Ideate

Ideation Means Considering Radical Solutions

Before you engage in this method, review what Ideation is in the Design Thinking process.

Ask yourself:

IDEO Brainstorming Video from IDEO U By Taufook Cheung (1:57). An example of ideation techniques.
Six Creative Ways to Brainstorm Ideas by VM Measures (3:35). Different ways to generate and combine ideas into something new.
Ideation Method: Mash-up by IDEO U. Video, worksheet, and explanation of the mash-up method.
Rapid Ideation Process by Reid Schlegel (1:27). A quick way to start ideation with sticky notes.
Power of 3 Ideation Tool by Dr. Ken Hudson (1:08). Usual, different and radical ideation.
Fast Idea Generator by DIY Toolkit that helps you to consider how to create new solutions based on simple prompts.
Thinking Hats by DIY Toolkit for thinking in different ways about possible solutions.

Here are some common challenges and tips for coming up with strong ideas.

Q: Our ideas all seem to be very similar to each other. I'm not getting the creative ones I had hoped for.
- A: Try the Ideation Method: Mash-up by IDEO U with as many varied ideas as you can.
- A: Try the Fast Idea Generator by DIY Toolkit to stretch your thinking.
- A: Try interviewing more potential customers and taking another look at the information you've collected. Have you missed some patterns or commonalities? Are there users that you have not yet considered?
Q: We can't decide on which idea(s) to move forward with. We want to prototype everything, or we only want to prototype one thing. How can we make an informed decision about our next steps?
- A: Try Ideation doesn’t waste time, it saves time (Aurora Harley) by NNgroup (2:13) for the importance of not stopping at your first idea.
- A: Take a look at the information on the purpose of prototyping to understand that what comes next is simply trying out some assumptions you have about which aspects of the solution are most important. Check out A Google X Co-Founder’s Ingenious Technique to Rapid Prototype Socially Responsible Products by Mike Del Ponte, Fast Company (article). It includes Tom Chi’s TED Talk (14:14) on the purpose of prototyping to learn quickly (highly recommended).

Cheung, Taufook. “IDEO Brainstorming Video from IDEO U”. YouTube video, 1:57. Posted [Jul 2017]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvdJzeO9yN8.

DIY Toolkit. “Fast Idea Generator.” DYI Development, Impact & You, http://diytoolkit.org/tools/fast-idea-generator/.

DIY Toolkit. “Thinking Hats.” DYI Development, Impact & You, http://diytoolkit.org/tools/thinking-hats/.

Hudson, Ken. “Power of 3 Ideation Tool”. YouTube video, 1:08. Posted [Jul 2015]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdIL99zBvPA.

IDEO. “Ideation Method: Mash-Up.” IDEO U, 2018, www.ideou.com/pages/ideation-method-mash-up.

NNGroup. “Ideation doesn't waste time, it saves time (Aurora Harley)”. YouTube video, 2:13. Posted [Mar 2017]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3q0Zry7H2o.

Ponte, Mike Del. “A Google X Co-Founder's Ingenious Technique To Rapid Prototype Socially Responsible Products.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 2 Apr. 2014, www.fastcompany.com/3028114/a-google-x-co-founders-ingenious-technique-to-rapid-prototype-socially-responsible-products.

Schlegel, Reid. “Rapid Ideation Process”. YouTube video, 1:27. Posted [Sept 2017]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVx9RLCnJH8.

VM Measures. “Six Creative Ways To Brainstorm Ideas”. YouTube video, 3:35. Posted [Mar 2013]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAidvTKX6xM.

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