Throughout my degree, I will be tasked with generating ideas and sometimes this can be hard when you're unsure of where to begin. Ideation is the creative process of generating and developing new ideas but it can be difficult to recognise a high quality idea over some that may not work. There are a number of different exercises that can be used to help generate ideas as well as helping you to determine which are worth taking to the next stage of development.

The Worst Way The worst possible idea ideation method takes the worst ideas the team members can think of. This process can help to relax team members as well as boosting their confidence and kicking the creative brain into action by examining the ideas, challenging assumptions and gaining new insights towards any great ideas that may follow.

Brainstorming This methods utilises the synergy of working as a group, reaching new ideas by building on others. This collaborative task can be done with post it notes which can then lead to card sorting and discussing the ideas that will work best.

Mind mapping Using visual diagrams to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to an arranged central phrase, word or idea. This is my go to method for idea generation when starting a project.

Connections When generating ideas for the smartwatch project in 301, I worked in a small team creating connections where we understood the human need and the target audience while deciding on the genre it will be and which medium we would use to bring the idea to life.

Sketching As a designer, I find the best way to communicate the ideas I have is with visual representation. Quickly sketching down any initial ideas I may have helps me to have a starting place to then expand on with influence from research and critiques. As a sketch is just to roughly get your ideas down, the element of pressure of trying to make it look perfect is removed and this allows you to quickly generate many potential ideas.

Visual Thinking This technique could include looking at competitors but often for me just consist of a mood board of content that I can take inspiration from. It could be the colour palette used in an illustration or the line thickness of another illustration. I find creating a moodboard really useful when I have decided on an idea and want to explore the different ways I could approach the design concept.

SCAMPER Alex Osborn, a creative thinking and brainstorming pioneer, developed a list of questions to better develop an idea out. The acronym stands for:

<aside> 🪴 Substitute - What element within the product can be swapped with something else and what would happen?

Combine - What can be combined and how would this affect the product?

Adapt - What aspects of the product can be adapted to a different context and how?

Modify - What can be modified to improve the product?

Put to other uses - Are there any other uses this product can serve?

Eliminate - Is there anything within the product that can be removed to make it simpler?

Rearrange or reverse - What can be reversed or rearranged to make this product better?

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Sometimes when at the beginning stages of a project, it's hard to know where to start or may feel like an uphill battle if you don't already have an idea. Picking the right ideation techniques during the idea generation phase will enhance your ability to generate creative and innovative ideas. It is best to consider what your goals, objectives and the desired type of ideas when choosing the most suitable technique.

References

https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/introduction-to-the-essential-ideation-techniques-which-are-the-heart-of-design-thinking

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/ideation-techniques