To get more information on Idea Generation I first went and read an article from Nielsen Norman Group on how Ideation in Practise helps us generate more ideas effectively
According to the article, the first step in the ideation process is to define the problem or opportunity that you are trying to solve. This is important because it helps to focus your efforts and ensure that you are generating ideas that are relevant and applicable to the task at hand.
Once you have defined the problem, the next step is to gather as much information as possible about the subject matter. This can include conducting research, talking to experts in the field, and gathering feedback from potential users. By gathering as much information as possible, you can ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the problem, which will enable you to generate more effective ideas.
The article also suggests using a variety of techniques to generate ideas, such as;
Brainstorming: Brainstorming involves generating as many ideas as possible in a short period of time, without worrying about their feasibility or practicality.
Mind Mapping: Mind mapping involves creating a visual representation of your ideas, using lines and branches to show the relationships between different concepts.
Sketching: Sketching is a useful tool for visualizing ideas and can be especially useful when working with designers or engineers.
Another important aspect of idea generation is to encourage diversity of thought. This means bringing together people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise to work on a problem. By incorporating different viewpoints and approaches, you can generate a wider range of ideas and increase the chances of finding a truly innovative solution.
This article helped me in my final year project as I found it difficult to come up with an idea on what i wanted to base my project around.
Ideation in Practice: How Effective UX Teams Generate Ideas
Word association is a technique often used in user experience (UX) design to help generate ideas and stimulate creativity. It involves starting with a seed word or concept and then brainstorming a list of related words or ideas. For example, if the seed word is "online shopping," related words might include "e-commerce," "delivery," "payment," "customer service," and so on. The idea is to come up with as many related words as possible, as this can help to expand upon the original concept and spark new ideas. Word association can be a useful tool for UX designers looking to generate ideas for a new product or feature, as it allows them to explore a wide range of concepts and ideas quickly and efficiently.
