The idea is at the heart of design thinking. There are hundreds of innovation training for ideas such as brainstorming, sketching, SCAMPER, and prototyping. Some techniques are renamed to more basic versions of the technique, or slightly modified. At Innoverce365™, we have developed the methodology, tools, and database to assess, analyze and improve innovation capabilities in organisations or companies.
The following is an overview of the best innovation training techniques, when and why they are used.
“Ideation is the mode of the design process in which you concentrate on idea generation. Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes. Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.”
– d.school, An Introduction to Design Thinking PROCESS
How do I get an idea?
You idealize by combining your conscious and unconscious thoughts. You combine your rational mind with your imagination. The following techniques are the most important techniques that you and your team can use to generate ideas:
Top idea techniques: Which idea methods are available?
Because of the nature of ideas, it is very important to use techniques that match the type of ideas you want to produce. The technique you choose must also meet the ideas team’s needs, creative productivity, and their experience in the idea session. The following is an overview of the main techniques for the idea:
1. Brainstorm
During brainstorming sessions, use group synergy to develop new ideas while building on other people’s ideas. Ideas are combined to make a good idea, as indicated by the slogan “1 + 1 = 3”.
Participants must be able to discuss their ideas freely and without fear of criticism. You need to create an environment where everyone is involved in wild ideas and misunderstandings, and that allows you to go further than you can by only logically thinking about problems.
2. Braindump
Braindump is very similar to Brainstorm but is made individually. The participants then write down their ideas in notes and then share them with the group.
3. Brainwriting
Brainwriting is also very similar to a brainstorming session. However, participants write their ideas on paper and after a few minutes transfer their own papers to other participants, who then develop ideas from the first person, etc.
Within minutes, each participant sent their documents back to someone else and the process continued. After about 15 minutes, you collect the documents and publish them for immediate discussion.
4. Brainwork
Brainwalk is similar to brainwriting. Instead of leafing through the newspaper, participants walk through the room and continually find a new “idea station” where they can develop other participants’ ideas.
5. Worst possible idea
The worst idea is a very effective method that can make creative juices flow and help those who are unsure of expression by brainstorming your head. This is also very fun. Instead of betting on good ideas and putting pressure on yourself, you have to bring the worst ideas your team can develop.
Achieving this reduces fear and problems with self-esteem and allows people to be more playful and adventurous. It’s easier to say “no, that’s not bad enough” than vice versa.
6. Demanding assumptions
Take a step back from the challenges you face and ask a few key questions about assumptions about a product, service, or situation that you want to innovate. It is very effective to question assumptions if you are stuck in the current paradigm or lack of ideas.
So it’s a good idea to restart the tagging session. Are the qualities that we take for granted really important, or is it just because we are all familiar with them?
7. Mindmap
Mind mapping is a graphical technique through which participants build a network of relationships. To begin with the simplest form of thinking, participants write a problem or key phrase in the middle of the page.
Then they write solutions and ideas that come to mind on the same page. The participants then associate their decisions and ideas through curves or lines with facts or ideas that are not important or fundamental (previous or next).
Others include:
Sketch or Sketchstorm, Storyboard, Bodystorm, Analogies, Provocation, Scamper, Movement, Gamestorming, Cheatstorm, Crowdstorm, Co-creation workshops, Prototype, Creative pause.
Takeaways
Ideation is at the heart of innovative training. There are hundreds of innovative training techniques. Here you get an overview of the best techniques and the time and reasons for their use.
Because of the nature of ideas, it is very important to use techniques that match the type of ideas you want to produce. The techniques you choose must also match the techniques the team members have, their creativity, and their experience with the idea.
To turn your goals into reality, talk to us at Innoverce365™. Over the years, our expert team has assisted many organisations to stay relevant in the future by providing innovation capabilities assessment, and guided them to improve management practice of innovation and strategy for sustainable growth.
Get in touch with us today!
