Top 10 Ideation Techniques
In my last article (10 Methods of Problem Exploration), I wrote about the key methods of problem exploration stating that a problem fully understood is half solved, even though most would jump at the solution instead of staying with the problem. Let’s now delve deeper into methods of problem solving, or generating creative ideas.
Before you delve into this realm, I would strongly recommend that you watch the following two TEDx Talk on creativity. These would help you get a better appreciation of how to be creative.
A very pertinent question is this — Is every idea a creative idea? The short answer is No. Not every idea is a creative one. For an idea to be deemed creative, it must meet two criteria: novelty and utility. It must be new (at least to the context), as well as useful. Minus the two conditions an idea could be a mere common sense or a wishful thinking.
How do you generate ideas in a systematic, predictable manner? Can idea generation be methodical? Notwithstanding the element of serendipity in ideation, a lot more high quality ideas come when you embrace some tools and techniques. Below are ten most commonly adopted methods of ideation.
Challenging Assumptions
One of the first and a very powerful method of ideation is ‘challenging assumptions’. We have assumptions associated with all of what we use and experience. If only we can challenge some of the core presumptions that we can see things differently and possibly create better alternates.
Take for instance a table fan. An assumption is that a fan must have blades, and then you challenge that very assumption. Resultingly you have the Dyson Air Multiplier, a bladeless fan.
At the very heart of innovation is challenging assumptions, questioning the most obvious, and making it superfluous. Remember, the more of core you challenge, the greater are the possibilities of generating fresh ideas. You will be surprised on how many things we just don’t question till they disappear from your lives. (Take for instance, cash).
Brain-writing using Mindmapping
A go-to method of ideation is brainstorming, a technique pioneered by Alex Osborne. It’s a group exercise where in you build on each others’ ideas without criticizing others and in a time-bound and focused manner. However, years of research on brainstorming suggests that both the quantity and quality of ideas generated by adopting this method dwarfs in comparison to those generated by the same people ideating independently. And some of the reasons cited are: idea blocking (you can’t think of an idea while listening to somebody else’s), evaluation apprehension (doubting if your idea is good enough), groupthink (everyone thinks like one mind), and social loafing (free-riding behavior), among others.
A better technique still is brain-writing, where each participant is asked to think on own and generate ideas, without the urge to get those validated by the team. A mindmap as a representation tool helps visualize the ideas and enable further ideation as a group. Once individual’s ideas are captured, in an anonymous fashion, then a discussion could follow where ideas could be provided with more substance.
Across the Value Chain
Another useful method is to look at the product/ process/ customer journey and identify possible value adds at each stage. Such value adds can be in the form of Lean/ Wastage elimination, Productivity, Simplicity/ Convenience, and Safety, among others. These are indicative objectives (maximizers/ minimizers), and based on the problem at hand, you could add/ edit further.
For instance, we consider the journey of airport check-in and flight boarding. The stages could be:
Security check at airport entrance → Baggage check-in → Collection of boarding pass → Security check and handbag scan → Reaching the boarding gate
Now, for each stage you can think of ideas on how to improve efficiency, means of making it more convenient, improve safety, etc. Some ideas could be facial scanning for security, special lanes for elderly/ pregnant/ children, etc. The technique helps you take a fine grained approach to value adds at various stages of the customer/ process cycle. You may refer to the article on Maruti Suzuki on how the technique works.
The method builds on the Buyer Utility Map first proposed by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne in their 2000 HBR article titled, Knowing a Winning Business Idea When You See One.
Tiers of Customers
A useful way of looking at any market is in the form of its customers, specially those who are not on your radar. A market can be divided into four segments: Loyal customers (those who continue availing your products and services in spite of other compelling options), Dissatisfied customers (the ones who have had a bad experience and are looking out), Refusing customers (those who are not even keen on exploring you, owing to an adverse image, or other factors), and Unexplored customers (the ones who you never considered as your target, as they are below your radar). The technique build on Blue Ocean Strategy triggers proposed by Renee A. Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim.
Which do you think is the largest segment? I reckon, it’s Unexplored. The smallest is Loyal.
It’s a good idea to profile the four categories, in terms of who they are and the reasons for such dispositions. The interesting part is the discussion on how to retain their loyalty, or to entice them or to get them to try your product or attract them. That’s where fresh ideas come.
For instance, Honda Activa became a hit product as it looked at the underserved market of women bikers or those seeking convenience over mileage or styling.
Lateral Thinking Triggers
The term Lateral Thinking was coined by Edward De Bono, and refers to the ability to think non-linearly, in a curveball manner, instead of attacking a problem logically. Here, you take a temporary illogical step in a different direction, or introduce an error, to look at a situation differently and then in comes a fresh idea.
Of the several triggers of Lateral Thinking (book), some very useful methods are listed by Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg, in their book Inside the Box. These are some simple triggers that help you look at situations in a counter-intuitive manner.
For instance, in the same process map of airport check-in and security clearance, one of the Subtraction ideas could be getting away with the need to remove electronics from the handbags. Or a Multiplication idea could be multi-tiered conveyer belts for luggage scans.
These are fun-to-use methods if you are serious about creativity.
SCAMPER Technique
A shorthand for applying Lateral Thinking triggers is SCAMPER. It’s a set of nudges that could be applied to any problem, product or process that you wish to solve or improve upon, and you may end up with some surprising results.
For instance, you wish to improve security of UPI Payment, so that right amount goes to the correct recipient. One idea under Combine is to display the photo of the receiver and actual name before confirming payment. An idea under Reverse, is authentication of the receiver with an SMS before actual payment transaction, especially of higher values.
The SCAMPER technique is a systematized method, provided you can park your judgements.
Six Path Framework
Often the book, Blue Ocean Strategy, is considered as a work on Strategy, but it’s equally effective as a guide to creative problem solving. A very useful technique presented in the book is the Six Path Framework.
It’s a systematic means of looking beyond the stated boundaries/ orientation of the industry and seek greener pastures (blue oceans). These triggers can set into motion a novel approach to expanding the product’s reach and effectiveness.
As an illustration, I have taken the example of a car maker. Adopting these triggers, the company can identify new value adds and points of differentiation vis-a-vis the competition.
Analogous Design
Often the problem that you are grappling with is already been solved somewhere else, as a matter of practice. It’s typical to glorify our problems and seek new-to-the-world kind of solutions. However, all you need is a new-to-the-context solution, the one that works, albeit needn’t be new.
So, instead of reinventing the wheel, it’s a humbling experience to look elsewhere and borrow, or imitate, the solution. The farther the context more creative would be the ideas, for your competition is pretty much consuming similar stock of ideas. I have taken the case of hastening up the passengers onboarding on a flight and looked at the assembly line to draw some inspiration.
Toyota looked at the supermarket, Piggly-Wiggly, to embrace just-in-time for its automobile manufacturing, and Ford drew inspiration from the butcher house to invent the assembly line, half-a-century ago. What you think of as innovation is nothing but clever imitation.
Design for the Extreme
Many a times, by taking an idea or product to its extreme users or extreme situations, you can think of some creative concepts. Such ideas, though meant for exigencies, are very useful in the normal course of action. They wouldn’t have occurred to you but for thinking of extremes.
For instance, both the vibration and tactile features in mobile phones were meant for persons with visual impairment, but they are hugely beneficial to the mainstream markets. Similarly, subtitles in movies were meant for audience with hearing difficulties, but with it, the overall viewership rose significantly.
You can think of extreme scenarios, like over crowding, power failure, network sabotage, hostage situation, unruly customers, etc and create mechanisms which would make your product or solution more robust.
Nine Windows (TRIZ)
TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) is an old and very robust technique of problem solving, especially if you are dealing with physical contradictions or constraints. It offers a set of methods, or triggers, derived from extensive study of patents, which could resolve contradictions while solving problems.
Pioneered by Russian engineer, Genrich Altshuller, TRIZ is extensively adopted in engineering domains. One of the very useful methods is Nine Windows. Here, you look at any product/ problem/ phenomenon from three levels: system, super-system (purpose), and sub-system (components/ enablers). Also along the dimension of time (past, present and future).
You start with the Present System, and then identify the Super-System and Sub-System, before going back in time to understand how these actions were performed earlier and then ideating about future possibilities. It can often throw up surprising ideas. For instance, a feature/ purpose of past can be invoked in the future. I have taken the case of a mobile phone to illustrate the method. A detailed reading of the technique is highly recommended.
These are not exhaustive by any means, but the most commonly used ones. I hope these were helpful.
I would love to hear from you on what else could be included here. For more methods on problem discovery and creative problem solving, you are encouraged to check out my two books: Design Your Thinking and Design Your Career.
