Groupthink

The ideation workshop goes beyond "brainstorming", which can be a rather shallow creative activity where participants are typically told to go for quantity of ideas, and withholding criticism of each other's ideas. Instead, and without any particular script to follow, participants in the ideation workshop are encouraged to dig deeper and enter into discussion and criticism, in the belief that such debate can stimulate rather than inhibit ideation. Moreover, and although the participants may choose to ideate alone, in pairs or small teams reflecting individual preferences, research suggests that brainstorming teams generate fewer ideas than the same number of people who work alone and later pool their ideas.

Hybrid ideation tools

Combining traditional ideation tools, such as freehand sketching and physical sketch modelling, with immersive experiences, such as augmented reality, suggests new ways of ideation where ideas are generated and developed in virtual immersive environments in a creative mix of the visionary and the practical, or the concrete and the abstract. Such hybrid ideation tools, inspired by virtual reality in gaming and training fusing hardware (VR headset) and software (visual effect and design), would enable ideators to interact with immersive environment using their own body (tactile immersion).

Perfect tool - imperfect idea

Whatever the designer's skill and preference for any particular ideation tool, the ubiquitous pen and paper sketch may seem the perfect tool for expressing and capturing ideas; its immediacy and ease of use. Yet whatever ideation tool is employed, and to whatever level of perfection, the idea itself, in its substance, cannot be perfect. This is because the word, or concept of, perfection suggests "a finishing" or "bringing to an end", whereas the idea, in a creative context, remain incomplete or open-ended implying comparison to other ideas. Better then, perhaps, to talk about "excellent" rather than "perfect" ideas, where the former imply comparison. However, the idea expressed may be considered perfect when it perfectly serves its purpose.

Old & new tech

In an increasingly digitised world, where we can do things with the latest software and hardware that simply would be impossible to do 20 years ago, analogue technologies such as traditional 35 mm film making techniques, fax machines, metal audio tapes, and vinyl records refuse to go. It seems, in a creative context, where eclectic and personal work matters more than rational tech updates, the skilful use of old technologies still makes sense.

Free-form sketching

Before computers, designs were drawn by hand on paper, from first ideas and concepts to revisions and final drawings. For formal drawing various drafting tools were being used. For example, rulers were used for straight lines, compasses or templates for circles, protractors for angles, and french curves or flexible curves for curvatures. Today software, including tablet computers support both sketching and drafting activities. What matters, it seems, is that software tools can be used for ideation purposes as long as the tools have similar availability to that of pen and paper for free-form sketching.

Neat, or not so tidy?

Drawing for design conjures up visuals that are neatly shaped, controlled and made in a satisfying way, with a particular audience in mind, and perhaps even more so in the digital mode, whereas sketching, in the context of ideation, is closer to everyday life; a bit rough, awkward even, and does not come to tidy conclusions.

Idea sketch advantage

The idea sketch is not so much a predictive tool, of what is to come, but rather a tool for keeping track of ideas, which can be fast moving, ambiguous or volatile. Although designer sketches are commonly annotated, the idea sketch is essentially a pictorial expression of an idea, as words alone rarely convey design ideas, or fully capture the intent of the designer. Moreover, in recording ideas through sketching the designer gains a better understanding of the task in hand, which in turn help progress the idea towards realisation.