Creating Ideas

Creating new ideas is the basis of any successful company. Innovation and creativity are the main requirements to compete and keep the business running. Creating ideas require understanding of the problem at hand. This usually arises based on user needs. Once specific a user problem or an unmet market need is identified, creating ideas is the next step. This might involve one or all of the following idea creation tools.

Brainstorming:
This technique is used to generate creative/original ideas over a broad range of options and within a short period of time. The problem being discussed is reviewed at the beginning of the session until it is understood by the entire discussion group. After about 2 minutes of silence, the members are invited to read out their ideas one at a time. All ideas are recorded and kept visible. Members can modify or build on other members' ideas. There is no criticism of evaluation of ideas, so as to keep the thoughts flowing. Once all ideas are recorded and several minutes of silence ensues, the session is declared closed. There are several modified versions of this basic brainstorming technique -
* Round-robin brainstorming - Allows all team members to participate and generate ideas without being influenced/overshadowed by a dominant member.
* Wildest-idea brainstorming -
* Reversal - Instead of asking, "How do I solve or prevent this problem?" ask, "How could I possibly cause the problem?" Instead of asking "How do I achieve these results?" ask, "How could I possibly achieve the opposite effect?" Once the ideas are collected, they are reversed to engineer original solutions.
* Starbursting - Focuses on evaluating ideas by asking questions rather than providing answers. Helps to understand all aspects of the new idea/product.
* Charette - Used to brainstorm multiple issues with multiple stakeholders. Involves organizing people into several small groups, each of which brainstorms ideas one-after-the-other until everyone involved has had a chance to contribute fully.
Brainstorming focuses on quantity - it aims at collecting many unusual ideas which may be combined or modified to yield productive ideas.
* Nominal Group Technique - It is a more structured brainstorming approach where once the subject is discussed, the group is allowed 5-10 mins to write down any ideas in silence. Each member then states his/her ideas one at a time and the ideas are noted and then discussed in detail. Based on a voting system, priority numbers are assigned to the ideas.

Affinity Diagram:
This is used in the case of large, complex issues with multiple factors. Ideas are put down on sticky notes and spread across a large surface. When related ideas evolve, they are put together in pools. Ideas can be grouped and regrouped such that patterns emerge and each group is given a title like, specifications, safety, quality, finance, etc. This will also help in assigning further tasks.

There are several other creativity tools that can aid in developing ideas for new products. More information about these tools are available at http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_CT.htm#other