The Ideate phase is the third stage of the design thinking process, where teams leverage insights gathered during the Empathize and Define phases to generate a wide range of creative ideas. This is where innovation truly begins to take shape, as you move from understanding problems to exploring potential solutions.
Effective ideation requires both divergent thinking (generating many possibilities) and convergent thinking (selecting the most promising ideas). The process is designed to encourage creative exploration while providing structured methods to evaluate and refine ideas.
The Ideate phase consists of four key stages that guide teams from open exploration to focused execution:
Successful ideation sessions require thoughtful facilitation to create an environment where creativity can flourish. Here are key practices for each stage of the ideation process:
Create an environment where all participants feel comfortable contributing ideas without fear of criticism.
Use warm-up activities to help team members connect and establish trust before diving into the creative process.
Set clear guidelines for participation that promote respectful interaction and equal contribution from all team members.
Ensure everyone understands the problem statement and goals of the ideation session before generating solutions.
Postpone evaluation of ideas during the divergent phase to allow for free expression of creative concepts.
Promote unconventional thinking by explicitly inviting participants to suggest bold, unusual, or seemingly impractical solutions.
Foster a collaborative atmosphere where participants actively develop and expand upon suggestions from their teammates.
Maintain momentum with timed exercises, varied activities, and enthusiasm to prevent creative fatigue during longer sessions.
Implement organized methods for evaluating ideas that focus on constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
Ensure that all ideas are fully explained and understood by the team before evaluation begins.
Use techniques that give every team member an equal voice in the selection process, preventing domination by the loudest or most senior participants.
Guide discussions that help the team reach consensus on which ideas to pursue further, balancing diverse perspectives and priorities.
Capture the essence of selected ideas and the thinking process that led to their selection, preserving the context for future reference.
Articulate what makes the chosen ideas valuable and how they address the original problem statement.
Define clear ownership for next steps, ensuring accountability for developing selected ideas into testable prototypes.
Develop strategies for sharing the selected ideas with stakeholders, addressing potential questions and concerns proactively.
Divergent thinking tools help generate a wide range of creative ideas by encouraging teams to explore multiple possibilities without judgment. Here are some of the most effective techniques:
SCAMPER is a structured brainstorming technique that uses a set of directed questions to help you generate new ideas by modifying existing ones. The acronym stands for:
Convergent thinking tools help evaluate, select, and refine the most promising ideas generated during the divergent phase. These techniques facilitate structured decision-making based on established criteria:
To effectively narrow down ideas, it's essential to establish clear evaluation criteria. These criteria should reflect your project goals and user needs, providing a balanced framework for assessing potential solutions:
Do we have the technology and skills required to implement this?
Can we afford the cost of development and deployment?
How complex is the idea to execute?
Can the idea generate enough revenue or reduce enough costs to justify the investment?
Is there a business model that can sustain this idea?
How does this idea fit with the overall business strategy?
Does this solve a real problem for our users?
How strongly do potential users feel the need that this idea addresses?
Will this idea enhance the user experience?
How will this idea change the way users interact with our product or service?
What long-term effects could this have on our business?
What social, environmental, or cultural impacts does this idea have?
Can this idea be easily expanded or adapted as demand increases?
Are there technological or logistical barriers to scaling up?
How adaptable is the idea to different markets or user groups?
What makes this idea better or different from what's currently available?
Is there a unique selling proposition (USP)?
Could this idea be easily replicated by competitors?
How easily can this idea be adjusted or expanded in the future?
Does the idea allow for integration with other technologies or platforms?
Can it be adapted to different markets or user demographics without significant changes?
What are the environmental impacts of implementing and maintaining this idea?
Does the idea promote social welfare or have potential negative effects on certain groups?
Is the idea economically sustainable over the long term? Does it rely on resources or processes that are finite or potentially harmful?
Objective: Generate and evaluate innovative solutions to a defined problem using both divergent and convergent thinking techniques.
Time Required: 90-120 minutes
Materials: Sticky notes, markers, whiteboard or digital collaboration tool, timer
Set the stage (10 minutes)
Begin by reviewing the problem statement and key insights from the Define phase. Establish ground rules that encourage open communication and suspend judgment during divergent thinking.
Warm-up exercise (5 minutes)
Conduct a quick creative exercise to get participants thinking outside the box. For example, ask everyone to list unusual uses for a common object.
Individual brainwriting (15 minutes)
Have participants silently write down as many ideas as possible on sticky notes (one idea per note). Encourage quantity over quality at this stage.
SCAMPER session (20 minutes)
Use the SCAMPER technique to build on existing ideas. Spend about 3 minutes on each letter of the acronym, encouraging participants to transform their initial ideas.
Group and categorize (10 minutes)
Have the team organize all ideas into natural groupings or themes using an affinity diagram approach.
Establish evaluation criteria (10 minutes)
As a group, define 3-5 key criteria for evaluating ideas, such as feasibility, impact, desirability, etc. Make sure everyone understands and agrees on these criteria.
Dot voting (10 minutes)
Give each participant a set number of votes (e.g., 5 dots) to place on the ideas they find most promising based on the established criteria.
Impact/Feasibility assessment (15 minutes)
Take the top-voted ideas and plot them on an Impact/Feasibility matrix to visualize which ideas offer the best balance of potential impact and implementation feasibility.
Refine and document (15 minutes)
For the highest-ranking ideas, further develop the concepts by adding details, addressing potential challenges, and documenting the core value proposition.
Next steps and assignments (10 minutes)
Define clear next steps for prototyping the selected ideas, assigning specific responsibilities to team members and establishing timelines.
The Ideate phase concludes by preparing selected ideas for prototyping. This transition is critical for maintaining momentum in the design thinking process:
Capture detailed descriptions of selected ideas, including their core value proposition, target users, and how they address the original problem statement.
Determine what aspects of each idea need to be prototyped first to test critical assumptions and learn the most from user feedback.
Develop specific plans for how each selected idea will be prototyped, including materials, methods, and level of fidelity needed.