2.6 Generating and Refining Ideas

To come up with ideas, use structured creativity methods. Brainstorming is a classic technique. Follow simple rules: defer judgment, encourage wild ideas, build on others’ suggestions, and go for quantity. For example, in an IDEO-style brainstorm, everyone should shout out ideas without criticism. One person’s “crazy” idea might spark another’s practical solution. Aim to generate many ideas (some suggest ~100 in an hour). Stay focused on the problem topic, use visuals (post-its, sketches) and positive “yes-and” language to keep energy high.

Another powerful approach is design thinking, which emphasizes user-centered innovation. Its five main phases are: Empathize (deeply understand user needs), Define (clearly state the problem), Ideate (brainstorm solutions), Prototype (build quick models), and Test. This cycle often loops: test your prototype with customers, learn from feedback, and iterate. Design thinking puts customer understanding (empathy) at the center of idea generation. For a visual introduction to these phases, see the YouTube video “What is Design Thinking? (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test)”.

Empathy Map: A handy tool in design thinking is the empathy map. It’s a four-quadrant poster (Says, Thinks, Does, Feels) surrounding a user archetype. Teams fill each quadrant with notes from research (e.g. exact quotes in “Says”, observed actions in “Does”). This visualization forces the team to share and align their understanding of the user. If a quadrant is empty, it signals a gap where more user data is needed. By mapping out how a user speaks, thinks, acts and feels, empathy maps help everyone see the user holistically.

Problem (Need) Statement: Converting empathy into direction often uses a concise need statement or problem statement. In design thinking, a User Need Statement sums up “Who needs what and why.” It usually has three parts: [User Persona] needs [the need/goal] in order to [the benefit/why]. For example: “Alieda, a multitasking mother of two, needs to compare options quickly in order to spend more time on what matters.”. Writing such a statement helps everyone agree on the core problem before ideating. It keeps the team focused on solving the right problem (the user’s need), not jumping immediately to a solution (a product feature). A good problem statement becomes a shared target, and later a benchmark for success.