Idea Generation Tools What’s Now What’s Nextfuturethink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ig_whats_now_whats_next.pdf8 Rules of Engagement for Idea Generation: Follow the Golden Rules

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Idea Generation Tools What’s Now...What’s Next

Idea Generation ToolsWhat’s Now... What’s Next


3 Introduction

4 About the Tool: How to Customize and Use the Tool

5 Instructions

6 Filled-In Example

7 Facilitation Guidelines

8 Rules of Engagement for Idea Generation: Follow the Golden Rules of Ideation

What’s Inside…

See accompanying MS Word file for the customizable worksheet to use in your organization (ideas_worksheet_whatsnowwhatsnext.doc).



Introduction

The What’s Now...What’s Next tool will help you generate ideas—both incremental and groundbreaking—to improve your current products. It helps break a product down into its finite parts so that you can focus on individual attributes in greater detail, or recombine some of the current attributes (“what’s now”) in new ways (“what’s next”) to uncover a fresh, innovative solution.

WHY USE THIS TOOL?

• Unlock new ideas—both incremental and

groundbreaking.

• Think of your product in 18 different ways.

• Unearth new uses for an existing product by

combining two or more attributes in new ways.

• Use the accompanying worksheet to customize the tool

for your organization.

About the Tool

This tool has 18 columns to fill in based on various product attributes. In the “What’s Now” rows, your team should fill in your product’s attributes according to each column heading. In the “What’s Next” rows, your team should brainstorm new attributes that do not currently apply to your product, but that are possibilities. Then look at your filled-in new attributes, and begin to make connections between them. These connections will help you discover new ways of looking at your product, or even define a completely new product. At the end, you should elect your top three attribute-combinations as product enhancements/developments to pursue.

Included in the following pages are detailed instructions for filling in each column, and a filled-in example so you can see what the finished worksheets should look like. Use these instructions and examples as a guide, and customize this tool for your organization.



InstructionsHow to Customize and Use the Tool

Look at the following filled-in example for an idea of how your completed worksheet should look.

Each attribute in this worksheet has examples to get you started. The goal is to use as many of these attributes as possible to describe your product as it exists now. Once you’ve detailed this information, begin to brainstorm five next alternatives for how you could change each attribute. (Note: It is not necessary that all attributes be filled in; you can just pick five and concentrate on those. You may also choose to only generate three new alternatives per attribute vs. the recommended five). When the worksheet is complete, step back and take a look at the big picture. Can you combine several ideas across attributes to come up with an alternative use or solution? Is there a single feature worth focusing on that you haven’t before? Spend some time looking at the big picture and explore several connections—both straightforward and odd. These can become powerful springboards for additional research and exploration.

1. Define the product. At the top of the worksheet, in one sentence, name the product you are trying to improve. Be specific so you can focus on tangible results.

2. Describe the current state: What’s Now. How does your product currently exist? Use as much detail and as many descriptors as possible in the “What’s Now” rows.

3. Explore Alternatives: What’s Next. Challenge yourself and your team members to come up with new ways to deliver on each attribute. Ask: how could we do it differently? What if we did the opposite? Write your alternatives in the “What’s Next” rows.

4. Isolate or combine. Look at the total picture and see what possibilities jump out at you. You can:

> Connect dots across multiple attributes to build a solution.

> Concentrate or isolate a single attribute and go deeper.

> Try to identify at least three paths to explore once the chart is complete.



Filled-In ExampleIn this example, a credit card company is looking for new uses for its product. After they brainstormed current and alternative attributes, they stepped back and discussed the possible combinations between Now & Next, Next only, or just alternative features worth pursuing. The result was a visual display of new feature sets. Top selections were summarized and prioritized for further discussion.



Facilitation Guidelines

NUMBER OF PEOPLE: Up to 10–15 people.

PARTICIPANTS: Best with cross-functional backgrounds to provide perspective (especially packaging specialists, engineers, or operations). Also consider bringing in oursiders (vendors, users, other stakeholders).

MATERIALS: Blank copies of the worksheets for participants, or a white board/easel with markers.

PREP: Based on the problem you are solving, decide which attributes are most relevant and modify the worksheet accordingly.

FACILITATION: There are two ways this tool can be used, depending on the size of the group:

Small to mid-sized group: 1. Give participants a blank worksheet. Use a whiteboard to draw up the worksheet that everyone can refer to. 2. Working across their individual worksheets, ask participants to list all the current attributes of the product. Once complete,

write their answers on the whiteboard.3. Now, ask participants to begin listing alterative or new ways each attribute could be handled. Write their answers

on the whiteboard.4. Once the entire sheet is complete, ask the team to look at the collective answers. Encourage them to come up three “top

ideas.” Which attributes can be isolated to explore further or find multiple ways to connect new attributes to come up with a whole new product idea?

Individual:1. Give each participant a blank worksheet. Similar to above, they complete the worksheet (both current and new attributes).2. Once complete, they pick three to four ways to connect the dots to build a new solution or method for handling the

challenge. Participants share their solutions with the group. 3. Collect the worksheets for review and prioritization.

SUGGESTED TIMING:

FAST. This tool is best done when participants are asked to fill in each box as quickly as possible, writing down as much as they can. Spend one minute on each box. Once complete, take a break. When you come back, take five minutes to connect the dots and discuss the results or possibilities that emerge.

30 minutes to fill in sheet30 minutes to discuss results(Total time = 1–1.5 hours)

The full-size worksheet you can use in your organization is in the accompanying Word file (ideas_worksheet_whatsnow-whatsnext.doc).



Rules of Engagement for Idea GenerationFollow the Golden Rules of Ideation

Avoid killer phrases. Here’s a top 10 list of sentences to ban during brainstorms:

1. “Yes, but…”2. “We tried that before.”3. “That would never work.”4. “That’s irrelevant.”5. “ The competition will eat

you alive.”6. “ We don’t have the

manpower.”7. “Great idea—but not us.”8. “It’s not in the budget.”9. “ Let’s stick with what

works.”10. “Let’s not rock the boat.”

Warm up.

Always start a brainstorm with a one-minute warm-up exercise to get people thinking.

Quantity matters.

Brainstorm as many ideas as possible, then throw the bad ones away. One single idea will get you only so far—no matter how good it is.

Set a time limit.

Tell yourselves that you only have a finite time to brainstorm (e.g., 70 minutes).

Be confident.

Visualize your problem as solved before solving it—there’s an answer to EVERY problem.

Relax.

Ideas usually don’t come by “aiming” for them with teeth-clenched concentration. They don’t require effort.

Come with a new perspective.

Learn to see things backward, inside out, or upside down.

Write.

You don’t want to leave the brainstorm and forget ideas. Write down your ideas before you forget them, or appoint a facilitator.

Make it visual.

Write all ideas on a flipchart or board so the whole group can see them.

A bad idea? No such thing.

Don’t be critical or judgmental about the ideas being generated in the brainstorm session.

Build, build, build.

Do build on others’ ideas. It’s rare that one person can come up with a complete solution.

Don’t think out-of-the-box, look in someone else’s box.

Chances are your solution is already out there. Swipe from the best, then adapt.

Challenge assumptions.

Questioning conventions can turn obstacles into opportunities.

If at first you don’t succeed…take a break.

End the brainstorm in the allotted time, see if there are any viable results, and schedule another brainstorm if necessary.



Notes

Documents

Idea Generation Tools What’s Now What’s Nextfuturethink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ig_whats_now_whats_next.pdf8 Rules of Engagement for Idea Generation: Follow the Golden Rules