This document outlines the strategic creative thinking services of Outlines, including CBLs (Creative Brainstorming Labs) and Trendlab. CBLs bring together panels of participants from varied backgrounds to provide original ideas and solutions through a guided creative process. Trendlab is an international observatory that shares concept stimuli with a global network to identify emerging consumer trends from diverse perspectives around the world. Both services aim to generate innovative solutions through collaborative creative thinking.

1. STRATEGIC CREATIVE THINKING
CBLs & TRENDLAB

2. OUTLINES – THINKING IDEAS
The idea is at the center.
Strategic communication can touch all destinations or just some,
the most useful ones.
Our approach relies upon aesthetical-emotional marketing,
focuses on consumer behaviour and market trends, makes
“good sense” the sense in doing things.
Our services are integrated to respond to the effective
communication needs, by adopting an homogeneous vision
starting from the strategy towards the objective.
Investigation methods:
- CBL (creative brainstorming lab)
- TRENDLAB

3. CBL (Creative Brainstorming Labs)

4. YOUR QUESTIONS, OUR ANSWERS.
Companies are often confronted with relevant questions about
themselelves, their products, their services.
Finding original and effective answers to these questions is the
challenge our CBLs are confronted with.
CBLs (Creative Brainstorming Labs) are creative sessions
involving a panel of selected participants who are taken into a
guided/oriented creative process about a specific subject.
Areas of investigation are:
- Brand and product name finding
- Brand/Product/Service positioning
- Visual (brand/image/pack) exploration and validation
- Concept definition and search
- Consumer Trends and Behaviours

5. SELECTING THE PANEL
CBLs are characterized by a selection of participants who are
recruited through the direct relational network of Outlines.
Which means that – depending on the type of research objective
– the most suitable composition of participants is defined
through an effective knowledge of the personal experience and
background of each participant.
The people who attend our CBLs are segmented per type of
profession, consumption profile, attitudes and lifestyles, age
and propension to experiment.

6. CBLs’ PROCESS
Every CBL is peculiar and taylor-made, as every kind of
investigation has its own specificity. The feature common to
every CBL, though, is the construction of a path through the
idea: in order to accomplish the research, particpants are
guided into a multi-faceted analysis which relies upon creative
stimuli, sensorial and visual approaches, verbal and iconic
elements, inter-exchange and free flow of suggestions.
According to the type of quest, our team elaborates a dedicated
“plot” of CBL, which is shared with the client. CBLs incorporate
elements of games, psychologic and semiotic dynamics,
experiencial phases. Clients can either attend the CBL as
observers or active participants.
CBLs aim to provide a set of solutions or indications which can
both be definitive or complementary to a wider scenario of
research.

7. CBLs’ LOCATION
Outlines has a in-house research location which allows great
flexibility in managing the research activity calendar. The
location is equipped with the most complete technological tools
and is composed by a CBL Room (32 sqm), Observation Room
(12sqm) and Welcome Room (Reception Area).
The space has been conceived to offer a clean and bright
ambiance, an ideal setting for stimulating thoughts and ideas.
Outlines is centrally located in Milan, just a few steps away the
city center and the FieraMilanoCity area.

8. TRENDLAB

9. WHAT IS TRENDLAB?
OUTLINES has created TRENDLAB an international observatory
focusing on the dynamics of consumer behaviour.
Stimuli, concepts, product ideas are addressed to a “reserved
network” of observers who correspond with us from many parts
of the globe: from Paris to Beijing, from London to Chicago,
from New York to Athens, from Hong Kong to Milano, our
network evaluates the emerging trends, their specificity and
their evolutions.
Travelers, thinkers, creative people, communication experts,
event-makers co-operate with TRENDLAB by always providing
their original perspectives and feelings thanks to a cross-
cultural and interactive approach.

10. HOW DOES IT WORK?
TRENDLAB team periodically shares with the network an “IDEA
BID”, meaning a set of questions, concept stimuli, ideas having
the purpose of identifying or investigating new trends of
consumption, lifestyles, products and services. According to
their will, the participants may offer their creative contribution
following the indications of the “idea bid”. The “idea bid” is
launched by the TRENDLAB team to each single participant. The
participant gives the creative contribution directly to TRENDLAB
team.
TRENDLAB is able to generate a sort of creative brainstorming
laboratory in a relatively short range of time, involving several
points of view and collecting feeds from a selected panel of
participants.

11. WHAT IS THE IDEA BID?
WHAT THE CONCEPT
…DEFINING THE OBJECTIVE …USING THE RIGHT WORDS
THE IDEA BID
LAUNCHES THE STIMULUS
THE IMAGINATION THE TASK
…USING A VISUAL STIMULUS, A SUGGESTION …CHALLENGING THE CREATIVITY

12. THE IDEA BID - KEY NOTES
When we introduce the IDEA BID it is always determinant to approach our participants
by letting them focus immediately on our scenario of research:
THE IMPORTANCE OF DEFINING THE TERRITORY
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE “WHERE?”
THE CONNECTION “PRODUCT-YOU”
THE RELEVANCE OF THE PRACTICAL AND BENEFICIAL ASPECTS
BUILDING SPECIFIC MOMENTS
TALKING ABOUT THE PRODUCT
SUGGESTING A FEELING
COMMUNICATING THE EXPERIENCE

13. CONTACT
Mr. Alberto Zavatta
Founder Partner - General Manager
alberto@outlinesonweb.com
OFFICES
Via San Siro, 33 - 20149 Milano - IT
Ph. +39.02.48.15.462
www.outlinesonweb.com