Creating ideas by striving to reach the 'impossible ideal' of 'exhaustive information available universally'

I have been using the "'impossible ideal' of 'exhaustive information available universally'" as an approach to creativity for a number of years.

Using the approach

When using the approach I will start by choosing a subject for attention (such as a fire engine, an electricity meter etc). Then I will consider how the subject could display an exhaustive amount of information about itself. The impossible ideal is that the subject would display EVERY fact about itself possible (even information on the periphery of relevance). I find that on the 'journey' to 'reaching' this impossible ideal I will discover many ideas. I have found that a 'list exhaustive information' mentality helps expand the mind to look for possibilities.

At the next stage I will consider how that information (or a selected piece of information) could be displayed universally. The impossible ideal here is that the information would be available at EVERY part/place of the world (or perhaps even universe). Again, I have found this ideal helps expand the mind to look for possibilities. At first I will consider how the information could be displayed in the close proximity of the subject. This led to the idea of a

Visible display to show rate of electricity use

I will then go to the extreme of considering that the information could be displayed in the sky or in space. This led to the idea of

999 ambulance centres alert first-aiders near accident scene

Further points

Sometimes one of the stages (the listing of information or making information universal) used alone is enough to trigger ideas.

Often I will choose a subject that is known to display information - such as official forms or notices, websites etc.

Examples of ideas created with this approach

Computer error messages contain links to website

A webpage for each news programme providing explanations/definitions

Email/Text alerts for astronomical phenomena

A webpage for each rail station in cities

Local Crimewatch - e-mailed pictures of people wanted locally

A centralised database of war memorials

A website directory of all the second hand books for sale in libraries

Visible display to show rate of electricity use

999 ambulance centres alert first-aiders near accident scene