Storytelling can make the idea

The new idea must be externalised, that is, communicated to an audience, be it to inspire or win over a colleague, a team or a client. And communicating the idea is essentially about storytelling, which is a skill that can be developed or improved upon. This skill entails a few characteristics, notably the ability to contextualise the idea, that is, to explain, show or demonstrate how the idea fit into the broader vision or picture of things. Another noticeable feature is to make the idea action-oriented, that is, to present the idea so it becomes clear what real difference it can make if, and when realised. And, not least, build trust into your storytelling by not exaggerate the idea to make it seem larger, more important or better than it really is. Because an effective way to undermine the creditbility of an idea is with impressive-sounding, but ultimately unhelpful, boring or meaningless platitudes.

Ideation as knowledge

Ideation can be seen as a creative process embodied in cognition and knowledge of both practical and theoretical nature. Aristotle distinguished between different types of knowledge required to solve problems in three realms. Techne was craft knowledge: learning to use tools and methods to create something. Episteme was scientific knowledge: uncovering the laws of nature and other inviolable facts. Phronesis was akin to ethical judgment: the perspective-taking and wisdom required to make decisions when competing values are in play — when the answer is not absolute, multiple options are possible. The reason that Aristotle made these distinctions is that they require different styles of thinking. But ideators face challenges appearing regularly in all three knowledge areas. That is, there are plenty of techne problems to find practical and effective solutions to a given problem. There are also epistemic challenges, that is, designing serves not only to develop artefacts but is also a means of acquiring genuine knowledge. And firmly in the realm of phronesis, or practical wisdom, the kind of knowledge that is flexible enoguh to adjust initial thoughts to emergent circumstances, and adaptable enough to learn from successes as well as mistakes. Wisdom, a capacity acquired through experience, helps designers to ask penetrating questions, provide insight into the implications of actions, and to advise appropriate courses of action. Wisdom, then, in the realm of problem solving, involves the ability to understand how complex and messy situations hang together, and appropriate actions might be taken.  Phronesis, then, in the context of design, as argued by Halverson and Gomez (2001)* is the ability to walk the talk. Or rather, for ideators, to walk the idea. *https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241616375_Phronesis_and_Design_How_Practical_Wisdom_is_Disclosed_through_Collaborative_Design

Saying no to ideas

 Ideation suggests ways of generating, developing and communicating ideas. but it's not simply an activity of producing as many ideas as possible for any given task, as may be the case with so called "brainstorming" for ideas. That is, ideation is a purposeful and focused process. It is also a decision-making process. But focusing doesn't mean saying yes to any idea that pops up. To focus, as proposed by Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, "means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.". So difficult choices have to be made along the ideation route: Which idea seems the best? The opportunity may never come around again. In conclusion, then, the best course of action for ideators is to say no to ideas that don't excite, speak to their values, or further their design agenda.