Page 91 - The Design Thinking Playbook

1.7 How to generate ideas Understand Observe point of Ideate Prototype Test
Define
view

Without ideas, no new products! The importance of finding good Peter in particular is under a lot of pressure due to deadlines. He must
ideas at the right time is enormous, putting both participants and deliver up creative results and, consequently, get his team to cough
workshop facilitators, whose job is to tease out ideas from attendees, up creative outputs and put people in the right mood at the touch of a
under pressure. button. Lilly knows from experience that some factors must be met for
We know from studies that groundbreaking ideas don’t always this touch of the button to be effective. The following credo actually
emerge during a brainstorming session; sometimes, the creative spark seems too banal and childish to her: “A good mood is the #1 pre-
leaps while you have a shower or scribble something on a napkin. requisite.” Despite this, she’s convinced that the potential of shared
This is why creative companies give their employees more and more ideation can only unfold when a casual, relaxed atmosphere prevails.
leeway to allow for this type of intrinsic inspiration to happen; for Only then can attendees engage in a search for ideas on a broad
instance, in the form of workdays on which employees are allowed to basis. The switch to a different or new environment alone can change
do whatever they want. The only condition is for them to report back the mood. If the meeting takes place week after week in the same
what they have done. conference room that is associated with some boring statistics, it is
However, often the milestones already have been set, and as product not conducive to a good atmosphere. So why not move the workshop
developers or engineers we are in no position to explain to the boss to another room, outside, or even to the closest bar?
that we want to spend the next four hours in the shower because
the chances of hitting on great ideas are better there. So we need
methods and tools of structured ideation.

Do you already have No. I’m waiting for You must be in the right of an atmosphere LAST MINUTE
initial ideas for your
You can’t just switch
What kind
problem statement?
on creativity!
would it be?
PANIC!
inspiration!
mood!

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