The Five “Rules” of Ideation
Ideation is the process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas.
Whether you are in the beginning stages of your startup or an experienced business owner, the ideation process remains a relevant problem-solving tool.
Need to solve a problem? Gather a group of dedicated stakeholders from diverse though relevant backgrounds to hatch out a solution. By keeping the following key points in mind, your session will point toward success.
1. Everyone is creative.
So you’re not the creative type? There’s your first mistake in thought.
Everyone is creative. Not everyone has been provided the means to show it.
Oftentimes, brainstorming sessions begin and end as a group effort. This provides space for the room’s loudest to set the creative direction early on, drowning out the softer voices.
Research shows that beginning an ideation session with individual brainstorming followed by group discussion leads to more and better ideas.
In short:
- Start with individual brainstorming
- Transition to sharing each individual’s ideas
- Combine ideas and further flesh them out into reality
2. Nix the concept of “bad” ideas.
A successful ideation session requires open contribution from all participants. How is this accomplished? Session participants must leave all judgment at the door. This means establishing an environment free of negativity, of hesitant grimaces, and of “yes, but” answers. During an ideation session, there truly are no bad ideas.
What if an idea is simply impossible? Doesn’t matter. Many great business concepts stem from a combination of impossible ideas made feasible when combined.
You’re building a big picture here. Consider each idea a piece of the puzzle.
3. Record everything.
Let me introduce you to my friend: the post-it note.
While you may think you have come up with the most memorable idea, your brain likely disagrees come tomorrow morning. During informal ideation sessions, such as a meeting or group coffee outing, many ideas are introduced verbally. How should you go about remembering these verbal jackpots? Write. Them. Down.
For a more formal ideation session, follow these recording tips:
- Use one post-it per idea.
- Use sharpies. Not only do sharpies force you to be concise but also, an idea written in sharpie looks way cooler than its penned-in counterpart.
- Be visual. Sketches are the best way to fit 1,000 words onto a sticky note’s worth of paper.
4. Think of quantity as your best friend.
Quality over quantity, right? Not in this context.
An ideation session is meant to induce a flow of creativity. Focusing too closely on the quality of each idea is a sure way to stifle the creative juices. While the selection is important, the curating process should be done following the ideation session.
The process of coming up with a large number of ideas not only leads to a sort of creative rhythm but also, a long list relieves the pressure on each idea, leaving you the space to refine your list later.
5. Keep your goals in mind.
Whether it be streamlining a business practice or creating a new product, the purpose of any ideation session centers on problem-solving.
Cut any unstructured debate and keep everyone on the same page. Session participants should be well aware of the purpose behind their ideation. Additionally, organize your session into clearly defined pockets of when and when not to brainstorm solutions.
Interested in learning more? I’ve linked to a few of my favorite ideation articles below:
And videos:
