INSIGHT on INSIGHT: Utilizing Ideation Sessions
WHAT AND WHEN: Proper usage
Ideation sessions can come in a variety of forms, but the purpose is the same:
Get together people with divergent perspectives to develop an assortment of new ideas or solutions to known problems or opportunities.
Ideation, like brainstorming, is not about judgment or working out practical details. It is about capturing new and different thoughts that a core team can eventually filter and translate into strategies or tactics that are big enough and possible enough to be worth pursuing.
Ideation sessions are helpful when a group is struggling to find creativity or inspiration beyond things that have already been thought of or done before. It fits the classic definition of an attempt to think outside the box.
WHY: The benefit and value
Ideation sessions focus on the unknown areas. They are based on the premise that unknown problems likely exist that would be valuable to know. They are also based on the belief that unknown solutions likely exist to known problems that may be better than solutions that have already been identified.
Ideation is one of the purest forms of exploration. It encourages different and creative thinking that is not limited by the realities of today or other constraints.
It builds on the principle that all of us is smarter than any one of us.
While it may produce a lot of impractical information, some new ideas can directly translate to immediate action and other ideas just need further research or minor adaptation to become viable. To this end, the beginning of ideation sessions often focus on one of the following:
How could products be used in ways beyond what they are used for today?
How could category packaging be completely reinvented?
What would this category look like it if was invented today?
What images or words or associations do people make with this category?
How else can people solve the problem this category is designed to solve?
HOW: Tips to guide a basic approach
Ideation can be surprisingly difficult. It is easy to have a session that never gets beyond the existing realities of today. However, people recognize when they are experiencing an amazing session and discovering new connections that will guide future growth.
Some design components to increase the odds of having a great session include:
- Incorpoate the right visual stimulus: Results will be very different if participants are asked to use creative communicate like pulling images from Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan or Popular Mechanic. The visuals can bias the results or provide surprisingly useful metaphors. Consider the use of Google Images or a predefined assortment that makes more sense.
- Allocate the right amount of time: Too little time cuts the creativity off prematurely, while too much time can kill the rhythm. Make good plans and be ready to adjust.
- Consider how to properly articulate the questions really being asked: It sometimes works to be very literal and direct, while other times it may work better to indirectly approach the objective. Sometimes metaphors and allegories alter how a challenge is perceived or approached.
- Maintain the energy: Ideation can be very exhausting with the quality of ideas dropping proportionately with the energy in the room. Find ways to mix up tasks and create excitement.
APPLICATION: What to do with the results
Ideation is a means to an end. A team should exist that both participates in the sessions and gathers together to process the end results. This team should focus on accomplishing the following:
- Spending time sharing and discussing and decoding what was learned.
- Identifying and prioritizing the big ideas coming out of the work.
- Categorizing and distributing smaller ideas or insights to guide the perspective of people beyond the core team.
- Developing questions or hypotheses that warrant further testing in future quantitative work.