BM2211

IDEATION
Overview
With the current market conditions (i.e., Covid-19, the rise of e-commerce, digitalization, etc.), now is
the time to make innovation everybody’s business. Ideation is an innovative tool for figuring out how to
add value to ideas, products, and available services. The pandemic has accelerated specific product
trends and slowed down others. A case in point is the rise of online shopping and the decline of brick-
and-mortar stores. To stay abreast, companies must experiment with new business ideas, models, and
solutions through ideation.
The following are the elements in generating an idea:
 Personal skill set. Evaluate marketable skill sets and identify which skill is a potential business
venture. For example, if an individual is good at cooking, he may develop a new recipe for a dish or
dessert.
 Current events. Research market trends and industry news that may have business possibilities.
For instance, lockdowns brought by the COVID-19 pandemic transition a lot of businesses to online
selling, which can be an opportunity and a platform for small-time entrepreneurs.
 Invention. Analyze an existing market need and position a product or service that will meet the
identified need. For example, a TV manufacturer revealed a common issue that people regularly
misplace their TV remote control. Though this is not recognized as a problem that needs an
immediate solution, the company was able to develop a “remote-control finder” button on the TV
itself, resonating with the silent call of the customers (MaRS Discovery, 2022).
 Product improvement. Experiment and put a product through an additional process, add services
to a product, or combine an existing product with other products to increase its value. For instance,
a water refilling station provides free delivery services for its customers. Another example is the
Ariel powder detergent and Downy fabric conditioner combined in a single product.
Devising Customer-Centric Innovation
There are four (4) methods that can be applied during the ideation phase:
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is used when there is a large volume of ideas. In the ideation process, brainstorming can
help generate ideas about important issues.
Brainstorming must be directed and focused on creative solutions for identified opportunities. A
moderator must be present to stimulate the team. In addition, for brainstorming to be successful,
observe the following precepts:
 Quality through quantity. The quality and vigor of the ideas generated are attained through
quantity. The greater the number of ideas the team develops, the greater the chance of producing
an innovative and functional solution.
 Refrain from judging ideas. Criticism should not hinder the creative process and the generation of
bold ideas. The focus should be on producing and embellishing ideas, postponing evaluation to
later.
 Bold ideas are welcomed. New ideas and different angles on the same idea can generate
innovative solutions. Therefore, it is best to contribute bold perspectives without letting one’s
critical sense derail the discussion and the development of the idea.

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 Combining and embellishing ideas. Brainstorming should be a 100% collaborative process. Ideas
can be combined, adapted, transformed, and split into many others by any team member
(Mauricio et al., 2014).
Co-creation Workshop
The co-creation workshop is organized in group activities to stimulate creativity and collaboration to
foster innovative solutions. This method is best used when there is a large amount of data that can be
dealt with by an extended team or when it is necessary to add knowledge from different specialists
involved in a project. In addition, it is beneficial for moments of gridlock when new insights about ideas
are needed (Mauricio et al., 2014).
Menu of Ideas
It is best used in collaborative meetings, project presentations, and co-creation workshops to make the
volume of ideas generated tangible. It allows better visualization for the decision-making process. It also
serves to document the partial results of the project.
Decision Matrix
In Decision Matrix, the ideas generated in the project are listed and grouped by similarity, or, with huge
volumes, an arrangement may be worked out in advance. Then, the guiding criteria created throughout
the project are combined to form a collaborative matrix, with an evaluation of how each idea meets
each requirement (Mauricio et al., 2014).

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