The document describes an ideation board used to generate potential solutions to problems in a simple way. The board is divided into 7 blocks that guide teams through the process of identifying a problem area, topics related to the problem, defining the specific context, exploring pains and gains, selecting a pain/gain to focus on, brainstorming solutions, and choosing a potential solution concept. The board is applied as a game with rules around teamwork, time limits, and using the board's resources to move through each block to arrive at a proposed solution.

1. Through different experiences and readings, it has been developed a board
that combines different tools and helps ideate potential solutions in terms
of problems, in a very simple way
The board is divided in 7 blocks, which are:
Block 1 “Source of Needs”: teams will have to pick a Source of Needs. This
concept is defined as “a topic which involves an undetermined quantity of
topics and concepts related to each other, and it could be declared as
relevant for human existence”. Example: Urban Mobility.
Block 2 “Topics”: All the topic and concepts related to the Source of Needs.
It is known that there will be a lot of topics, and some of them could be
very similar between each other so teams are asked to “throw” all the
topics and concepts into the board and make categories.
Block 3 “Context”: Once the team has picked the Source of Needs and the
Category of related topics, they will have to declare the Context of the
problem of which the solution will be sought. This declaration has a
structure: SOURCE OF NEEDS + IN TERMS OF + CATEGORY PICKED. Example:
Urban Movility in terms of fostering use of bike.
IDEATION BOARD

2. Block 4 “Pains / Gains”: based on Empathy Map, teams are asked to
empathize with the people who have the problem by putting themselves in
other’s shoes and imagine someone’s experience within the Context and
thinking about pains they can create solutions for or gains they can
potentiate. In this case side Storyboards are always useful. Again, many
gains and pains are similar to each other so the teams will be asked to
categorize them.
Block 5 “Pain / Gain Picked”: once they have categorized the pains or the
gains, they will have to pick one category in order to search for solutions
through brainstorms.
Block 6 “Brainstorm”: based on the pain/gain declaration, teams will have
to brainstorm in order to search for potential solution.
Block 7 “Potential Solution”: There will be different ideas surrounding the
pain/gain, but some ideas serve to enforce other ideas, creating a solution
concept (Category). So, once they have categorized ideas they will have to
pick one Solution Concept. That’s how this little thing works.
IDEATION BOARD

3. The board is applied as a game in which there are rules translated into goals
and certain times to accomplish goals. The main rules are:
1. Team work: in order to have different views based on different
professional backgrounds, interdisciplinary teams are required. The
method has been applied in situations where not all of the
participants know each other and where they are mainly
designers, engineers and business guys.
2. Source of needs: The team responsible for applying this method
will present the Source of Needs that created teams will have to
work on.
3. Time: There will be determined time to complete each of the
blocks.
4. Resources: 1 Board, Pens, Post-its.
IDEATION BOARD

4. Block 1 “Source of Needs”:
teams will have to pick a Source
of Needs.

5. Topics
Block 2 “Topics”: Teams are asked to
“throw” all the topics and concepts
into the board…

6. Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
Source of needs + in terms of + Category X
Block 2 “Topics”: …And make
categories.
Block 3 “Context”: Teams will have
to declare the Context of the
problem of which the solution will
be sought.

7. Context
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
Source of needs + in terms of + Category X
Block 4 “Pains / Gains”: based
on Empathy Map, teams are
asked to empathize with the
people who have the problem
by putting themselves in
other’s shoes and imagine
someone’s experience within
the Context and thinking
about pains they can create
solutions for or gains they can
potentiate…

8. Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
Source of needs + in terms of + Category X
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
Category X
Block 4 “Pains / Gains”:
Again, many gains and pains are
similar to each other so the teams
will be asked to categorize them.
Block 5 “Pain / Gain Picked” & Block 6 “Brainstorm”:
Teams will have to pick one category in order to
search for solutions through brainstorms.

9. Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
Source of needs + in terms of + Category X
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
Category X
Solution 1 Solution 2 Solution 3
Solution X
Block 6 “Brainstorm” & Block 7
“Potential Solution”: There will be
different ideas surrounding the
pain/gain, but some ideas serve to
enforce other ideas, creating a solution
concept. So, once they have
categorized ideas they will have to pick
one Solution Concept.

10. EXAMPLES

11. EXAMPLES

12. INNSIGHT.ORG
info@insight.org