Better Ideas Faster: Handouts

BETTER IDEAS FASTER OVERVIEW

Identify your Turn those Brainstorm Connect
client’s actual problems using ideation existing ideas
problems into ideation questions and to discover
questions timeboxing better ones

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STRATEGY ARTICULATION IDEATION SYNTHESIS

Focus your efforts Don’t try to chop This combination Before you dive into
by being a strategic down a difficult design produces effective execution, see where
partner to your clients problem with one and actionable ideas. you can cluster, merge,
from Day One. This will swing of your mental Use timeboxing: short, and explode ideas to
help you make sure ax. Instead, chip apart structured sprints to find new ones. You’ll be
you’re solving the right the problem using achieve stated idea surprised at what new
problems by design. ideation questions. generation goals. ideas you’ll discover.

©2010 DAVID SHERWIN | DKSHERWIN@MSN.COM | CHANGEORDER.TYPEPAD.COM | @CHANGEORDER

BETTER IDEAS FASTER IDENTIFY THE ACTUAL PROBLEM
Suggest more appropriate ways for your clients to reach desired business outcomes. Get to
the root cause of why they’ve suggested a certain marketing strategy or design approach.
Client needs are often symptoms of a larger, more interesting business problem—one that
you’re probably best off defining before you start designing. Otherwise, you’re just throwing
ideas at the wrong target.

CLIENT NEED ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS PROVIDE FOCUS

Our client needs a new “What are your goals for Based on the answers to our
logo and color palette this project?” questions, we determine that the
for their restaurant. rebranding exercise is a symptom
“What business conditions of sales dropping by 20% over
They want it to be blue caused these problems the past year. We could suggest
and red, maybe with to emerge?” to our client that they…
a flying fish. “What other strategies
did you consider before • Retool their website
choosing this course • Revise their online advertising

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of action?” • Create more compelling signage
“What other related • Improve their service and food
problems are also on
When you start brainstorming
the horizon?”
design concepts, you should
“How does this upcoming be thinking outside the box,
project fit into your brand but inside the strategy that
and/or marketing story?” you determine here.


BETTER IDEAS FASTER CREATE IDEATION QUESTIONS
Let’s start coming up with all sorts of amazing ideas! Wait—where do we even start?
First, jot down some ideation questions. They are restatements of issues that form the basis
of a design problem. Post-it Notes, Sharpies, and other simple tools help here, as you can
cluster and group your questions for when you start brainstorming.

THE PROBLEM IDEATION QUESTIONS FOCUSED DESIGN QUESTIONS

Our client needs to “How can we increase sales “What motifs could become a
increase sales at their by 20% this year?” design theme for the new brand?”
restaurant, Macrame,
by 20% this year. “What is the essence “What materials would best
of the Macrame brand?” express the brand in the
We’ve agreed to create real world?”
“How can we better
a new brand system differentiate Macrame from “What types of interactivity
for them, including a their competition?” would express the brand on
new identity, an overhaul the website?”
of their website, and “What kind of online

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new signage and menus experience would “What color schemes will
for their two locations. encourage patronage?” work?” (Blue? Red?)

They want it to be blue “What connections will
and red, maybe with people see between
a flying fish. the online experience and
real-world experience?”


BETTER IDEAS FASTER USE TIMEBOXING
Timeboxing is the use of short, structured sprints to achieve stated idea generation goals.
When presented with a deadline, plan out a series of manageable steps that have tangible work
output, such as a set number of design ideas or sketches. Quantity is the name of the game, not
quality. Try to capture ideas in both words and pictures. Always set a goal that’s hard to reach.
Sketch each idea on a separate sheet of paper or Post-it Note.

STATE YOUR INTENT SET A TIME LIMIT SET A GOAL

“How can we increase sales 15 minutes At least 20 idea sketches
by 20% this year?”
“What is the essence 10 minutes At least 15 idea sketches
of the Macrame brand?”
“How can we better 15 minutes At least 15 idea sketches
differentiate Macrame from
their competition?”
“What kind of online 30 minutes At least 15 wireframes

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experience would or user flows
encourage patronage?”
“What connections will 15 minutes At least 10 idea
people see between sketches
the online experience and
real-world experience?”


BETTER IDEAS FASTER BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES
If you find yourself getting stuck, throw a brainstorming technique in one of your timeboxes.
You’ll inevitably find yourself gravitating towards the techniques that seem to work best,
but it’s important to vary techniques every so often to stay fresh.

MIND-MAPPING WORD LISTING PICTURE ASSOCIATION BRUTETHINK
Allows you to identify a range of ideas An alternate method of mind-mapping. Mind-mapping without a verbal foundation. From ThinkerToys, great when you’re stuck.
quickly in a free-form manner. 1. On a sheet of paper, write a column 1. Search the Internet for photographs 1. Come up with a seed word related to
1. Place the key point of focus for of words with as many concepts or (Google, FFFFOUND, stock sites) that the focus you’ve been provided—or an
your brainstorm in the center of the terms as possible related to your point feel related to the project at hand. old one that you couldn’t get to “activate.”
page or whiteboard. of focus for your design. 2. Arrange them in groups or clusters. 2. Write down the first thing that pops
2. Write words / terms related to the 2. In a second column, pick an idea that 3. Write words around the clusters into your mind, even if it’s random.
focus in the empty space around the interests you from the first column and that describe the essential messages 3. Hold both words in your mind or look
center, radiating outward. If you run out expound upon it. they convey. at them on a page. Find as many ways
of concepts, write down slightly related 3. In the third column, write down words to intuitively associate the idea and the
4. From these groups, distill into
things, opposites, or unrelated thoughts. that are the opposite of the material in random word.
possible directions/design sketches.
3. Expand upon relationships in ideas column 1.
that emerge from the various nodes, 4. Circle relationships that span columns
circling and grouping items as necessary. 1 through 3. Distill into big ideas.
4. Distill big ideas from the map.

FREE-FORM SKETCHING ROLE PLAYING YES, AND… MAD LIBS
Draw pictures, words, and layout ideas Act out how the client’s product/service In a group, go around the table and Create a simple Mad Lib that contains a
in an free-form, associative way. Then is being used in the real world. Let your continue to evolve an idea without blank analogy. It could be phrased like
step back, assess, and refocus. This often teammates observe, react, and question judgment. Simply say, “Yes, and,” then this: My client’s ________ is __________
works best with a number of people what you’re doing in order to glean insight add to it. One person records the ideas like __________. Pass copies of it to your
sketching simultaneously, then sharing. from the experience. as they grow and morph. colleagues and see what stories emerge.


BETTER IDEAS FASTER CONNECTING IDEAS
The final and most critical step is to reflect on your ideas and see how they can be connected,
combined, and otherwise improved. Limit yourself to a set period of time to see how much
further you can push your ideas on paper before moving into formal execution. This is also
a good time to peel away the ideation questions and see how your ideas cross-pollinate and
point at big design themes.

CLUSTER IDEAS SCRAMBLE IDEAS EXPAND IDEAS

Let the sketches sit Use the SCAMPER checklist: Focus on one tiny detail of
overnight on a studio an idea and explode it.
wall. Then in the morning, • Substitute something
evaluate. Group sketches • Combine it with Take a concept that’s on the
together that speak to something else cutting-room floor, envision
each other. Provide a • Adapt something to it its exact opposite in every
name for the overall way, then redraw it.
• Modify or magnify it
idea contained by Take only the words from
• Put it to some other use
those sketches. a key idea and draw a range
• Eliminate something

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of expressions of it.
• Reverse or rearrange it
Take a pile of paper
and redraw an idea
repeatedly.
TEST-DRIVE THESE TECHNIQUES
WITH CREATIVE WORKSHOP:
80 CHALLENGES TO SHARPEN
YOUR DESIGN SKILLS, A BOOK
BY DAVID SHERWIN. (NOV. 2010,
HOW DESIGN PRESS)


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