Skill Maps

Stage 3: Ideate — Explosion of Creativity

Now that the problem is clearly defined, it's time to generate solutions. At this stage, quantity matters more than quality. The goal is to create as many ideas as possible, even the craziest ones.

Golden Rules of Ideation

1. Defer Judgment

At this stage, it's forbidden to say: " This won't work, " " This is too expensive, " " We already tried this. "

Why? Criticism kills creativity. The brain switches to defense mode, and the flow of ideas stops.

2. Aim for Quantity

The more ideas—the higher the chance of finding a brilliant solution. Even a bad idea can lead to a good one.

3. Encourage Wild Ideas

The most innovative solutions often sound absurd at first. Airbnb, Uber, TikTok—they all seemed like strange ideas.

4. Build on Others' Ideas

Take others' ideas and develop them. " Yes, and we could also... "

Idea Generation Methods

1. Classic Brainstorming

How to conduct:

  1. Gather a team (4-8 people).
  2. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Everyone shouts out ideas, someone writes them on a board.
  4. No criticism! Only " Yes, and... " , not " Yes, but... "

Life hack: Start with a warm-up. Ask the team to come up with 10 ways to use a brick in 2 minutes. This " warms up " the brain.

2. 6-3-5 Method (Brainwriting)

This is written brainstorming for introverts.

How it works:

  • 6 people.
  • Each writes 3 ideas on a sheet.
  • After 5 minutes, passes the sheet to their neighbor.
  • The neighbor reads the ideas and adds their own 3, building on previous ones.
  • Repeat for 6 rounds.

Result: 108 ideas in 30 minutes!

3. SCAMPER — Transformation Checklist

This acronym helps look at the problem from different angles.

S — Substitute: What can be replaced? (Material, process, people) C — Combine: What can be combined? (Functions, products) A — Adapt: What can be borrowed from another field? M — Modify: What can be increased, decreased, changed in shape? P — Put to another use: How else can this be used? E — Eliminate: What can be removed? R — Reverse: What if we do the opposite?

Example (bill payment app):

  • S: Replace data entry with QR code scanning.
  • C: Combine bill payment and support chat.
  • A: Adapt voice control from smart speakers.
  • M: Increase button size for elderly users.
  • E: Remove all secondary functions, leave only payment.
  • R: What if the bill reminds about payment, not the user searching for it?

4. Worst Possible Idea

A paradoxical method: ask the team to come up with the worst solutions.

Example:

  • HMW: How to help elderly people pay bills?
  • Worst ideas:
    • Make the interface in Chinese.
    • Add 50 confirmation steps.
    • Make buttons 2 pixels in size.

Why it works:

  1. It's fun, relieves tension.
  2. By flipping the worst idea, you get a good one: " Make interface in native language, " " Minimum steps, " " Large buttons. "

5. Role Playing

Imagine how this problem would be solved by:

  • Elon Musk?
  • Your grandmother?
  • A superhero?
  • A child?

This helps break out of habitual thinking.

6. Analogies from Other Industries

Look at how similar problems are solved in other fields.

Example:

  • Problem: People forget to take medication.
  • Analogy: How do games remind about daily tasks? (Streaks, rewards, pushes)
  • Solution: Medication app with gamification.

How to Choose the Best Ideas?

After generation, you'll have 50-100 ideas. How to choose?

Dot Voting Method

  1. Hang all ideas on the wall.
  2. Give each participant 3-5 stickers.
  3. Let everyone stick stickers on ideas they like.
  4. Ideas with the most votes win.

Impact vs. Effort Matrix

Draw a square with axes:

  • X (horizontal): Effort (how much time/money needed).
  • Y (vertical): Impact (how much this solves the problem).

Place ideas in quadrants:

  • High impact + Low effort = Quick Wins (Do first!)
  • High impact + High effort = Strategic projects (Plan)
  • Low impact + Low effort = Fillers (Do if you have time)
  • Low impact + High effort = Avoid