Idea mapping

In the context of design, 'idea' is understood as a basic element of thought that can be either visual, concrete or abstract. Although it may seem, at times difficult to characterise concreteness and abstractness in ideation, the abstract idea may roughly overlap with the concept of a mental or cognitive map, or just about any mental representation or model, while the visual idea may take on the sign of a visual map, and the concrete idea represented in material form (physical object or artefact). But whatever shape, form or matter the idea takes, ideation is a kind of purposeful wayfinding where the ideators orient themselves in space and time with the help of ideation tools, viz, words, drawings, modelling and computing to cover both physical and cognitive creative activities. Now, wayfinding, in physical space is increasingly facilitated by technology, for example, GPS, or satellite-based radio navigation. In a similar way, ideators can navigate creative space using transformative technologies, such as artificial intelligence for data mapping while maintaining direction and control. Such use of AI-powered data mapping tools may help idea generation and facilitate innovation. That is, idea mapping to enhance ideation and break new creative ground.

It's all in the mind?

Ever since Plato started telling stories about people trapped in caves, as a means of illustrating how reality is created by the mind, philosophers have pondered the relationship between the mind (consciousness) and reality (the world as we experience it). This is generally known as the mind-body problem. Designers may not be overly excited by the mind-body problem but it touches on ideation, as part of design thinking, in that it highlights the relation, or interaction between the idea (subjectivity and intentionality) and outcome in terms of physical properties (spatio-temporal objects). Moreover, design ideas seem to have causal powers, but they also possess the mysterious property of intentionality, that is, being about other thing. Or, as the dualist might see it, the idea is in the matter, or the material world (concrete or visual ideas) but also in the computational world (abstract ideas). Intriguingly, though, simple mathematical relationships may not just tell us something about the way designers think but also something about the world. The body-mind problem, then, from a designer perspective could be conceived as fitting ideas to reality while recognising that nature is independent of ideas.

Ideation for the real world

Design ideation may suggest that the design process starts with no preconceived notions. That is, the designer start with a blank sheet of paper waiting to be filled with ideas. Or, in the words of John Locke (1632-1704), the English philosopher, who stated that the mind is like a slate scraped  free of all markings, or a tabula rasa, and that humans do not have innate ideas. Locke, then, was a leading proponent of empiricism, the theory that stresses the role of experience and evidence, and particularly sensory experience. Yet while the notion that design begins with a blank slate is attractive, the everyday lived experience tells us that the environment around us (from natural to socio-economic-political factors) influence ideation -  the ways we generate ideas, and both in terms of process and content. In this sense, empiricism is one of the foundation stones for ideation for the real world. Indeed empiricism helps the understanding of the marketplace, which in turn influences the ideation stage of the design process. Ideas which then feed into design development and production adjusted to meet both global and local needs and preferences.

Keep calm and carry on scribbling

There are times when there seem to be too many ideas competing in one's head at any one time. It can be overwhelming, even stressful although having many ideas is typically considered a good thing - a manifestation of creative thinking. After all, what designer wants to run short of ideas? So, capturing the ideas is key. And a good way of generating first thoughts and keeping track of them is through scribbling - a way of sketching out ideas, concrete or abstract, in words and/or images, say, telling little stories, and with any implement on any surface (although "pen & paper" is the most typical). In fact, scribbling can have a calming effect when there are too many "idea sparks" flying around. It can help harnessing restless ideas and put the ideator in a focused or meditative frame of mind that allow ideas to flow steadily rather than turbulently. Like a meandering stream rather than rapids. Scribbling, then, becomes a mindset, or an approach to problem solving - an aid that functions at many levels, including thinking-aloud or day-dreaming. In other words, ideation without stressing about it.

To Zoom, or not to Zoom

The creative process is being crushed by an avalanche of Zoom conference calls and remote working. That’s the view of global brand expert Martin Lindstrom, who says the new culture of video conferencing and remote working is sapping the energy of creatives: Moreover, the structure of video conferencing hinders critical discussion and encourages safe contributions such as “I agree with X, Y and Z", Lindstrom argues. The challenge that the Zoom culture poses to creativity, then, becomes a creative challenge for ideators. Some tried-and-tested ideas include online sharing of ideas for arts & crafts activities, games to play on Zoom, or Zoom singing groups. Yet constant effort to come up with the right idea when trying to solve a problem via Zoom can be counterproductive. That is, sometimes ideas and creative sparks emerge from quiet moments - in the gaps between thoughts. Or, as a Zen master may suggest, cherish the time when you're not thinking about anything: Zen, rather than Zoom, for ideas?

Research-based ideation

While research is an established part of the design process, what is research in the context of ideation? First, ideation is about generating ideas and so researched -based ideation involves forms of exploratory research, and qualitative research at that. That is, research that is exploratory in nature as it tries to explore, not to predict the outcome - after all, ideas amount to suggestions or propositions, not final outcomes. The ideation research approach then necessarily varies, from examining the situation and culture where the design takes place (through literature, conversations and interviews) to searching and referencing written or visual sources (both on- and offline), and to playing around with materials and techniques, including sketching and modelling and culminating, perhaps, in the proverbial Aha! moment. 

"The idea man"

We have all heard of the "Idea Man". That is, a man, typically although not exclusively so, who appears extremely intelligent and creative with an endless list of interesting ideas. But will any of them come to fruition, or actually work? Afer all, an idea is only an idea - and the proof of the idea is in its realisation. So, the realisation, or execution of the idea is the challenge for the ideator. A challenge that suggests having both the confidence and resources to pull the idea off - to make it happen. In an interview in The Guardian newspaper*, the "dissident"Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is being asked, against a background of producing artwork with the help of a team of 30, if he is mostly the idea man nowadays: 'I am a very handy person', he replies, 'my hands are always working. If your hands are not working, your brain is not going to function. I am very capable: carpentry, stone, iron. I have also become skilful on social media. Everything is about the continuity of learning, and learning comes from curiosity'. So, Weiwei doesn't seem to be just the idea man throwing concepts in the air but a man who turns his idea into reality, with or without assistance of others. * February 6, 2022