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Ideation
Workshops
The aim of the ideation process is to generate fresh insights and ideas
which result in products having a competitive edge. There are two types
of ideation workshop that we conduct; an internal workshop run with the
client, and an external participants ideation session. Some clients use
both tools, others use only the external ideation.
The internal workshop is useful if you believe there the client team has
ideas ‘locked up’ in their heads or there is a need to more
clearly articulate ideas that are being expressed. Often a round of internal
workshop is needed so that some of the ideas can be used as input to external
ideation.
The external ideation is used if you believe there is ‘blue sky’
in the area and that new ideas can be generated.
The methodology for external ideation has been developed by Galaxy Research
and used very successfully. Indeed, a major food company has just launched
products for the kids market that were generated via our ideation process.
The external ideation session is not necessarily conducted amongst members
of the general public.
Often we use an expert panel. If we were interested in developing, say,
a new rice cracker product aimed specifically at children, the expert
panel may include childcare centre directors, teachers, kids’ caterers
and kids’ party / entertainment people. This will bring a range
of ideas from different fields.
Brainstorming is central to our ideation workshops. Although brainstorming
is a commonly used technique, however it is rarely done well. There are
many different creativity exercises, and most of these are public domain.
The expertise of the moderator is in the appropriate selection of tool
and the skill in using it. We regularly use the following creativity tools
– although only a small number are likely to be used in a single
workshop:
1. Spiderweb:
A free association exercise based on mind-mapping. Allows participants
to ‘brain dump’ and then discuss their thoughts within a structure.
2. Forced associations:
Each participant get given two pictures of stimulus, their task is to
somehow relate these two visuals to the issue at hand.
3. Brand projections:
Imagine if it was a personality, a drink, a car, a colour, a CD cover,
an animal; gets participants to express about the brand or issue by analogy.
4. Reversals:
Sometimes called Disruption. The group lists different assumptions that
are held about the product, then participants reverse these.
5. Sensorama:
Uses the sense of touch. Participants put a blindfold on then feel different
objects; gets them to relate to the brand using a different sensory modality.
6. Pen portraits:
Write a short day-in-the-life of the target consumer, then discuss ‘How
can we make this person’s life better, with our product or service?’
7. Six hats:
Each hat is a thinking mode and is assigned to individuals. The discussion
therefore uses parallel thinking rather than adversarial thinking.
8. Masks:
Each person wears the mask of a famous personality, hence they assume
a different role. Assists participants to take on a more emotional viewpoint.
9. Card packs:
Imagine if cards, which assist participants to stretch their thinking
on a particular idea. We also use Whack Pack when appropriate.
10. Parallel universes:
Looking at other categories, either within food or outside, to understand
the developments there. Then ask, ‘How can this be applied to
our issue?’
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