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NUF Test

 

Creative tools > NUF Test

When to use it | How to use it | Example | How it works | See also

 

When to use it

Use the NUF test when you want to quickly check that an idea that has been selected is likely to be effective and work in practice.

Use it when you want to identify what to work on: being more creative, developing the idea or getting something that you will be able to implement.

 

Quick

 

X

       Long

 

Logical

X          Psychological

 

Individual

    X      Group

 

How to use it

A solution to a problem can be assessed and scored with the simple three-part 'Nuf test'. Just score it from 0 to 10 on each of 'New', 'Useful' and 'Feasible'.

New: not been tried before

A solution is not creative unless it is new. When we say 'new' here we are not looking to get into philosophical arguments about original thought, but we do mean something substantially different from those things which have been tried before.

Useful: solves the problem

It is good to have a creative new solution--and it is even better if it solves the problem! The question here is 'How completely does it solve the problem?' A totally useful solution solves the problem completely--and does not create any new ones.

Feasible: can be implemented in practice

If you have a really novel solution that fully solves the problem, the final question is 'Can it be put into practice?' If it is really expensive to implement and difficult to use, then it will not be a very feasible solution. Another good question here is 'Who will I have to persuade?'

Example

An idea for keeping a door open is to use a sucker attached to the wall that sticks to the door.

Criteria Score Comment
New 7 Similar ideas have been used before
Useful 5 Not sure if the sucker will hold well
Feasible 9 Cheap and easy

TOTAL:

21  

 

How it works

The NUF marking is a very simple quick check that you can use. It works because it is easy and intuitive, the criteria are already selected and there are only three of them.

See also

 

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