Ideation

Prep time:

Variable

Run time:

Variable

People:

2+ (incl. 1 facilitator)

Contributed by:

Digital Service Design Office, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads

Stages:

AlphaBetaLive

Ideation is the process of generating as many ideas as possible to solve a problem or challenge. By adding ideation activities to your project process, you expand your team’s perspective and explore new possibilities. This can lead to more innovative and user-focused solutions.

A common reason to avoid ideation activities is the pressure to produce results quickly. Time pressure can cause people to ignore the ideation phase and jump straight into creating a solution. However, without exploring a diverse range of ideas and possibilities, you are likely to end up with a solution that doesn't meet user needs. That could lead to having to make changes to solutions later in the process, which can be costly and time-consuming.

What might seem surprising to some, is that ideation greatly increases the chances for a successful and timely project delivery. Some of the many benefits of ideation are:

• It is a low-risk way to come up with many ideas that can be prioritised and validated quickly through early user testing. This will increase the likelihood of choosing and creating a successful solution.
• By involving your team and stakeholders in ideation, you empower them to take ownership of the chosen solution and feel invested in the success of the project.
• It helps team members democratically share and voice their individual ideas, which will reduce the chance of your team falling into a groupthink dynamic.
• It increases the diversity of ideas, especially when team members with different backgrounds and skills are involved in the process.
• It can help identify opportunities for improving a service or solving a problem that may not be identified with less creative approaches.