Page 99 - The Design Thinking Playbook

1.8 How to structure and select ideas

When we apply various types of brainstorming, we amass many We recommend performing a sort of clustering initially. This can be
ideas. In addition, we have consciously encouraged the teams to done in different ways: Either the facilitator sets the framework, or
generate as many ideas as possible. Peter and Lilly are aware of the else the teams themselves conduct a classification that seems the
phenomenon: Once the team’s initial reluctance has been overcome most suitable to them.
and a positive mindset has set in, ideas keep cropping up in rapid suc-
cession. Often, the screens, windows, and walls are not big enough to
place all the ideas.

The agony of choice. Selecting ideas is a real challenge. For one, each The examples show that ideas can be grouped, assigned, or simply
one of us interprets the drawings, words, or short texts on the Post-its described by an umbrella term. The way is the goal, and the discus-
differently. Second, there are ideas whose basic thought goes in the sion about a meaningful classification in itself results in everybody
same direction, and ideas that solve a completely different problem having the same understanding of the ideas in the end. Depending on
than originally intended. how solid the understanding and how refined the degree of detailing
is, ideas can be selected directly or undergo further analysis, specifi-
cation, and structuring. There are various possibilities for evaluating
ideas and clusters. Having participants vote for ideas by placing
adhesive dots on them is a simple way to do it. The vote is quick and
democratic.

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