Concept generation methods
Methods are an integral element of the design process, enabling designers to structure the development process of a product. The most successful concept generation methods are deliberate thinking processes designed to help designers find the inspiration to build upon their research and produce new ideas and fresh insights. Below are some of the most successful techniques, which can help define concepts, aid communication across design teams, and share viewpoints with all the stakeholders. None of these methods is guaranteed to solve a problem, but they can assist designers in finding ideas without having to wait for an uncooperative muse.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a technique used by design teams to generate ideas more rapidly and effectively. It is a highly efficient method of generating surprising and innovative concept proposals rather than the production of a list of familiar, orthodox ideas. Individuals can use brainstorming, but it works best when used by groups of people. Brainstorming is most effective if everybody involved keeps to the following simple ground rules:
Brainstorming concepts is said to promote the creative productivity of design teams by helping them generate and evaluate ideas through teamwork and collaboration. Here, the discussion by Stockholm designers Propeller focuses on a specific product, the Kapsel Media Center.
Attribute listing
While brainstorming is a general idea generation method, attribute listing is a specific idea-finding technique in which you need to:
Analogical thinking
Analogical thinking is the transfer of an idea from one context to another context. Direct analogical thinking brings together a problem from one domain with familiar knowledge of another domain as a way to gain insight. For example, Georges de Menstral invented Velcro after noticing plant burrs on his dog’s fur.
While all designers refer to precedents in design through actual objects, books, and magazines and think analogously all the time, analogical thinking can be a conscious technique if you deliberately ask questions like these:
Bone Armchair (left), 2008, and Bone Chair (right), 2006, by Joris Laarman. An example of analogical thinking, whereby the artist was inspired by the material and structural qualities of bone tissue to create a range of furniture. Using a biomimetic technique, the process takes its inspiration from the efficient way that bones grow, adding material where strength is needed and taking away material where it’s unnecessary.
Idea checklists
There are a number of checklists written specifically to help solve problems creatively. Typical questions include:
Breaking the rules
This method enables a designer to temporarily rewrite the social, cultural, or physical rules impacting on the problem at hand. To use this method you should:
Lateral thinking
This series of techniques, popularized by leading design thinker Edward De Bono, attempts to change concepts and perceptions by rejecting traditional step-by-step logic. Popular lateral thinking techniques include:
Mind mapping
A mind map is a diagram used to represent ideas linked to, and arranged radially around, a central key word or idea. Designers use mind maps, sometimes referred to as concept maps, to generate ideas and help their problem-solving and decision-making processes. Mind mapping involves writing down a central idea and thinking up new and related ideas, which radiate out from the center. By focusing on key ideas, and then looking for branches out and connections between the ideas, you can map out your knowledge in a manner that will help reframe your knowledge.
General rules for successful mind mapping include:
Mind map, by Angela Gray. This diagram is used to represent words, ideas, and tasks linked to, and arranged around, a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and are a useful creative tool for designers.
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