Selecting ideas for concept testing

After filtering ideas through user needs, the next challenge is to choose which ones should advance to concept testing. This is not about finding the single perfect idea but about building a shortlist of promising candidates that deserve closer investigation. Teams often apply 3 guiding lenses:

• User desirability
• Business value
• Technical feasibility

Looking at ideas through these perspectives ensures balance between what customers want, what benefits the business, and what is practical to deliver.

A scoring model can make this process more transparent. Each idea is rated across the 3 lenses, and the results are compared. For example, a “simplified checkout with saved payment details” might rate highly in all categories, while “AI-driven fashion advice” may rank well for novelty but poorly for feasibility. The scores do not provide certainty but create a shared rationale for the decision. By limiting the shortlist to only a few well-supported options, the team avoids wasted effort and enters concept testing with a focused, evidence-based plan.