Step 2: Ideate

Whether it’s taming a bunch of wild ideas or really materialising a long-held idea, ideation stage allows you to start forming notions into real concepts proving creators a means to deconstruct and truly describe the potential and value of the idea, solution or a project.

Through ‘ideation’, creative minds flesh out how a solution behaves, how it will work and what it might look like when implemented.

In a quick and systematic approach,  digital and physical mockups are created to show the potential of your best ideas. 

Using a short list of users needs the goal is to take apart ‘fluffy’ ideas, examine from different angles, and put them back together with as a  clearer, more realistic puzzle-picture/point of view.

THE RESULT: A portfolio of solutions which stakeholders can ‘feel’  and understand if it’s really that useful.

Who to involve?

Creative types and developers work closely with product designers to produce and refine the top concepts for stakeholders and end-users to critique and provide feedback in an iterative process.

Tools

• App mock-up
• Product website mockup
• Marketing mock-up
• Product Data Specification mockup 
• Layered System maps & IoT Canvas
• Ecosystem Canvas
• Business Model Canvas
• Assumptions & Qualifications Template

Why ideate?

Taking small steps down the routes you’ve found will help you choose the best direction to go forward

Limiting the vast choices, gaining knowledge and creating a foundation to build upon will lead you to solutions which are more likely to succeed.

Trial and error are key when looking for new solutions. Starting with a prototype and a ‘fail fast’ mentality really helps to create many opportunities and ensure your team doesn’t ‘put all their eggs in one basket’’

Inevitably, new questions arise from this step which is the goal. A few iterations of ideation and you’re on your way to a concrete product and requirements spec’ that could really be built.

Walking the untrodden path is where great  discoveries are made