FRONT END INNOVATION Ideation methods
CONTENT
Different thinking modes for in innovation
Ideation methods
TOOLS AND METHODS
Brainstorming
Brainstorming based on personas
Brainstorming Scamper
Lotus blossom
FRONT END INNOVATION PROCESS
Two kind of thinking modes are needed in innovation process:
Divergent thinking and Convergent thinking
Divergent thinking is about searching new
solutions (ideation) and convergent thinking is about choosing and optimizing the best
solution
DIFFERENT THINKING MODES FOR INNOVATION
Multidisciplinary innovation process brings together people with different cognitive styles: creative and adaptive
Concept development needs creative divergent and adaptive
convergent phases
Exploring a problem from different angles is divergent and selecting the problem is convergent
Generating ideas and concepts considering alternatives is
divergent and selecting the concept is convergent
Evaluation means divergent monitoring of the use and convergent action
DIFFERENT THINKING MODES FOR INNOVATION
DIFFERENT THINKING MODES FOR INNOVATION
Search for potential with generative ideation
and visualisation
Restriction of potential evaluation, user testing…
Integrated sharing
Integrated ideation
Integrated evaluation
Integrated analysis
Goal Solution
DIVERGENT
CONVERGENT
DIFFERENT THINKING MODES FOR INNOVATION
DIVERGENT
- producing multiple or alternative answers - the use of subjective judgements and intuition - supported by soft or qualitative methods - making unexpected combinations - linking remote associates - answers may vary from person to person - answers are novel, unusual or “surprising” - idealising: to bring the system closer to a desired state - objective is to change the system so the problem cannot arise - creative and participative holistic approaches.
DIFFERENT THINKING MODES FOR INNOVATION
CONVERGENT
- deriving the correct answer to a clearly defined question - the rational approach - selects actions that lead to the best possible or optimal outcome - makes use of mathematical and computer models - complete objectivity and rationality - supported by scientific or quantitative methods - emphasises speed, accuracy, logic - accumulating information, recognising the familiar, reapplying set techniques, and preserving the already known - applying logical search, recognition and decision-making strategies - it leads to a single “best” answer.
User needs
Market research
Concept design
Product design
New technologies
Models, prototypes
Product testing
Production technologies
Marketing plan
Execution of marketing
Company commitments, Networks
Market testing
Distribution channels
Prising
Logistics
Marketing material
New concepts
Product development
Business planning
Production engineering
Planning of the Marketing
Business planning
DIFFERENT THINKING MODES FOR INNOVATION
IDEATION METHODS
Ideation methods help to create imaginative ideas and to spot opportunities that might otherwise be missed
Ideation methods help to find different potential
solutions for the design problem
Idea generation takes into consideration mental imagery processes, associations, association chains, metaphors and metonyms and the processes of using
different senses
IDEATION METHODS
When having ideation session trust and respect between team members are essential
Avoid following:
I know this much better!
What a stupid idea! And what do you know about this? It might not be possible to produce!
I just steal the ideas!
THE RATE OF EXPLORATION
• Most new ideas are bad • Search a lot of alternatives quickly, without fear of failure • To find good new ideas is to have lot of them, by throwing away
the bad ones • Fail early and often to make a good result in the end • Let go of perfectionism and use a process of trial and error • An organisation and the teams in it must have a permission to fail • The failing in the early stages is cheap and helps learning • Creative risk taking occurs only in a safe context • The end purpose is still to finally solve problems
The understanding is built gradually
Concretisation is necessary especially when there are people from different fields participating the process
Only concretisation really reveals what the discussion
was about
= suitability of the design process and visual methods
THE ROLE OF VISUALISATIONS IN IDEATION PROCESS
BRAINSTORMING - TOOL
Rules for ideation sessions
1. Defer judgment 2. Encourage wild ideas
3. Build on the ideas of others 4. Stay focused on the topic
5. One conversation at a time 6. Be visual
7. Go for quantity
http://www.openideo.com/fieldnotes/openideo-team-notes/seven-tips-on-better-brainstorming
HOW?
Define the problem or challenge
Produce first by yourself as many new ideas as possible by writing or drawing
them
Present your ideas to the other team members
After this, generate new ideas based on the entire team’s ideas
BRAINSTORMING: BASED ON PERSONAS - TOOL
Source: Robert Curedale. Design methods 1: 200 ways to apply design thinking
HOW?
Start with defining the problem
Identify a persona to focus on
Instructions how to create a user persona
Ideate how you would deal with the problem if you were the persona
BRAINSTORMING: BASED ON PERSONAS - TOOL
Source: Robert Curedale. Design methods 1: 200 ways to apply design thinking
BRAINSTORMING: SCAMPER - TOOL
Source: Robert Curedale. Design methods 1: 200 ways to apply design thinking
HOW?
Select a product or service to apply the method
Go trough the list of Scamber questions one by one and at the same time create as many ideas as you can
BRAINSTORMING: SCAMPER - TOOL
Source: Robert Curedale. Design methods 1: 200 ways to apply design thinking
LOTUS BLOSSOM - TOOL
Source: Robert Curedale. Design methods 1: 200 ways to apply design thinking
HOW?
Define the problem or challenge and write it in the centre of the matrix
Write eight related ideas around the
centre
Each idea becomes the central idea of a new “blossom”
Continue by writing eight related ideas around the every central ideas
LOTUS BLOSSOM - TOOL
Source: Robert Curedale. Design methods 1: 200 ways to apply design thinking