Ideation is a creative process or technique used to generate ideas, concepts, or solutions to a problem or challenge. It involves brainstorming and exploring various possibilities without judgment or evaluation. The goal of ideation is to foster a free-flowing environment that encourages diverse thinking and promotes the emergence of innovative and novel ideas.
During the ideation process, individuals or teams engage in divergent thinking, where they generate a large quantity of ideas without immediately focusing on their feasibility or practicality. The emphasis is on quantity rather than quality at this stage, as it allows for a wide range of perspectives and potential solutions to be considered.
There are techniques and methods that can be used to facilitate ideation, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, role play, random word association, random image association, provocation, and SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put, Eliminate, Reverse).
Ideation is often followed by a subsequent phase of evaluation and refinement, where ideas are analyzed, selected, and further developed into actionable concepts or solutions. However, during the ideation phase, it is essential to suspend judgment and embrace a non-linear, open-minded approach to allow for the exploration of diverse ideas and possibilities.