Worthless ideas?

'All ideas have degrees of potential. And if your idea is unique and has massive potential, that’s great. But don’t just stand still and think you’re sitting on a goldmine. Since only when you execute on the idea, and realize its potential, do you create value and wealth'.

Dave Lavinsky of Growthink.

Ideation constraints

Design ideation is sometimes being perceived as starting with a "blank page". The reality, however, is that ideation, as part of the design process, is not limitless but constrained by internal and external factors.

Internal factors may include; knowledge base, long term memory, and the designer's sense of audience or client needs. External factors may include; time allocated to the task, brief specification, client expectations, ideation tools for the job (skills and availabilty), and the designer's access to reference material.

X Idea

Method and Central Saint Martins (CSM) have come together to create Method Design Lab, MDL, a new business accelerator, which aims to bring up to 20 innovations to market each year.

MDL operates a step process to take an idea from concept to full commercialisation:

Step 1 - Idea sources: Ideas are identified from sources including the 4,500+ CSM students and the extensive internal and external global network of Method and CSM experts.

Step 2 - Primary selection: Ideas are selected using an online voting system that allows Method and CSM experts to identify which ideas should be explored further. This step draws on over 100 global experts that specialise in design, innovation and user-experience who have a track record in bringing innovation ideas to the market.

Step 3 - Early feasibility: Ideas that make it beyond the online voting stage undergo a rigorous internal vetting process with those who make the cut then being subject to due diligence in which the Method Design Lab team will identify potential routes to market, possible competition, design potential and audience.

Step 4 - Transfer of ownership: Once early feasibility has been conducted and the idea is to progress further an agreement is reached with the IP author.

Step 5 - Development: This involves the development of the idea to prototype stage and is where the combined strength of the joint venture partners will come to light. MDL, CSM and Method staff will bring their discipline expertise to bear and ensure that the output of this phase is as high a caliber as the world-class work done for clients of the independent consultancies.

Step 6 - Commercialisation: Developed idea is presented to potential market partners and additional investors to support large scale commercialisation and development.

Source: http://www.dexigner.com/news/22510

Words, words, words

Design ideation is typically an iterative process, interaction or dialogue between words and images. Ideation also works with artefacts and objects (including sketch models and rough prototypes). Words alone, however, may be perceived as weakness in ideation ("words, words, words") because they can be ambiguous, messy even, or pure abstraction, that is, building blocks without material constraints. Yet, arguably, the ambiguity of words allows more point of entry for creativity and innovation.

Ideation, innovation and manufacturing

Is there a relationship between ideation and manufacturing, and the next innovations? For example, the ideas behind the iPad and iPhone were generated and developed in the USA but the products are made by the engineers and factory workers in Asia. As people in Asia gain more knowledge, skill and experience will they also increasingly produce the next innovations? In other words, will shifts in manufacturing to the East lead to less innovation of physical products in the West? Moreover, if new generations of Western designers ideate without having the experience or means of producing things what are the ideation outcomes? Virtual solutions? Or, all talk and no industry?

Ideation, strategy and tactics

When you have a big idea, communicating the idea will involve ideation tools. And if the idea is the strategy, then ideation tools become the tactics, or operational means, for communicating the idea. But does a great idea (strategy) depend on brilliant ideation tool skills (tactics) for success? Arguably, if the idea is strong enough, you can get by with mediocre ideation tool execution. But why risk letting down a big idea through poor communication? Although it could be said that even the best tools (tactics) can’t compensate for a lousy idea (strategy).

Projecting ideas on the spot

Generating and developing ideas using smartphone (touchscreen) technology can be taken to the communication and presentation stages by using built-in or attached pocket sized projector. As ideation happens in many places, never has it been easier to project ideas to others on-the-spot, anytime, anywhere.