L.T 1.2 – Ideation

Brainwriting is an idea generation technique where participants write down their ideas about a particular question for a few minutes without talking. They then hand their piece of paper over to the person next to them, and that person builds upon those ideas. This process repeats itself until all the actors have contributed. A team leader will collect the papers and display them to the group, after which they discuss and determine which ones will best solve the problem at hand.

I prefer this method to regular brainstorming where the more shy and introverted people can disappear in the background. With this method, all ideas are taken into account and contributed to the whole.

This process takes the use of drawing instead of writing when producing solutions. Sometimes it can be easier to convey an idea visually then if you try to explain it and has the added benefit of helping you think about more abstract ideas.

Sketching can be done in teams (called collaborative or group sketching) and follows the same principals as brainwriting, only each member draws instead of writing their ideas.

For this technique you will use the worst solutions you can think of to solve the given problem. This technique removes any doubts/fears the participants of the group may have, as it encourages bad ideas instead of criticising them. It is also an arena for fun, as the members of the team might have a good laugh with some of the suggestions, which again lead to more “silly” ideas.

When this is done, the group will trim down the list of suggestions by listing attributes that make each idea bad and use opposite thinking to turn the bad ideas into possible solutions.
This technique is my favourite as it allows for the less experienced designer to feel that they contribute, and it’s a great way to get to know your co-workers in a stress free and fun environment. It has the added benefit of creating unexpected solutions that can turn into amazing things.