Ideation and critical thinking

Critical thinking and ideation are both processes of thought where ideation can be regarded as part of, or an aspect of critical thinking. That is, when designers generate ideas they typically think critically about the process of ideation and the outcome of that process, which is critical. That is, designers engage with the critiques of their own ideas and consider alternatives. In a team situation, designers, while thinking critically about their own ideas, must allow for feedback in the form of criticism from other team members. Equally, in communicating ideas at large, designers must be open to criticism from others, that is, critical thinking as applied to the idea(s) presented. Being critical, on the other hand, in the context of ideation, differs from thinking critically in that being critical may suggest a negative attitude, a fault-finding mindset or aversion to risk-taking. Moreover, and positively, critical thinking make designers better understand how their own creative mind works also raising awereness about personal accountability and wider ideation issues such as ethics and serving the greater good. Ideators, then, at best, are not only creative thinkers but critical thinkers at that.