Excursion Method

---
name: excursion-method
description: Full 8-stage Gordon-Prince excursion process. Deliberate departure from the problem into unrelated domains, then force-fit discoveries back.
execution: strategy
used-by: synectics
---

# Excursion Method

Full 8-stage Gordon-Prince excursion process — deliberate departure from the problem into unrelated domains, then force-fit discoveries back to generate breakthrough solutions.

## State Ledger

| Resource | Target | Current | % |
|----------|--------|---------|---|
| web-search | 30 | 0 | 0% |
| web-research | 10 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-overview | 25 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-search | 15 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-research | 8 | 0 | 0% |

## HARD-GATE

Cannot exit strategy until ≥80% of each budget line is consumed OR yield targets are met with justification for remaining budget.

## Available Tactics

| Tactic | Role |
|--------|------|
| excursion-orchestration | Orchestrate departure → force-fit → springboard |
| compressed-conflict | Generate compressed conflicts during excursion |
| analogy-extraction | Extract analogies from excursion domain |

## Available SOPs

| SOP | Role |
|-----|------|
| excursion-departure | Leave problem, explore unrelated domain |
| direct-analogy-generation | Find analogies in excursion domain |
| personal-identification | Embody elements in excursion domain |
| symbolic-compression | Compress excursion findings into oxymorons |
| force-fit | Force-fit discoveries back to problem |
| springboard-launch | Convert force-fitted ideas into solutions |
| synectics-synthesis | Synthesize full excursion report |

## Execution Guidance

1. **Problem statement**: Briefly state the problem (PAG — Problem As Given)
2. **Purge**: Get obvious solutions out of the way
3. **PAU**: Restate Problem As Understood — the essential challenge
4. **Excursion trigger**: Choose an unrelated domain (nature, art, sport, etc.)
5. **Explore**: Deep-dive into the excursion domain, noting interesting mechanisms
6. **Force-fit**: Deliberately connect excursion discoveries to the problem
7. **Springboard**: "I wish..." or "How to..." statements from force-fit
8. **Develop**: Build springboards into concrete solution concepts