What are the key factors for successful ideation in R&D?

2 Diversify the input

To generate more and better ideas, you need to expose yourself to different sources of inspiration, knowledge, and perspectives. This means that you should not limit yourself to your own domain, expertise, or experience. Instead, you should seek input from other disciplines, industries, cultures, or domains. You can do this by conducting research, interviewing experts, observing users, or exploring analogies. Diversifying the input can help you to discover new opportunities, insights, and connections.

3 Encourage divergent thinking

Divergent thinking is the ability to generate many different and original ideas for a given problem. It is essential for ideation, as it allows you to explore various possibilities, challenge assumptions, and overcome mental blocks. To encourage divergent thinking, you should follow some principles, such as quantity over quality, withholding judgment, combining ideas, and seeking novelty. You can also use techniques such as brainstorming, mind mapping, or SCAMPER to stimulate your divergent thinking.

4 Apply convergent thinking

Convergent thinking is the ability to evaluate, select, and refine the best ideas for a given problem. It is necessary for ideation, as it helps you to filter out the irrelevant or impractical ideas, and focus on the most promising and feasible ones. To apply convergent thinking, you should follow some criteria, such as relevance, originality, feasibility, and impact. You can also use tools such as the idea matrix, the SWOT analysis, or the feasibility-viability-desirability framework to support your convergent thinking.

5 Collaborate with others

Ideation is not a solo activity. It benefits from the participation and contribution of other people, who can bring different skills, experiences, and opinions to the table. Collaborating with others can help you to generate more and diverse ideas, improve the quality and validity of your ideas, and increase your motivation and engagement. To collaborate effectively, you should establish a common goal, create a safe and supportive environment, and foster constructive feedback.

6 Experiment and iterate

Ideation is not a linear or one-time process. It is a cyclical and iterative process, where you test, learn, and improve your ideas based on feedback and evidence. Experimenting and iterating can help you to validate your assumptions, identify potential risks, and optimize your solutions. To experiment and iterate, you should adopt a lean and agile mindset, create prototypes and minimum viable products, and use methods such as the design thinking, the lean startup, or the agile development.

7 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?