadrant Model' (Figure shown below) into an idea archive which could be accessed like a library by students. Even expand to a platform that connects multiple colleges and creative professionals, fostering true knowledge-sharing and growth. Further building an Idea Bank of the World.

And that’s just the beginning.

Last Updated March 2025