Ideation techniques

Effective ideation brings together diverse perspectives from across the team to generate innovative solutions. Traditional brainstorming by just one team (often the design team) often produces ideas that are either technically unfeasible or misaligned with business goals. Cross-functional teams, on the other hand, use structured ideation frameworks to maintain the balance between creativity and constraints. The process begins with clear problem statements and constraints shared by each department. Then, using techniques like roleplaying, mind mapping, and SCAMPER can help teams build on each other's ideas while considering implementation realities.

Successful ideation sessions produce solutions that excite all team members. For instance, designers see opportunities for delightful user experiences, developers identify technically elegant approaches, and product managers recognize business potential. Teams should evaluate ideas through all 3 lenses before moving concepts forward into prototyping phases.