DESIGN
Ideation and Concept Development
Brainstorm Design Ideas
Brainstorming generates a wide range of potential solutions for the identified user problems and business objectives. It encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Why it's Important
Expands the pool of potential solutions.
Encourages team collaboration and diverse perspectives.
Helps uncover innovative approaches to problem-solving.
How to Implement
Set Clear Goals: Define the problem to solve or feature to improve.
Facilitate Sessions: Use techniques like mind mapping, SCAMPER, or Crazy 8s to generate ideas.
Involve Diverse Teams: Include team members from different disciplines to gain varied perspectives.
Encourage Quantity: Focus on generating as many ideas as possible without judgment.
Narrow Down: Use voting or prioritization frameworks to select the most promising concepts.
Available Workshops
Crazy 8s: Sketch eight ideas in eight minutes for a rapid idea burst.
Mind Mapping: Connect related ideas visually to explore directions.
SCAMPER Framework: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse ideas.
Dot Voting: Let participants vote on their favorite ideas.
"How Might We" Sessions: Frame opportunities as "How Might We" questions to inspire solutions.
Deliverables
Idea list or mind map.
Shortlisted ideas.
Initial sketches or notes.
How to Measure
Quantity and diversity of ideas generated.
Alignment of ideas with user needs and business goals.
Stakeholder enthusiasm and buy-in for selected ideas.
Real-World Examples
Apple iPhone
Apple's iPhone: A brainstorming session on simplifying mobile phones led to the creation of the touchscreen smartphone concept.
Airbnb
Airbnb Experiences: Teams ideated ways to expand beyond accommodation, creating localized activity offerings.
Tesla
Tesla’s Supercharger Network: Originated from brainstorming ways to alleviate range anxiety for electric vehicle owners.
Get It Right
Set a positive, judgment-free atmosphere.
Focus on user needs and business objectives.
Encourage cross-disciplinary participation.
Document all ideas for reference.
Regularly revisit initial ideas as the project evolves.
Don't Make These Mistakes
Judging ideas too early in the process.
Limiting brainstorming to only one team.
Overlooking unconventional or risky ideas.
Failing to connect ideas back to research.
Losing momentum after generating ideas.