9 October 2012

Ideas workshop

Goals

• Clearly understand the product requirements from the point of view of your stakeholders

• Generate >100 ideas (yes you heard me right)

• Have some idea of how you can turn some these ideas into something useful!

Planning

Time What?

09:30 – 10:00 Intro. & warm-up

10:00 – 10:15 Requirements inventory

10:15 – 10:30 Stakeholder requirements brainstorm 1: Client

10:30 – 10:45 Creative break

10:45 – 11:00 Stakeholder requirements reverse brainstorm 2: User

11:00 – 11:15 Other requirements brainstorm

11:15 – 11:30 Wrap-up and next steps

Introduction

The creative process

Tassoul’s creative process

Creative tactics

• Try to rephrase the problem or issue• Look at answers that don’t help and ask why

not?• Keep asking questions (e.g. what is the real

problem, why doesn’t this work, what problems are similar to this?)

• Look at the problem from another’s perspective (the target customer, your tutor, your father, a doctor, a person driving a car etc.)

Guidelines for thinking creatively

• Go quantity not quality at first• When generating ideas do not judge or evaluate them• Capture all ideas: write everything down or record

them somehow (but put your lap-tops away)• Have an objective: aim to generate lots of ideas to

solve a particular problem• Enjoy half answers: sometimes with a bit of time they

can be the best - so capture them and then wait for a while

• Play with ideas and have fun• Relax• Use creativity tools• Select later on clear criteria

Brainstorming: why it works

Brainstorming “rules”

• Define the problem• Set a time limit on the brainstorm session• Capture all the ideas

– Use a white board, flip-over sheet or (better) Post-It Notes to do this

• Focus on the problem• Do not evaluate or criticize any ideas: write them down• Encourage everyone to contribute• Listen to other ideas and see if this gets you thinking

– Look for associations• Have fun• Evaluate the ideas later NEVER during the brainstorming• Make sure you do a follow-up

Warm-up 5Ws + 1H again (10 minutes)

• Who – who is this product for?• What – what does it have to do?• Where – where is it going to be used?• When – when is it going to be used?• Why – why is this important to…(your who’s)?• How – how is it going to help…(your who’s)?

Requirements inventory

• Who might have requirements of your product? (5 min.)

• What requirements do you have of your product? (5 min.)

• What general requirements are there (technical, client conditions, budget, visual, etc.)? (5 min.)

Stakeholder brainstorm 1 (15 min.)

• What are the client’s requirement for your product?

Break (15 min.)

Stakeholder requirements brainstorm 2

• Reversal: What features and benefits would REALLY annoy your user? (5 min.)

• What requirements would your product need to ensure you do not do that? (10 min.)

Other requirements brainstorm

• What are the requirements of those who support your product? (5 min.)

• What are the marketing, communications and visual requirements of your product? (5 min.)

• What are the societal, legal and moral requirements of your product? (5 min.)

Wrap-up

One view of “product” development

Idea to concept (ideal)

Next steps

• Next session – can we do one?• Between now and then

– Finalize and document your product requirements– Generate 100+ ideas (they don’t have to be good!)– Incubate– Categorize / combine / organize ideas– Develop selection criteria based on your

requirements– Select 10 ideas and make sketches