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Producing a Torrent of New Ideas(in the idea generation phase)

Opportunities

Insight

Ideas

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Content:

• Theory about enlarging (quantity) and enhancing (quality) your ideas

• Practice 3 techniques

CreativityCreativity

The innovation process as discussed The innovation process as discussed beforebefore

Triple diamond process

Insight activation

Define the opportunity

area

Know your customer

Idea generation

Innovation

Trends market info,

competitor infoetc

Three times diverging and converging

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Some ideation methods:

• Brainstorming

• Creative thinking games

• Online – suggestion boxesWith our without use of mind-map tools

Available on application portal of

Fontys

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The innovation pipeline:

Enlarging the pipeline (quantity of ideas ↑):1. Involve many minds

2. Sow enough seeds

3. Widen the front end

Enhance the pipeline (quality of ideas ↑)4. Ideate using the insights

5. Increase combinations

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1: Involve many minds (1 of 5)

• Ask different disciplines and different levels!

• Expect innovation from an exclusive R&D department to ordinary employees

• Introduce an “idea-box”

• Ask other stakeholders (universities, web, contests, relatives of employees, communities like user platforms)

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2: Sow enough seeds (2 of 5)

• The arithmetic of innovation: only a fraction of the generated ideas will in the end lead to successful innovations (killer applications)

• So in order to generate enough success, you will have to start with a lot of ideas.

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3: Widen the front end (3 of 5)

Innovations can relate to:• Technology • Product• Service• Organization / Social• Cost cutting• Processes (operational, BPR) • Customer experience • Management (strategic planning)• Business model • Industry breakthrough (internet)

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4: Ideate using the insights (4 of 5)

Combine the opportunities and the various insights (even if they seem opposite)

Opportunity Insights

- design a new and healthy product for a target group

(08-14 year)

- Focus on one opportunity!

- Kids want to choose their own food

- Parents want their kids to eat healthy

Idea: a healthy pick and mix for kids

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5: Increase the combinations (5 of 5)

Combine ideas to generate an even richer idea

Example: Improve product descriptions in shops (a large information card attached to a product)

Advantages:

•Customers want anonymous information.

•Customers want to be better informed

•Less personal costs needed for informing the customer

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Technique 1: Brainstorm

• Generate an idea for the opportunity of your company (based on the POM model): for example develop a sustainable product.

• This idea should be based on the opportunity and on the insights

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Creativity technique 2: Step into the shoes of…

• Assignment: Generate again ideas as if you were:- a technical expert

- a politician

- an 8 year old kid

- a senior

- a housewife

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Technique 3:Follow up with the

• Now we have several ideas.

• Select one and try to improve it by using the next technique: 6 thinking hats.

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Technique 2: 6 Thinking hats in this order

• White: Calls for extra information

• Yellow: Optimistic, positive

• Black: Warning, difficulties

• Green: Creative thinking, add ideas

• Red: Emotion, subjective

• Blue: Plan the process

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Attention points for this technique:

• Select the previous (final) idea • Explain shortly every role again• Define a chairman (time keeper)• Apply every role by the whole group

(about 3 minutes per role)• Make notes• Attention it is recommended to make

comments on previous “hats”• Report the results to class