17 Jul, 2012
“Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes.”
Try developing an Idea Brief (a sentence, or two, that will sum up the project and frame it as a problem statement) after you have completed the research. Treat this simple sentence like a question that has to be answered and you should keep referring it to when you’re working though ideas. In order to start the idea process, take out your sketchbook, sit in a comfortable position and start doodling. Once your thinking process begins, start taking notes and move from one idea to another quickly.
Inspiration is different for everyone; what one person thinks is useless can be everything meaningful for someone else. Inspiration and insights are essential for generating ideas. Inspiration can come from all sorts of places like music, printed stuff or a long walk by the beach. They send you in directions that haven’t yet been explored. Flyers that you find in theatres, cinemas and information centers are great sources of inspiration too.
Waiting for sparks of inspiration for ideas can be a little tricky. But don’t worry a good tool to help you is brainstorming which is also called ideas sessions. These are group activities that take place with key members of the project team. In order for your ideas to be taken seriously, you need to discuss it with important people like the CEO, or Marketing Director. Facilitator is another important member of an ideas session. They are responsible for squeezing out the best ideas the team has to offer.
Here’s how an ideas session should be conducted:
After all this process is done, you can shortlist the most highly rated ideas and you are ready to enter the next phase of development.