How do you approach a creative strategy project with a mentor or peer group?

1 Define the problem

Before you start brainstorming ideas, you need to understand the problem you are trying to solve. What is the purpose of your project? Who is your target audience? What are their needs, wants, and challenges? How can you help them? What are the objectives and constraints of your project? How will you measure success? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself and your mentor or peer group to define the problem clearly and concisely. A well-defined problem will help you focus your creative efforts and avoid wasting time and resources.

2 Research and analyze

Once you have defined the problem, you need to research and analyze the relevant information and insights that will inform your creative strategy. This may include market trends, customer behavior, competitor analysis, best practices, case studies, and feedback. You can use various methods and tools to conduct your research, such as surveys, interviews, observations, online platforms, and data analysis. You should also consult your mentor or peer group for their opinions, experiences, and suggestions. They can provide you with valuable perspectives, insights, and resources that will enrich your research and analysis.

3 Generate and evaluate ideas

After you have gathered and analyzed the information and insights, you need to generate and evaluate ideas that will address the problem and achieve the goals. You can use different techniques and frameworks to stimulate your creativity, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, SWOT, and others. You should also involve your mentor or peer group in the ideation process, as they can offer you feedback, support, and inspiration. They can also help you evaluate your ideas based on criteria such as feasibility, originality, relevance, and impact. You should aim to generate as many ideas as possible and then narrow them down to the most promising ones.

4 Develop and test solutions

Once you have selected the best ideas, you need to develop and test solutions that will implement them. This may include creating prototypes, mockups, sketches, scripts, or other forms of representation that will communicate your ideas effectively. You should also test your solutions with your target audience, your mentor or peer group, or other stakeholders to get their reactions, opinions, and suggestions. You should use various methods and tools to test your solutions, such as usability testing, focus groups, A/B testing, and others. You should also collect and analyze the data and feedback from your testing to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your solutions.

5 Refine and present results

After you have tested and validated your solutions, you need to refine and present them to your final audience or client. You should make any necessary adjustments or improvements based on the data and feedback from your testing. You should also prepare a compelling presentation that will showcase your creative strategy and demonstrate how it solves the problem and achieves the goals. You should also consult your mentor or peer group for their advice, feedback, and support on how to refine and present your results. They can help you polish your solutions, improve your presentation skills, and boost your confidence.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?