Ideation tools

Abstract

The ideation or pre-project phase is often underrated in project, program or portfolio management.

Ideation is a stage within Design Thinking, that deals with the generation of a wide variety of ideas in order to solve problems. Project management deals a lot with defining objectives that need to be achieved and ideation can be a great aid for project managers to come up and execute great ideas. There is a wide variety of ideation tools, however brainstorming has been and still is the most used of these tools. Expanding the horizons for projects and projects managers, when dealing with idea generation, ideation can have the potential to increase effectiveness and improve processes in the project initiating and planning process groups. It can also be used in the executing process group, which involves a huge amount of meetings where brainstorming has been the prevalent technique for idea generation. This article aims to help project managers realize the opportunities hidden in ideation, and utilize it in a variety of projects.

Table of content:

• The Introduction provides a description of ideation with definitions. Furthermore, a brief history is presented on Design Thinking, which is a process, where ideation is just one stage.

• The Big Idea describes what ideation tools can be used in relation to project management and how project managers can leverage ideation tools to achieve successful projects. The Big idea also describes which perspectives from the Concept Box (purpose, people, complexity, uncertainty) do Ideation tools fall under.

• The Application features descriptions of how to use ideation tools and usage of each methods in projects.

• The Limitations discusses where is it not beneficial or relevant to use ideation tools in a project management setting.

Introduction

Design Thinking Process

Ideation

Ideation is an important process, that in essence means the generation of unexpected ideas via reframing any challenge. It can be thought of as an alternative or almost synonym to the commonly known process of idea generation called brainstorming. However, while ideation is the part of the 5 stages of Design Thinking Process, brainstorming is just one of the ideation methods, tools.

Design Thinking first appeared in the 1960’s as a tool for architecture and engineering innovation, solving complex problems. In the mid 60’s, Horst Rittel (a design theorist) wrote about application of design methodologies mentioning it as “Wicked Problems”, which later become the foundation of Design Thinking, as it is about “(...) these complex and multi-dimensional problems that require a collaborative methodology that involves gaining a deep understanding of humans.” The first iteration of Design Thinking was created by Herbert A. Simon in 1969, in his book Sciences of the Artificial. During the next decades the method has been further developed and improved. Nigel Cross “Designerly ways of knowing” in 1982, Peter Rowe “Design Thinking” in 1987, the foundation of the IDEO in 1991, just to mention the core steps of the history. At the present we think about Design Thinking as “(...) a design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems.”

Design Thinking is a non-linear process and it has five main stages: Empathise, Define (the Problem), Ideate, Prototype and Test.

Design Thinking

Ideation focuses a lot on designing radical alternative processes or products, with a focus on opening up the possibilities for a large quantity of ideas. It aids to avoid stereotype solutions and encourage flexibility, variety and fluency in the generation of ideas.

Ideation facilitates the processes between identifying the problems and finding solutions for it. It can be most valuable in the planning phase of any project, program or portfolio, when the management plans (project charter) have to be created.

Big idea

Relevance to project/program management

“Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques (...) accomplished through the appropriate application and integration of (...) project management processes". In the beginning of a projects life cycle, two Process Groups are prevalent, namely Initiating and Planning. Ideation plays a crucial role in successfully carrying out these processes, which are key for successful projects. Ideation itself is the process of “exploring a large quantity of ideas and a diversity among these ideas”. These ideas can be put to use in projects and programs to maximize success in the form of defining objectives, planning creative steps to satisfy customer needs via designing and delivering quality products while adhering to stakeholder needs in terms of timeliness and budget.

Ideation brings with it a variety of methods, that can potentially be used in other phases of a project’s or program’s life cycle, but are most utilizable in the first stages of any project or program. For instance it can be used during meetings as a decision-making technique, as a planning tool or as an information gathering technique. Furthermore, it can play a large role in the risk and uncertainty management of projects and programs, because it has the potential to identify problems and solutions to those problems, assess the situation, respond to challenges via generating ideas that can help in mitigating risk and uncertainty in a project or a program. This is extremely important as many projects fail due to changes arising, so flexibility and openness towards continuous idea generation can benefit projects and programs immensely.

In spite of the advantages that ideation can offer, brainstorming as a phenomenon has been more well-known and widespread when it comes to idea generation. Ideation involves a lot more and more refined methods to tackle challenges in a project management scenario than brainstorming is, which makes it more effective and thorough at its job. In truth, brainstorming is only one possible method under the umbrella of ideation tools. Ideation can be thought of as a way to expand the possibilities and opportunities of projects and programs and achieve better results via the application of one, two or several methods of ideation.

Ideas are required to tackle challenges, and figuring out solutions that satisfy many different stakeholders and can be designed in a sustainable way. Ideation comes with a lot of methods, that can be used in projects to facilitate the creation of creative solutions.

Relevance to Project Manager

Project and program managers play a pivotal role in achieving success in projects and programs. The ideation methods discussed in the next section Application – Ideation methods for project management can have an imperative part in helping project managers fulfill the requirements such as “task needs, team needs, and individual needs”. Using ideation methods suggest that a project manager possesses indispensable competences - knowledge, performance and personal - required for successful project or program management.

Application - Ideation methods for project management

Project Management Process Group and Knowledge Area Mapping

Ideation methods can be used in several ways in project management, such as facilitation techniques, group creativity techniques or at meetings. The purpose of these methods, among others, are to help teams and managers to achieve agreements and identify project and product requirements faster.

As discussed before, ideation tools are most relevant in the Initiating and Executing Process group. In the developing stage of the project charter and management plan, it is used as a facilitation tool. Later on, in the Executing Process Group, ideation occurs during the meetings while directing and managing the project work.

The methods relevant to project management are:

Story share – and – capture

• Saturate and group
• Powers of ten
• 2 x 2 matrix
• Why – how laddering
• How – might – we questions
• Stoke
• Brainstorming
• Facilitate a brainstorm
• Selection
• Bodystorming
• Impose constraints

Limitations

IDEO: On Letting Go of Ideas

Cannot be used in other parts of a project/program/portfolio life cycle, because it deals with coming up with ideas to solve a problem. When executing a plan, there is not much wiggle room left to find new solutions.