Mathieu Turpault THUMB

Mathieu Turpault

Insights & Strategy

Design Insights

Design

Industrial Design

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the benefits of brainstorming.&nbsp;
Everyone has his own opinion regarding if and how it should be done. We use it frequently, but we’ve developed our own technique that is more structured than “stormed.”

Download: Brainstorming Toolkit

Delve's experts in insights, strategy, design, and engineering can guide you through an end-to-end innovation process that delivers results.

Our Services Page: Product Design and Development (text only)

Image 1 sketches

There is a tendency in the design industry to begin brainstorming with very little preparation and before goals are well-defined. I’ve seen my share of ad-hoc sessions with unexceptional results. I personally don’t believe in jumping into brainstorming when goals are vague.
Formally trained moderators who can effectively manage a high-stakes ideation session are rare. People tend to fall into it as a matter of experience and habit, which diminishes the chances for positive outcomes. This is why we wanted to share our own process when we had the opportunity to mentor a group of <a href="http://pennipd.tumblr.com/post/53397206323/understanding-the-yonso-project-was-much-more-than">University of Pennsylvania Integrated Product Design students </a>who worked with the Yonso Project, a Ghanaian rural organization, to help them develop a line of bamboo bike accessories. (Read more about that collaboration in <a href="http://www.core77.com/blog/social_design/a_new_line_of_bamboo_bike_accessories_for_ghanas_yonso_project_by_mathieu_turpault_25954.asp">this post on Core77</a>.)

Image 2 grid

<h2>Structured Ideation</h2>
“Structured ideation” may not sound as sexy as brainstorming, but it is more descriptive of the focused work we do upfront. We’ve found that breaking it up into shorter, smaller sessions is more productive than holding expansive, all day sessions. It keeps the ideation fresher and the content more manageable. (We use this approach when we lead our clients through the ideation phase.)
<h3>How It Works: Prep</h3>
More often than not the problems we have to solve are complex and multifaceted. Ideally we organize them in order of significance. Before the first session our designers and engineers absorb a good amount of information, including documented research, to guide the ideation process around low-level problems that need to be solved before we can tackle the greater issues as a group.

Image 3 user research

The best ideas usually come after the issues have had a chance to sink in for a few days. A lot of creative people do their best thinking at night, in the shower, while biking home, etc. — outside of work. Allowing them to contemplate the issues and problems enables them to come up with better solutions.
For us, the prep work usually involves watching user research videos and reading through summaries of research findings so participants can begin to generate their own approach. Occasionally we assign different problems to different people to cultivate strands of expertise within a group. This is best when we are facing multiple problems touching multiple disciplines.
<h3>First Ideation Session: Material Property</h3>
With Yonso, we gave the students homework and a series of tasks to accomplish prior to the sessions. They were asked to start the ideation process and come up with ideas for solutions to identified problems. Starting off the first session with people sharing these ideas sets the tone for high-energy work. It also saves time because we plow through preconceptions very quickly to focus on the more challenging, less obvious concepts that lead to richer solutions overall.

Image 4 material property

With Yonso, session one was about material property. It was a way to deconstruct the idea of a particular material. Instead of thinking about products made of bamboo, we approached the idea of exploring products that need to have high tensile strength. The outcome — ideas for products made out of bamboo — is the same, but the approach is likely to yield more unexpected results. We looked at interesting ideas that would come out of these particular material properties (i.e. which products would leverage the unique tensile strength of bamboo).
<h3>Second Ideation Session: Things Made Out of Bamboo</h3>
Our second ideation session for Yonso was a little more traditional in nature. We pinned up all the images and grouped and sorted them into categories to identify a few that made the most sense. Then we ideated from there.
Here is the assignment for that second session, revolving around “Things Made Out of Bamboo.” The students searched online for images and also took their own photos.
A – Find 10 images of products made out of bamboo. B – Email me your 10 images. C – Be ready to tell a story about what you found. D – If you don’t send your images, you can’t participate to the ideation session.
We should have 100 images to look at during this session, and it will form the start of our exploration into “Things Made Out of Bamboo.”
Rules: 1. Pay attention to your surroundings. Pictures of real products are worth more than images collected online. (I saw two bamboo products on my way to work this morning; snap a picture and save it for this exercise.) 2. If you are already familiar with what Yonso and Kwabena do, don’t include like products. Try to look for other product opportunities. 3. Look further than the obvious — we don’t want to all bring the same images, use your personal judgment. 4. Focus on products that solve a real problem/issue.

Image 5 bamboo products

One of the most important rules is to force people to go outside of their work environment to do this exercise. It trains people to be more curious and aware of their surroundings. Collecting images online is fine and can lead to some inspirational thinking, but chances are if you actually see someone using a product that relates to the assignment, the conclusions will be much richer.
Another important rule is “if you don’t do your homework, you can’t participate.” Too many people see ideation sessions as a chance to doze off, but this is a no-pain no-gain scenario. There is no room for slackers.

The JOC method lets you move into ideation confident that you're working from something more than a hunch.

Don't Miss: Use ‘Jobs, Outcomes, and Constraints’ to Exploit the Pause Between Research and Ideation

<h2>Results</h2>
With Yonso, the students’ initial inclination was to create a lineup of concepts to take with them to Ghana. These sessions slowed them down and helped them realize it’d be most efficient to turn the trip into an extension of the structured ideation process they began in Philadelphia — into a gathering of information, a true research trip unencumbered by designers’ preconceptions.

Image 6 protoypes 1

Image 7 prototypes 2

Their trip was about keeping an open mind and designing solutions on the ground, within the context and environment, so their solution would be appropriate and relevant.
I think this was a very valuable lesson: Don’t design with your personal bias. Take the time to learn and apply your expertise to a co-design activity within context.
Ideation often turns into a debate of ideas, but a structured approach always yields more thoughtful, considered solutions.

Our experts in insights, strategy, design, and engineering guide you through an end-to-end innovation process that delivers results.

Services Page: Product Design and Development at Delve (Our Services)

Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.delve.com/services" target="_blank">Product Development & Design Services at Delve.</a>

SEO Text: Our Services

Delve Product Design Research

Everyone has his own opinion regarding if and how brainstorming should be done. We use it frequently, but we’ve developed our own technique that is more structured than “stormed.”

Contact Us | General (Let's build something together)

Consumer Products

Home

Insights

Structured Ideation vs Brainstorming

Breadcrumbs

A full-service product design and strategic innovation consultancy.

Delve

Everyone has his own opinion regarding if and how brainstorming should be done. We use it frequently, but we’ve developed our own technique that is more structured than “stormed.”

Everyone has his own opinion regarding if and how brainstorming should be done. We use it frequently, but we’ve developed our own technique that is more…

description

generator

kSwNn6qD4B-4HloWnWMUBWQNpBx2_mPi3nMqgsh6ato

google-site-verification

developed, technique, we’ve, structured, opinion, regarding, brainstorming, frequently, “stormed.”

keywords

https://cms.delve.com/assets/images/_1200x630_crop_center-center_82_none/241.jpg?mtime=1680614840

https://linkedin.com/company/delvedesign/

https://www.delve.com/insights/structured-ideation-vs-brainstorming

referrer

robots

twitter:card

twitter:creator

twitter:description

https://cms.delve.com/assets/images/_800x418_crop_center-center_82_none/241.jpg?mtime=1680614840

twitter:image

twitter:image:alt

twitter:image:height

twitter:image:width

twitter:site

twitter:title

{"title":{"title":"Structured Ideation vs Brainstorming | Delve"}}

Be More Innovative

Privacy Policy

FCOI Policy

Services

Case Studies

Testimonials

What We Do

About Us

Our People

Join Our Team

Careers

Newsroom

Who We Are

Boston

Madison

Philadelphia

San Francisco

Our Studios

Partner with Delve

Contact Us

Contact

Vamsee Pamula, Founder &amp; President, Baebies

Read informative articles from Delve's team of experts. Discover innovative strategies and insights about product design, engineering, and development.

Delve Insights: Product Innovation & Development Blog

innovation, product, design, advice, development

https://cms.delve.com/assets/images/_1200x630_crop_center-center_82_none/Delve_titlecard.png?mtime=1654035558

https://cms.delve.com/assets/images/_800x418_crop_center-center_82_none/Delve_titlecard.png?mtime=1654035558

Structured Ideation vs Brainstorming

Structured Ideation vs Brainstorming

Related Insights