Generating new business ideas is a crucial skill for any entrepreneur, innovator, or leader. But how can you find the best tools to spark your creativity and explore new possibilities? In this article, you'll learn about some of the most popular and effective ideation tools and how to choose the ones that suit your goals, context, and team.
Ideation tools are methods, techniques, or frameworks that help you generate, organize, and evaluate new ideas. They can range from simple brainstorming exercises to complex design thinking processes. Ideation tools can help you overcome mental blocks, discover new insights, and test your assumptions. They can also help you collaborate with others, get feedback, and refine your ideas.
There are three key ideation tools outlined below: 1. Problem-solving: Find effective solutions to your challenges. 2. Technological exploration: Discover new technologies and explore their potential implementations. 3. Efficiency enhancement: Learn and uncover more efficient and cost-effective methods to accomplish your tasks.
I believe while certain methodologies like Design Thinking and Innovation (ASIT, TRIZ) can enable you towards a customer focussed design of product or service, the bigger challenge is to find the right product or service to sell. For example, recently I was having a session with an entrepreneur who is into food business. When I asked what all do you make, he said he does many products and would want to scale up. A simple discussion provides for the filters one need to put in while evaluating the idea How big is the market and what price point? What are the core factors to consider for the business? *There are only 4 business models How big you want the business to grow, which will determine the constraints you will see in those core areas.
A idea??o é um componente crucial no processo de cria??o de novos negócios. Envolve a gera??o, desenvolvimento e comunica??o de novas ideias, sejam elas abstratas ou concretas. Ferramentas e métodos de idea??o, como brainstorming, mapas mentais e design thinking, oferecem um caminho estruturado para explorar o potencial de novas ideias. Estes métodos ajudam empreendedores a pensar fora da caixa, a identificar oportunidades de mercado inexploradas e a desenvolver solu??es criativas para problemas complexos. Ao reunir diferentes perspectivas e fomentar um ambiente de pensamento livre, a idea??o permite que equipes de negócios transformem pensamentos abstratos em conceitos viáveis e inovadores.
The power of the idealization tools, it's because enhance the people interaction and learn to each other.For me, the 3 most powerful idealization tools are: 1. Design Thinking: Organizations can adopt certain aspects of the design thinking process, particularly the ideation phase, which involves generating a multitude of ideas without judgment. 2. Brainstorming: This is a straightforward and widely-used method that can be easily adopted by teams. It requires minimal resources and encourages open participation. 3. SCAMPER: It provides a structured framework for thinking about existing ideas differently, making it accessible for individuals or teams new to ideation tools.
I think you always need to start with a pain point for your customers. Ideally you've experienced it yourself in some way, shape or form - otherwise what kind of core insight can you bring as a founder? From there the general framework revolves around interviewing and prototyping solutions that help validate if a) a pain exists for other customers b) your solution could help and c) you can monetize. Feel like some folks focus on the first two steps but in a post-funding winter the latter is crucial to identifying a business vs a helpful feature.
Ideation tools can help you solve different types of problems and challenges, such as finding new opportunities, creating new products or services, improving existing ones, or generating social impact. Ideation tools can also help you develop a culture of innovation, where you and your team are constantly looking for ways to create value and delight your customers. Ideation tools can also help you learn from your failures, iterate quickly, and adapt to changing markets and customer needs.
At the end of the day, we're looking for fresh thinking. Most innovations come from an approach akin to 'recombinant innovation' where we take something interesting from one area and combine with another area. Imagine asking advice from a musician, an accountant and a chef to define 'timing' so that you could consider building a customer engagement chat bot. We're assuming that 'classic' roads are well trodden, but what could it look like from a fresh lens? Again, an excellent generative AI example. 'Re do the list, but from a chefs perspective'.. instantly new content. New ideas.. mostly unworkable. There are the gems.
Ideation tools are the perfect entry point for those that consider themselves beginners in the creative process. You can present them to your senior management or board of directors not only to get them to generate strategies and ideas, but to help them understand the nature of risk and reward of a potential innovation. In a start-up or small business setting you can use them for creation and refinement of ideas or to help address stumbling blocks that are getting in the way of an otherwise 'good idea'. They can also be used as a vehicle to better understand the problem you are solving. At a research company I worked at we used them to 'vomit' all the bad ideas out of our systems. Serving as a warm up for discussion on better solutions.
When selecting ideation tools, tailor your choices to the problem at hand. For divergent thinking, use mind-mapping tools like MindMeister. For collaborative brainstorming, platforms like Stormboard foster creativity. Leverage design thinking tools such as IDEO's Method Cards for human-centric solutions. Experiment with a mix, adapting to the nature of the challenge. Remember, the best ideation tools align with your specific goals, encouraging innovation, and driving value creation in your unique business context.
Three main reasons why we need ideation tools today: 1. These tools help us think 10X better, process the information faster, help us stretch our creative abilities. 2. Today, the customers are becoming highly sophisticated. They have continually increasing demands and it have become critical for businesses to satisfy thode demands CREATIVELY. I think without tools, businesses can lag behind customer’s expectations. 3. Competition today has become global. Many companies from around the globe are competing with each other. In order to survive, innovation has now become a threshold requirement. With the ideation tools, businesses can become stronger, bigger and better.
Serei simples e direto: caso queira quebrar o padrao para possibilitar o novo entrar, novas formas de idea??o ser?o necescessárias para n?o repetir o mesmo caminho.
When choosing the best ideation tools, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best tools depend on your specific situation, objectives, and preferences. However, there are some general criteria to guide your selection. Relevance is key; choose tools that match your problem statement, target audience, and desired outcomes. Diversity is also important; opt for tools that allow you to generate a wide range of ideas. Ease and fun are also factors to consider; select tools that are easy to use and enjoyable. For example, if you want to generate new product ideas for a specific market segment, the empathy map can help you understand their needs and pain points. If you want to explore different scenarios and futures, the four lenses of innovation can challenge your assumptions and perspectives. The SCAMPER technique can be used to modify existing ideas or products quickly with your team. To stimulate creativity and imagination, the random word generator can be used to combine unrelated words and concepts.
Ideation is best started with conversations with team members, stakeholders, existing product users, problem owners, potential market end users, and leaders. In my experience the most innovative ideas are generated from diverse thinkers (both divergent & convergent types) within different disciplines. Creative hires are ideation tools in themselves! Also don’t forget that digital tools (when used by distributed teams) require the prior establishment of psychological safety for the team to effectively capture multiple ideas equitably and effectively.
Gosto sempre de pensar que a escolha da ferramenta de idea??o (realizada com ajuda de facilitador ou n?o) pode ser vinculada ao estilo e características do grupo que busca inovar. é um grupo democrático ou há alguém que centraliza a conversa? Qual é o tamanho do squad? Há competências multidisciplinares que se complementam? Por incrível (e quase clichê) que possa parecer, usar a Empatia (primeira fase do diamante dos desafios) para entender qual é a melhor ferramenta de idea??o a ser utilizada (come?ando a amplia??o do diamante das solu??es) pode ser a grande sacada para que o processo criativo ocorra.
It's not about the tool; it's about the result. The outcome will largely depend on your team and its dynamics. Therefore, it's crucial to consider the personalities within your team and how they interact. For instance, if you have people who tend to be quiet and get overlooked, begin with a Brainwriting session and structure the discussion afterwards. Are you running in circles because there are no new ideas? Try the Dark Horse approach: reverse every boundary condition and start brainstorming.
The selection of ideation tools is akin to choosing the right instruments for an orchestra; the harmony of the outcome depends on the appropriateness of the choices. Consider your business's specific needs, the objectives you aim to achieve, and the resources at your disposal. Are you looking for broad ideation or focused problem-solving? Do you need a tool that fosters collaboration among a dispersed team, or are you working in a co-located setup? Evaluate the effectiveness of the tools by considering their ease of use, the quality of ideas generated, and their ability to engage all participants. The best tool is the one that aligns with your goals and amplifies your team's creative potential.
Escolha ferramentas que incentivem a diversidade de perspectivas e pensamento criativo. Isso pode incluir técnicas como brainstorming, mind mapping, role playing, ou design thinking. Ao escolher as ferramentas de idea??o, é importante lembrar que n?o existe uma abordagem única que funcione para todas as situa??es. Experimente diferentes técnicas e adapte-as de acordo com as necessidades específicas da sua equipe e do desafio em quest?o.
Ideation tools can help you enhance your creative thinking and problem-solving skills, but to use them effectively, you need to follow some best practices. Preparation is key: before you start, make sure you have a clear problem statement, a defined scope, and a realistic timeline. Gather relevant information, data, and insights that can inform your ideation process. Involvement is also essential; ideation is a collaborative process that benefits from diverse perspectives, experiences, and opinions. Create a safe and supportive environment where everyone can share their ideas without fear of judgment or criticism. Experimentation is necessary; it's a dynamic and iterative process that requires testing and learning. Selecting the best ideas from your ideation process should be done with a clear criteria and method. Prioritize your ideas, focus on the most promising ones, and move them to the next stage of development.
Mastering Effective Ideation: Strategies for Creative and Collaborative Success - Define Clear Objectives: Specify Goals - Encourage Open Communication: Create a Safe Space - Active Listening: Build upon each other's contributions - Quantity Sparks Creativity: Emphasize generating a large quantity of ideas to stimulate creative thinking. - Quality Refinement: Refine and evaluate ideas in subsequent stages. - Visual Representation: Utilize visuals, charts, or mind maps to organize and display ideas. - Data-Informed Decisions: Make decisions based on both qualitative and quantitative assessments. - Iterative Process: Embrace an iterative approach, allowing ideas to evolve over time.
My biggest tip here is to use Design Thinking methodology and select tools for each part of the process. It is imporatant you collect voice on the problem so that you are making decisions and implementing solutions with the people who the problem realtes to. Avoid doing it to people or for them.
Effectively using ideation tools also means embracing a mindset that values curiosity and open-mindedness. Encourage your team to question assumptions and view challenges from different angles. Facilitate sessions that allow for free-flowing ideas, using techniques like brainstorming or mind mapping, where the emphasis is on quantity over quality in the initial stages. Implementing a 'no idea is a bad idea' policy during brainstorming can spur creativity. Post-ideation, use tools like affinity diagrams to categorize and consolidate ideas, helping to identify patterns and themes.
The best way, to establish comparison between ideas. See which one has the best potential to become reality. Pros and cons analysis.
Para utilizar ferramentas de idea??o de forma eficaz, é fundamental estabelecer um ambiente que encoraje a livre express?o e a colabora??o. Comece definindo claramente os objetivos e os problemas a serem resolvidos, para que todos os participantes estejam alinhados e focados. Escolha a ferramenta adequada ao tipo de tarefa, seja para gera??o, desenvolvimento ou refinamento de ideias. Por exemplo, utilize brainstorming para gerar um grande volume de ideias, mapas mentais para organizar pensamentos e conceitos, e técnicas de design thinking para aprofundar a compreens?o das necessidades dos usuários. Incentive a participa??o de todos os membros da equipe, valorizando diferentes perspectivas e experiências.
There are hundreds of ideation tools you can use to generate new business ideas, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, empathy map, and four lenses of innovation. Brainstorming is a classic technique that involves generating as many ideas as possible in a limited time without judging or filtering them. Mind mapping is a visual technique that helps you organize your thoughts and explore different angles. SCAMPER is an acronym that stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. It helps you modify existing ideas or products by asking yourself a series of questions based on each letter. Empathy map helps you understand customers' needs, wants, feelings, and motivations by creating a map that shows what they see, hear, say, do, think, and feel. Four lenses of innovation is a framework that helps you challenge your assumptions and perspectives by looking at your problem or opportunity from four different lenses. This can help you discover new insights and uncover hidden opportunities.
Let me suggest a proven "anti-tool" of sorts, which is often overlooked yet highly effective: wander and listen. Wandering allows innovation leaders and teams to stray from well-trodden paths and create more moments of unplanned discovery. In fact, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos emphasizes the value of wandering for outsized discoveries (what I call moonshots!) in his 2018 shareholder letter. When combined with active listening, a team pays close attention, asks questions to clarify, and reflects on what they understand as they wander. To help build these listening skills, I emphasize "level-seven listening" in the Buddy Checks tool from my Playbook of Strategic Foresight and Innovation. Finally, consider wandering and listening as a team!
In our experience at potential.com, tapping into the "wisdom of the crowd" by launching an open innovation initiative on our digital platform, allows corporates and government bodies to create impact and empower their community. It's a great way to engage stakeholders, empower them with knowledge and expertise from your industry, and in the process tap into their collective creative talent for ideation. HSBC has used it to develop social innovations from youth, Airbus has used it to develop Aviation sector, Intel for developing deep tech innovations ..
In addition to using various tools, what I like to do as part of an ideation process is simply talk to children about the topic. On the one hand, this leads to describing the topic/product or what it is about as simply as possible and thinking about what is really important to understand. And on the other hand, the curiosity and creativity of kids is sometimes simply amazing and takes me down completely new or different paths. Of course it's not always suitable but it's worth trying out.
For thinking through different kinds of futures and for innovative strategy development I suggest to use the "Eltville Model" with its "Five Futures Glasses": 1. Blue glasses: The probable future. Have a realistic mindset. 2. Red glasses: The surprising future. Have a counterintuitive mindset to envision unlikely but plausible futures. 3. Green glasses: The creatable future. Have a creative and imaginative mindset to think of beyond conventional options and opportunities. 4. Yellow glasses: The desired future. Have a focused and willful mindset to determine which future you want to build. 5. Purple glasses: The planned future. Have a tactical and pragmatic mindset to choose the first actions for achieving your preferred future.
I get best ideas by talking to people from different industries, learning their best practices to see if we can implement them in different innovative projects. There are always successful processes in every industry or company we can learn from.
The greatest innovations come from imagination not tools. Tools may organize ideas or remove biases or enable voting or progress tracking… none of those things truly matter because products by consensus usually suck. The greatest innovations are from diverse minds. In other words, your greatest tools for innovation are psychologically safe people who can take big risks without repercussions who are rewarded for trying and even more so for success.
In my experience, the process matters more than the tools. With process I also include bringing a diverse group of people together who feel free to share their thoughts. Secondly, it is important to work towards the right outcome. At the end of the ideation phase you want to come to a consensus agreement about exactly what kind of problems you would like to solve. This should not be too narrow nor too broad. This statement will function as an initial compass for future validation of your idea. The process on how to arrive at this challenge statement is what counts, and can take any shape or form as mentioned in this article. I have also used 'play' techniques and other more free forms of collaborative thinking.
My perspective is that as much as tools are necessary but what is most important is the people in the room. It is best if the team is diverse. However, the diversity in the team does not extend to the desire to participate. The individuals in the team must join because they want to, not because they have to. A psychologically safe space is vital. At the beginning of the sessions, aim for quantity of ideas, not so much quality, and distil as you progress. It needs to occur over a couple of sessions to allow participants time to reflect and for the brain to do its magic between sessions. A financial incentive must not be the only reason why the Ideation program is initiated. There must be something purposeful to participants about it.
I don't think 'generating business ideas' should be a task in itself. Rather, generate solutions to real problems you've identified - the framework should be around finding problems.
Ideation processes in innovation are usually not very successful, because they don't focus on consumer needs. Almost 90% fail. The mathematical probability of someone coming up with an idea that addresses unmet needs of consumers without knowing what they are AND whether or not they are satisfied is close to zero. Successful innovation starts with consumer needs not with internal ideas; therefore, it’s recommendable to use need based innovation approaches that cover qualitative and quantitative aspects.