#rules for ideating

Here are some random thoughts I have been having while reading Applied Imagination and other academic readings around team collaboration, ideation sessions, facilitating workshops, etc.

When conducting a brain storming session, to encourage wild ideas during ideation, all member, from the new guy to the CEO should be elevated/lowered so everyone is on a normalized level. The new guy should worry about being judged by his/her superior/boss

When faced with the social comparison processes, where the group members compare themselves to the individual producing the fewest ideas, numbering the ideas as a group could possibly circumvent that habit for people to start lowering their own output because they are comparing themselves to the lowest common denominator. 

Encourage piggy backing on other's ideas by dedicating a moment to ideate around that idea and how can we as a group push it further. Each idea should be shared. If someone is adding onto an idea, verbally saying "Building on (person who first purposed that idea) here is an addition….."

How do you support more friendly talk? Bring that "break at the cooler" conversation into the workshop environment.

How do you encourage idea generation? Encourage with positive feedback with every idea given, encouraging more when there is a doubter in the group.

Keep everything low fidelity for a brainstorming workshop - keep the we are building nothing is complete feeling carried  through the visualizations. Use post it notes to title areas etc. Make it all movable and destroyable 

Small teams within the larger group. At each table have a mini facilitator who will be the control who knows the rules and will keep  the group on the "right track" The mini facilitator becomes the bridge between the larger group, and is able to introduce and idea and then hand it off to the original ideator and then follow up with then that brought us to this - this will highlight how the brainstorming started with an original idea, and then how the team built that idea up and how that diverged into other interesting ideas.

Number of breaks? Never have working lunches?

Brainstorming effectiveness: IDEO case study

Designers believe that brainstorming skills take time to learn, that facilitation and participation are distinct skills, and that such skills vary even among experienced engineers.

1.The facilitator organizes a brainstorm by first compiling a list of participants with pertinent and complementary skills and then inviting

2. Determine the goal outcome for the session, leading with a topic. eg. "What can a computer be used for when it is off?" to "This vent is too noisy."

3. Limit the number of people participating - 3-10 people who have complimentary skills. When it is a client try to focus on the core team only, opening it up to only others who will add important skills (eg. software engineer, product engineer, designer, etc). Try to have an interdisciplinary team - product manager, designer, marketer etc.

3b. Based on the idea of network theory language, they (the consultant) are "well connected in several networks, rather than extremely central in just one". Take this idea when forming tables of work groups. Having a wide mix between hierarchy levels, professions etc.

4. Have the rules for the session EVERYWHERE!! My rules

1 - piggy back ideas 2- share your ideas. 3 - visualize your idea as best as possible 3b - write on top of your idea if u need to clarify.

(1) defer judgment, (2) build on the ideas of others, (3) one conversation at a time, (4) stay focused on the topic, and (5) encourage wild ideas. (IDEA RULES)

For our session -

Have website buying process diagram drawn out on butcher paper - based on our user journey (have screen grab of websites printed out, showing each individual step of selecting a group of TVs in the price range>reading reviews, searching on FB/Twitter/IM w friends > searching amazon.com/newegg.com/google shopper/using a price grabber firefox/chrome/safari plug in> using an app like the one Jamie showed us>going to best buy to look at the product>coming back and then buying.)

Have buying process of coming to the store illustrated out on butcher paper -(comparing TVs at the store, talking to a store employee, haggling for a price.)