Start by browsing the different steps, methods, tips and examples throughout this toolkit to get an understanding of the overall process. As you explore, make notes and consider which methods might be most suitable for your project.
Once you’ve explored the toolkit, use your notes to plan your idea generation strategy and put it into action. Begin with Step 1 to generate a broad range of ideas, then use Step 2 to evaluate your options, select a promising direction and refine your design criteria. Remember, your strategy doesn’t have to be fixed. You can revisit methods, combine ideas and adjust your approach as you explore different possibilities.
Now it’s time to start generating ideas! Using your framed challenge, empathy findings and initial design criteria as a starting point, explore different ways you might address your end user’s needs. Below are a range of methods to help you generate ideas. Explore the options and choose one or more that suit your project. At this stage, focus on generating a broad range of possibilities rather than developing detailed designs. Don’t worry if some ideas seem unrealistic or unconventional. They might inspire something useful later!
Before generating ideas, take some time to research existing products and solutions related to your challenge. Consider what works well, where current solutions fall short and whether there are opportunities to improve or adapt them for your end user. You might discover useful features, mechanisms or approaches that inspire your own designs.
Icon sketching is a visual brainstorming activity where you draw out ideas as basic icons, within a limited space and in a set time period. This ensures you don’t focus too much on detail because the aim is to go for quantity over quality. Download the template below and read the instructions to get started.
Mind Mapping is a brainstorming method used to generate and connect ideas around a central challenge. It involves branching out from a main topic into different approaches, concepts and possibilities.
The group brainstorm activity is for teams generating ideas to any given question or problem. It focuses on the notion that everyone should have a say and there are no right or wrong answers. Download the group brainstorm instructions below.
Generate creative ideas by organising possibilities into categories and experimenting with different combinations. Choose categories that suit your challenge, then mix and match options to discover new design directions.
If possible, see how you can integrate your end user into the idea generation phase. It can be a great idea to design with them rather than for them.
Now that you’ve generated a range of ideas, it’s time to review your options and select a promising direction to take forward. Consider how well each idea addresses your end user’s needs, meets your initial design criteria and could realistically be developed. Explore the methods below to help you compare and narrow down your ideas, involving your end user where possible.
Priority diagramming is a method that helps you to analyse and map out your ideas in order of importance, to determine a key idea to take forward. Download the priority diagramming instructions below.
Dot voting is another effective method used by teams to determine favourite ideas/solutions. The method is based upon using sticky dots (or digital dots) to vote on a given set of data. It’s biggest benefit is that it gives every group member an equal chance to participate in the decision making process. Download the dot voting instructions below.
After evaluating your options, decide which key idea you’d like to develop further. Remember, you don’t have to choose one exactly as it is. You might combine promising elements from different ideas, adapt features to better suit your end user’s needs, or remove aspects that aren’t practical. Where possible, involve your end user in making the final decision.
With your key idea selected, revisit the initial design criteria you created during Develop Empathy. Add any new criteria that relate to your chosen direction, such as size, weight, ergonomics, aesthetics or cost. You can keep these as a simple list or organise them by importance with the Priority Diagramming method.
Here are a range of tips and strategies to help you throughout the idea generation process. Browse through the cards below and make notes of anything that might be useful for your project.
Steven Parkinson, Project Programme Manager at Autodesk, talks to us about not falling in love with your very first idea.
When generating ideas, have a computer nearby where you can research existing solutions in the market. Take inspiration from them but try not to reinvent the wheel. Think creatively about how 3D printing can be used to innovate and create fresh, new solutions!
Remember that you’re designing for someone who might have completely different needs, tastes and desires to your own. So make sure to use your empathy studies to drive your ideas.
Ruby Steel from Studio Exception talks to us about another fun idea generation called Crazy 8's. We also recommend taking a look at the Studio Exception website (https://www.studioexception.com/) to learn about their innovative approach to design.
When generating ideas, work to your team's dynamics. Some teams might prefer individual ideation time, followed by group analysis. Others might work better brainstorming together.
In addition to practical ideas, include wild unconventional ones that might help you go beyond the obvious to uncover new and exciting perspectives. Many great solutions are an amalgamation of both wild and practical ideas so don’t forget to experiment with this.
Documenting your idea generation activities is an important part of the Make:able Challenge. Capture photos and videos of your brainstorming sessions, sketches, discussions and other activities as you work towards selecting a key idea. Explore the examples below to see how other teams have documented their idea generation process. Think about which types of footage might be useful for telling the story of your own project.
A simple way to document your idea sketches is to simply pan your camera across your work. If using this technique, move slowly and try to keep as stable as possible.
An alternative technique to document written or drawn ideas is to simply take still images. When it comes to editing your final video, you can either insert them as stills, or add slight zoom effects for a more dynamic look.
Consider documenting the actual process of generating ideas – whether this be drawing or brainstorming. When doing this, you may want to keep the camera in a static position so you can focus on the task at hand.
If doing brainstorms or other idea generation methods digitally, the obvious technique is to screen record the process. However, also consider action shots taken from the background that help to capture the collaborative nature of your project.
Did you create physical documents like idea charts? Consider pinning them up in a well lit area and explaining them.
We introduced you to b-roll in the empathy section, and it’s also important in each stage of your journey. In this example, the team captured some secondary footage of them doing some online research. With b-roll, go for quantity! You’ll be glad you did this at the end of your journey.
Explore these optional resources for a real-world example of idea generation during a Make:able project, along with additional insights into design thinking.
In this stage of Rob’s Make:able Challenge, he shows how he uses his empathy studies to drive a range of initial design ideas.
Watch a Keynote by Steven Parkinson from Autodesk on the topic of "Design thinking in STEM education’. The presentation not only covers the basics of design thinking, but it shows how to think differently about briefs to generate unique and creative ideas.
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