IDEA GENERATIONIDEA GENERATIONSOURCES & TECNIQUESSOURCES & TECNIQUES

SOURCES OF IDEASSOURCES OF IDEAS

•CONSUMERSCONSUMERS•EXISTING PRODUCTSEXISTING PRODUCTS•DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION

CHANNELSCHANNELS•GOVTGOVT•R&DR&D

SOURCES OF IDEASSOURCES OF IDEAS

• Personal interest & hobbiesPersonal interest & hobbies• Many entrepreneurial ventures got their start because Many entrepreneurial ventures got their start because

of an entrepreneur’s love of doing something.of an entrepreneur’s love of doing something.

• Entrepreneur’s Experiences, Skills, & Entrepreneur’s Experiences, Skills, & AbilitiesAbilities

• DISTRIBUTION CHANNELSDISTRIBUTION CHANNELS• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENTRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

• Products and services currently availableProducts and services currently available• By looking at the attributes that the current products By looking at the attributes that the current products

lacklack

• Unexpected Occurrences Unexpected Occurrences • Unexpected successes or failuresUnexpected successes or failures

• IncongruitiesIncongruities• Whenever a gap or difference exists Whenever a gap or difference exists

between expectations and reality.between expectations and reality.

• Process needsProcess needs• Whenever a dema nd arises for the Whenever a dema nd arises for the

entrepreneur to innovate e.g. health foods, entrepreneur to innovate e.g. health foods, time saving devices, govt. regulations.time saving devices, govt. regulations.

• Demographic changesDemographic changes• Trend changes in population, age, Trend changes in population, age,

education, occupations, geographic education, occupations, geographic locations etclocations etc

• Perceptual changesPerceptual changes• Change in people’s interpretation of Change in people’s interpretation of

facts and conceptsfacts and concepts

THE MOST COMMON THE MOST COMMON IDEA STOPPERIDEA STOPPER

1.1. ““Naah”.Naah”.2.2. ““Can’t” (said with the shake of the head Can’t” (said with the shake of the head

and air of finality).and air of finality).3.3. ““That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever

heard”.heard”.4.4. ““Yeah, but if you did that . . .” (poses an Yeah, but if you did that . . .” (poses an

extreme or unlikely disaster case).extreme or unlikely disaster case).5.5. ““We already tried that – years ago.”We already tried that – years ago.”6.6. ““We’ve done all right so far; why do we We’ve done all right so far; why do we

need that?”need that?”7.7. ““I don’t see anything wrong with the I don’t see anything wrong with the

way we’re doing it now”.way we’re doing it now”.8.8. ““that’s doesn’t sound to practical”. that’s doesn’t sound to practical”.

9.9. ““We’ve never done anything like that We’ve never done anything like that before”.before”.

10.10.““Let’s get back to reality”.Let’s get back to reality”.

11.11.““We’ve got deadlines to meet – we We’ve got deadlines to meet – we don’t have time to consider that”.don’t have time to consider that”.

12.12.““It’s not in the budget”.It’s not in the budget”.

13.13.““Are you kidding?”Are you kidding?”

14.14.““Let’s not go off on a tangent”.Let’s not go off on a tangent”.

15.15.““Where do you get these weird Where do you get these weird ideas?” ideas?”

IDEAS GENERATION IDEAS GENERATION TECHNIQUESTECHNIQUES

FOCUS GROUPSFOCUS GROUPS

– Focus Groups are groups of individuals Focus Groups are groups of individuals providing information in a providing information in a structured structured formatformat..

– The composition of focus group is usually on The composition of focus group is usually on the basis of similarity of group membersthe basis of similarity of group members

– Discussion is targeted on research Discussion is targeted on research objectivesobjectives

– Video/ audio/ manual note takingVideo/ audio/ manual note taking

BRAINSTORMINGBRAINSTORMING

• A group method for obtaining new A group method for obtaining new ideas and solutions.ideas and solutions.

• An unstructured processAn unstructured process

– FOUR RULES TO BE FOLLOWED:FOUR RULES TO BE FOLLOWED:• No criticism is allowed-No negative No criticism is allowed-No negative

comments,comments,• Quantity of ideas is desired,Quantity of ideas is desired,• Combinations and improvements of ideas Combinations and improvements of ideas

are encouraged.are encouraged.

Brain stormingBrain storming• inventing a new game for the inventing a new game for the

Olympics Olympics • How to get more tourists into How to get more tourists into

Pakistan Pakistan • how to improve your travel how to improve your travel

from home to work from home to work

• http://http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/www.brainstorming.co.uk/toolbox/downloadbt.htmltoolbox/downloadbt.html

REVERSE REVERSE BRAINSTORMINGBRAINSTORMING

– The process involves the The process involves the identification of everything wrong identification of everything wrong with an idea, followed by a with an idea, followed by a discussion of ways to overcome these discussion of ways to overcome these problems.problems.

– It is similar to brainstorming except It is similar to brainstorming except that criticism is allowed.that criticism is allowed.

– This technique is based on finding This technique is based on finding fault by asking the question, “In how fault by asking the question, “In how many ways can this idea fail?”many ways can this idea fail?”

“Sense able” Creativity

PROBLEM INVENTORY PROBLEM INVENTORY ANALYSISANALYSIS

– consumers are provided with a list of consumers are provided with a list of problems in a general product problems in a general product category.category.

– They are then asked to identify and They are then asked to identify and discuss products in this category discuss products in this category that have the particular problem. that have the particular problem.

Best Problem DefinitionBest Problem Definition

• How else can the problem be defined?• simple ways to generate alternate problem

statements.• Substitute a word in the problem statement, • add words,• use the opposite meaning of word, • synonyms, antonyms, • or a number of other substitutions.

• “elevators move too slow.”• “people think elevators move too slow.”

MORPHOLOGICAL MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSISANALYSIS

– List the attributes of the situationList the attributes of the situation – Below each attribute, place as many Below each attribute, place as many

alternates as you can think ofalternates as you can think of – picking up a different one from each column picking up a different one from each column

and assembling the combinations into and assembling the combinations into entirely new forms of your original subject.entirely new forms of your original subject.

• IMPROVE A BALL POINT PENIMPROVE A BALL POINT PEN• IMPROVE A TEXT BOOKIMPROVE A TEXT BOOK

MIND MAPINGMIND MAPING

• Mind mapping also called ‘spider diagrams’ represents Mind mapping also called ‘spider diagrams’ represents ideas, notes, information, etc. in far-reaching tree-ideas, notes, information, etc. in far-reaching tree-diagramsdiagrams

To draw a mind-map: To draw a mind-map:

• Layout a large sheet of paper in landscape and write a Layout a large sheet of paper in landscape and write a concise heading for the overall theme in the centre of the concise heading for the overall theme in the centre of the page. page.

• For each major sub-topic or cluster of material, start a new For each major sub-topic or cluster of material, start a new major branch from the central theme, and label it. major branch from the central theme, and label it.

• Each sub-sub-topic or sub-cluster forms a subordinate Each sub-sub-topic or sub-cluster forms a subordinate branch to the appropriate main branch branch to the appropriate main branch

• Carry on in this way for ever finer sub-branches. Carry on in this way for ever finer sub-branches.

MIND MAPINGMIND MAPING

Mind Map software linkMind Map software link

• http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/products/mindmap/ap-mind-mapping-software.php

COLLECTIVE COLLECTIVE NOTEBOOK METHODNOTEBOOK METHOD

– Developing a new idea by group members Developing a new idea by group members regularly recording ideas.regularly recording ideas.

– In this method a small notebook-containing In this method a small notebook-containing a statement of the problem, blank pages, a statement of the problem, blank pages, and any pertinent background data-is and any pertinent background data-is distributed.distributed.

HEURISTIC IDEATION HEURISTIC IDEATION TECHNIQUETECHNIQUE

– The technique involves locating all The technique involves locating all relevant concepts that could be associated relevant concepts that could be associated with a given product areawith a given product area

– The attributes of two products are put The attributes of two products are put together to see any possible new idea together to see any possible new idea

STORY BOARDINGSTORY BOARDING

– Walt Disney and his staff developed a Walt Disney and his staff developed a Story Board system in 1928Story Board system in 1928

– Story-Boarding is a popular Story-Boarding is a popular management tool to facilitate the management tool to facilitate the creative-thinking process creative-thinking process

– When you put ideas up on Story Boards, When you put ideas up on Story Boards, you begin to see interconnections, how you begin to see interconnections, how one idea relates to another, and how all one idea relates to another, and how all the pieces come together. the pieces come together.

• STORY BOARDING ( cont.)STORY BOARDING ( cont.)– Start with a topic card, Start with a topic card, – place header cards containing general points, place header cards containing general points,

categories, considerations, etc that will come up. categories, considerations, etc that will come up. – Under the header cards you will put sub-heading Under the header cards you will put sub-heading

cards ('subbers') containing the ideas that fall cards ('subbers') containing the ideas that fall under each header; they're the details ideas under each header; they're the details ideas generated in the creative-thinking session, ideas generated in the creative-thinking session, ideas that develop or support the headers.that develop or support the headers.

– People will hitch hike on other ideasPeople will hitch hike on other ideas

DO ITDO IT

• D - Define problem• O - Open mind and apply creative techniques• I - Identify best solution• T – Transform

• Define Problem– Define your problem precisely

• Open mind & apply creative techniques– generate as many different ideas as possible. – Even bad ideas may be the seeds of good ones.

• Identify the best Solution– select the best of the ideas you have generated– examining and developing a number of ideas in detail

before you select one

• Transform– to implement this solution.

The Chocolate Candy The Chocolate Candy ProblemProblem

• You have bought a big box of You have bought a big box of chocolates. The chocolates are shaped chocolates. The chocolates are shaped like small bottles and filled with thick like small bottles and filled with thick raspberry syrup. But how did they get raspberry syrup. But how did they get the raspberry syrup in there…the raspberry syrup in there…

• How could you solve this problem..?How could you solve this problem..?

Chocolate Candy ProblemChocolate Candy Problem

• Freeze the syrup and dip in hot Freeze the syrup and dip in hot chocolatechocolate

• Inject syrup into hollow chocolate Inject syrup into hollow chocolate bottle and plug with more chocolatebottle and plug with more chocolate

• But which would be most efficientBut which would be most efficient

How to motivate the How to motivate the students?students?

• How to motivate the students so that How to motivate the students so that they they – become active in classbecome active in class– Give assignments on timeGive assignments on time– Bring the books/notes/photo states to the Bring the books/notes/photo states to the

classclass– Learn by heartLearn by heart