Conceptualization and Brainstorming

#LateralThinking, a term coined by Edward de Bono in the 1960s, or flexible thinking, refers to a problem-solving approach that involves looking at a situation or problem from unexpected angles, thereby enabling innovative solutions. 1. Encourages #Creativity: Lateral thinking taps into the imaginative aspect of our minds. By breaking free from conventional routines and patterns of thought, individuals can generate unique ideas and solutions that would otherwise remain undiscovered. 2. Enhances #ProblemSolving Skills: Traditional methodologies often rely on linear or logical progression, which can be limiting. Lateral thinking introduces a more dynamic approach, allowing for multiple potential solutions to be considered. 3. Fosters #Innovation: In business and technology, innovation is critical for maintaining competitive advantage. Organizations that promote lateral thinking among their teams are more likely to develop breakthrough products and services, as employees feel empowered to propose unconventional ideas. 4. Improves #Collaboration: By encouraging diverse perspectives and brainstorming sessions, lateral thinking leads to greater collaboration among team members. Different viewpoints can inspire a more inclusive environment that values contributions from all members, leading to richer, more robust solutions. Key Techniques for Cultivating Lateral Thinking 1. Questioning Assumptions: Begin by identifying and challenging the assumptions that underlie your thinking. Techniques such as the “Five Whys” can help dig deeper into the root causes of a problem. 2. Mind Mapping: This technique involves visualizing ideas and solutions around a central concept. By mapping out thoughts in a non-linear way, you can see connections between ideas that may not be apparent in a structured list format. 3. Random Input: Introduce an unrelated stimulus (a word, image, or object) into your thinking process. This random input can trigger novel associations and stimulate new ideas that can lead to unconventional solutions. 4. Role Play: Assume different roles or perspectives related to the problem at hand. For instance, thinking from the viewpoint of the customer, competitor, or even an inanimate object can provide fresh insights and reveal untapped solutions. 5. SCAMPER Technique: The acronym stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. This brainstorming approach encourages you to manipulate and explore existing products or ideas, leading to innovation and new concepts. 6. Creative Constraints: Sometimes, placing specific constraints on your thinking can paradoxically foster creativity. For instance, limit your resources or time, or impose specific rules (e.g., generate only ideas that involve a specific color). In an age where change is the only constant, one thing remains clear: the ability to think laterally is a powerful asset for any problem-solver.

Stop running brainstorming sessions like a three-ring circus. Roll the dice instead. Most brainstorming sessions ask our brains to do the impossible. Be creative AND critical. Generate ideas AND evaluate them. Think logically AND emotionally. All at the same time. And often, we're doing this in a group that has it's own relationship dynamics, politics, and neuro-styles at play. Your session turns from an energizing moment of synergy into a three-ring circus. (Except there's no cotton candy and the whole place smells like elephant 💩 .) Edward de Bono's 6 Thinking Hats is a great method for breaking out of our well worn cognitive patterns. But I use it differently than most. 🎲 The Dice Method for solo thinking: Roll a die. Match the number to a hat. Spend 15 focused minutes in that mode only. ⚪ White Hat (1): Facts and data only. Zero opinions. ❤️ Red Hat (2): Pure emotion. How does this feel? ⚫ Black Hat (3): Devil's advocate. What could fail? 💛 Yellow Hat (4): Optimist view. Best case scenarios. 💚 Green Hat (5): Wild creativity. No idea too crazy. 🔵 Blue Hat (6): Process manager. Are we on track? For group brainstorming: 1. Assign everyone a hat. (You can even bring real hats to the meeting.) 2. Make sure people are assigned a thinking hat that is different than their typical thinking pattern. 3. Give everyone 5 mins to think through a solution to a problem on their own, guided by their hat. 4. Have each person share one by one. This is metacognition in action. ❓ Which thinking hat is most natural for you, and which is hardest? 🔁 Repost if your team needs to think better, not just think more. 👉 Follow Erin Green for insights on creating courses that actually change behavior.

Progress begins when “I’m done” turns into “What else?” Here's why: You stopped too early, and that’s where the answer lives. Because progress isn’t an event. It’s a mindset. And it’s the foundation of real innovation. Too often, we treat testing like a checklist: ✔ Tried A. ✔ Tried B. ✔ Tried C. And when none of them work, we say: “We’ve exhausted the possibilities.” But here’s the truth: 🔎 You haven’t tested everything. 🔎 You haven’t looked between the lines. 🔎 You haven’t asked the question behind the question. Innovation isn’t about finding “the answer.” It’s about staying open-minded enough to see the answers that hide in unexpected places. The next breakthrough often comes when you stop forcing outcomes… and start exploring patterns, anomalies, and little sparks that others overlook. 💡 Testing isn’t about proving what you already believe. It’s about uncovering what you didn’t even think to look for. Here's 5 ways to implement a “You haven’t exhausted all possibilities” mentality: 1. Redefine testing as exploration → Don’t run a test just to confirm what you believe. → Run it to discover what you don’t know yet. → Every “failed” test is actually data pointing you toward something you missed. 2. Shift from Either/Or to Both/And → Instead of asking “Does A work or does B?” → Ask: “What if parts of A and B combined create something new?” → The in-between often holds the breakthrough. 3. Document assumptions, then flip them → Write down your “obvious truths.” → Challenge each one: What if the opposite were true? → This forces fresh angles that rarely show up in traditional brainstorming. 4. Zoom out, then zoom in → When stuck, step back to look at the bigger system: are you solving the right problem? → Then zoom in: small tweaks (like word choice, timing, or context) often unlock big shifts. 5. Stay curious longer than comfortable → Most people give up when testing gets repetitive or results feel flat. → True innovators keep pulling the thread, asking why again and again, until something new emerges. So the real challenge is this: ➡️ Are you open-minded enough to keep testing after you think you’re done? ________ ♻️ Repost to help others + Follow Jennelle McGrath for more leadership insights

Stop asking ChatGPT to "Help me brainstorm." That's why you get generic ideas. And why nothing ever gets executed. If you want ideas that are actually worth pursuing, you need to give ChatGPT constraints, context, and criteria for what makes an idea valuable. Use these prompts instead: 1. The Strategic Brainstorm "Act as a strategic business consultant. I need to brainstorm ideas for [specific goal/project]. Generate 10 ideas ranked by feasibility, impact, and originality. For each idea, include why it works, potential challenges, and first steps to execute. Make sure the ideas are practical and aligned with these resources I have: [add relevant details about budget/time/skills]." 2. The Constraint-Based Brainstorm "Help me brainstorm ideas for [goal/project] with these specific constraints: [budget/time/resources/skills]. I don't want ideas I can't actually execute. Give me 8 realistic, high-impact ideas that work within these limitations. For each, explain the execution path, estimated effort, and expected outcome." 3. The Competitive Edge Brainstorm "Act as a market analyst. Brainstorm ideas for [product/content/service] in [industry/niche]. Analyze what's missing or oversaturated in the current market. Generate 7 unique ideas that differentiate me from competitors and fill actual gaps. Explain why each idea stands out, who it serves, and what makes it different from what already exists." 4. The Audience-First Brainstorm "Help me brainstorm [content/product/campaign] ideas specifically for this audience: [describe target audience, pain points, goals, demographics]. Generate 10 ideas tailored to their exact needs and frustrations. For each idea, explain which specific pain point it addresses, why this audience would care, and what action they'd take." 5. The Revenue-Focused Brainstorm "Act as a business strategist. Brainstorm ways to [increase revenue/monetize/generate income] for [business/skill/platform]. Every idea must have clear monetization potential. Give me 8 revenue-generating ideas with estimated income potential, implementation difficulty, required investment, and realistic timeline to first dollar earned." 6. The Quick-Win Brainstorm "I need to brainstorm quick-win ideas for [goal] that I can execute in [timeframe]. Every idea must be implementable quickly with minimal setup or resources. Give me 7 high-impact, low-effort ideas I can start immediately. Rank them by speed to results and include exact first steps for each one." P.S. ~ For more updates like this: 1. Scroll to the top 2. Click "View my newsletter" 3. Subscribe, and you'll never miss a thing in the world of AI ever again.

I have a love-hate relationship with the double diamond. I'm a big fan of the divergent/convergent approach in general, and I've used the double diamond itself in many of my own workshops and teaching materials. At the same time, the model significantly oversimplifies the process, and as a result is often operationalized by teams in detrimental ways. I won't go into all the ways here, and suffice it to say that most if not all frameworks I've encountered suffer these kinds of challenges (all maps are wrong, but some maps are useful, yadda yadda) But one gap that I'll call out today–if only because it's been bugging me in my day-to-day lately–is that at face value, the model depicts brainstorming, sketching, etc as coming after a single, concise problem statement or framing has been arrived at. In my experience that is rarely the case, and when teams try to operate in this way it contributes to issues ranging from rework and delays (from an inadequately defined problem) to frustration and disengagement (when the transition is treated like a handoff from PM/Research to Design). I've learned that ideation shouldn't wait and come only after a problem statement is solidified, it's done to help refine and clarify a problem. We learn a lot about a problem–and what it means to resolve it meaningfully–when we try to imagine solutions for it: what capabilities those solutions would entail and how they would work. The most effective teams I've observed, work quickly to get to enough of an initial problem framing that they can begin to brainstorm solution concepts. The then use that brainstorm and the discussion around the ideas they have to refine their perspectives on the problem (tightening it, loosening it, identifying assumptions that need more insight, etc). This is what drives the team to arrive at a problem statement that they'll move forward with AND one ore more concepts to pursue further detailed design on.

Most people think innovation means starting from scratch. That’s nonsense. Some of the best ideas don’t start with a blank page... they start with a remix. And that’s exactly what I taught last week at the Milken Institute’s American Dream Festival and how to take what works over here and apply it over there. It’s called “This for That” innovation and it’s one of the most powerful tools I teach in my workshops. Want proof? Let’s play a little “origin story” game: 🚗 Uber = Taxis × Mobile App Convenience 👗 Rent the Runway = Netflix × High Fashion 🏠 Airbnb = Craigslist × Design-Conscious Travel 👶 Rover = Airbnb × Your Dog Let’s talk about that last one for a minute. A buddy of mine, Greg Gottesman, pitched the idea of “Airbnb for dogs” at a hackathon. He had a simple frustration: He loved his dog. He hated the kennel. So what if (like Airbnb) dog lovers could open their homes to other people’s pets? The pitch was catchy. The problem was real. The analogy? It killed. They built a prototype that weekend… That bad idea turned into Rover.com, which has now raised over $300 million and went public in 2021. Why does this work? Because analogies create a shortcut for both you and your audience. You can skip the “what is it?” confusion and start building or selling faster. And here’s the real unlock: If you can name a successful company you admire… And a customer group you love or understand… You’ve already got your next brainstorming prompt. It’s how Rent the Runway happened. Co-founder Jennifer Hyman looked at how Netflix let people rent entertainment… And wondered why you couldn’t rent style the same way. One analogy. One insight. One billion-dollar business. Want to try this yourself? Here’s the exercise I taught at Milken: 🧩 The “Idea Crossbreeding Grid” 1. Down the left side: Write out 10 businesses, startups, or models you admire. (Uber, Amazon, Calm, Substack, etc.) 2. Across the top: Write 10 customer groups or personas you know well. (New parents, teachers, Gen Z, freelancers, etc.) 3. In each box, write a mashup idea. No filters. No judgment. Just remix. It’s the best way I know to come up with a hundred ideas in under 30 minutes. Some will be hilarious. Some will be terrible. And 1 or 2 might be the foundation of your next big thing. TL;DR: • You don’t have to invent something new. • You just have to translate something great into a new context. • Analogies are your ideation cheat code. Stay tuned. I’m breaking down all 8 techniques from my Milken session in this series. Here's the link to the full article: https://lnkd.in/epUM8QtX

🚀 Rethinking Brainstorms for Maximum Impact 🚀 When we think about brainstorms, many of us picture the dynamic, high-energy sessions from "Mad Men." We all know reality often looks different. Not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in these settings. Some people might be more participatory, while others feel intimidated or shut down. This is why the ImageThink Method involves augmenting traditional brainstorming with individual brainstorming. This appeals to different strengths, particularly those of introverts who often process information by writing before speaking. 💡 Here's how we do it: Open with a Question: Start by posing a thought-provoking question. Reflect and Jot Down: Give everyone time to reflect and write down their thoughts. This helps individuals think through their ideas and articulate them clearly. Small Group Sharing: Move to smaller groups where everyone can share their ideas. This builds confidence and ensures everyone's voice is heard. Collaborative Brainstorming: Finally, bring the ideas together in a larger group. This leverages the momentum of a collaborative brainstorm, combining the best of both worlds. By combining these methods, we create a more inclusive and productive brainstorming environment. Everyone gets the chance to contribute, leading to richer, more diverse ideas.

This framework will help you find and implement your next breakthrough idea. I call it the Walt Disney brainstorming protocol. Have you ever had a brainstorm where the ideas were flowing and great things came out of it?  How about brainstorms that were full of negativity and nothing came out of it? There is a creative process that Walt Disney used to create his 1940 masterpiece “Fantasia” that I recently learned that I want to share. It comes from a book called Strategies of Genius by Robert Dilts who is one of the creators of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). This framework has literally changed the way I structure every meeting I have and I think it will benefit you too. Step 1: Free for all brainstorm. Go into a dedicated space to think of ideas for any new creative project. Create the space: Think bean bags, painted walls, and a whiteboard. Let the creative juices flow: -Mentality of ‘anything is possible’  -Moonshots encouraged -No critiquing  Once good ideas come out of this room, it is time to move to “Room 2”. Step 2: Create your action plan Find a new space (aka Room 2), different from your creative brainstorming room. Now it's time to prioritize your best ideas and create an action plan: -Gather the relevant team (engineers, project managers etc) -Answer the 5Ws: who, what, where, when why & how -Finalize the roadmap The key for room 2 is to avoid critical voices such as "we don't have the budget or time". Remove limiting beliefs and define the action steps. Step 3: Look for blind spots. Find another space for your 3rd meeting (aka Room 3). This one should feel more serious and may need the lawyers and accounts of the team to assist. The goal: poke holes in your ideas and action plan from steps 1 and 2. Here's how: -Think of every reason why your plan could fail -Identify all the problems you may encounter -Leave no stone unturned Now depending on how well your plan held up its critiquing session, you go back to either Room 1 or 2. It’s important to do these steps in order. Why? Bringing in naysayers too early will ruin creativity. However, if you never bring them in to find the blindspots, the ideas are harder to manifest.  This process unlocks:  -Maximum creativity  -A clear plan  -Blindspots You already have the ideas, you just need a way to bring them to life. And I can tell you from first-hand experience, this works. *** Enjoy this? Share it with your network and/or follow me Joshua Kagan for more in future!

💎 60 UX Strategy Methods And Activities (Figma) (https://lnkd.in/eCDU-vhR), a large repository of UX methods, templates and activities for ideation sessions and product sprints, from storyboards and brainwriting to 6 thinking hats, journey mapping and concept testing. Neatly put together in one single place by fine folks at Merck. The team has also put together a very thorough overview of their UX Strategy Kit (https://lnkd.in/ek5dEYn4), broken down by categories for strategy, observation, ideation and warm-up, along with detailed video walkthroughs, examples and step-by-step guides. Frankly, most of these methods are unfamiliar to me. And by no means is the point to actually study and apply all of them. What works for you works for you. To strategize, I rely on How Might We but also think about metrics that should be moved once we implement some features or refine some user flows. For event storming and brainstorming, I tend to rely on Bono’s 6 thinking hats to align brainstorming, and (of course) journey mapping. For ideation, I love using storyboards to jump right into the user’s success story, but would also use card sorting with cut-out paper cards to understand user’s mental model. And for almost every project, I’d run concept testing with tree testing or Kano model, or low-fidelity/paper prototyping to understand if we are on the right track. Once you sprinkle a bit of critical thinking, early user testing and strategic planning across the design work, you gain confidence that you are moving in the right direction. And really that’s all you need. A few of my personal bookmarks with UX methods and activities: UX Tools For Better Thinking, by Adam Amran 👏🏽 https://untools.co/ Playbook For Universal Design (+ PDF/Powerpoint templates) https://lnkd.in/ernris4g UX Methods & Projects, by Vernon Fowler https://lnkd.in/eAHaiaSm 18F Method Cards https://methods.18f.gov/ Hyperisland UX Methods Resource Kit 👍 https://lnkd.in/eDTaci7T How To Design Better UX Workshops, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/edxqCC-n How To Run UX Workshops With Users, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/ejm7_TsS Happy designing, everyone — I hope you’ll find these guides and resources helpful to get started. Just don’t feel like you have to try out all of them. It might be much more worthwhile to get early feedback from stakeholders and end users, even if your work isn’t really “good” enough. Good luck! #ux #design

There’s one big thing that most brainstorming sessions get wrong and I see this over and over again. They skip the most important part: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸. The neuroscience of innovation and creativity requires two phases. And let’s face it, that’s why we are brainstorming in the first place - to come up with new ideas. 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟭: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀. Learn everything about the problem. Dive deep. Immerse yourself completely. 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟮: 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸. Step away. Take a shower. Go for a walk. Do something completely unrelated. It's during Phase 2 that creative insights emerge. Why? Because creativity requires your brain to make unexpected connections. That happens when your prefrontal cortex relaxes, and your default mode network takes over. And this cannot happen when you are locked into the problem at hand. Think about when you get your best ideas. It’s not when you’re sitting in a stuffy boardroom with several of your colleagues, it’s when you’re on a walk with your dog, or relaxing in a bath, or even drifting off to sleep. Notice the pattern? You're not actively trying to solve the problem. When do your best creative insights show up? #neuroscience #creativity #innovation #brainfriendlyworkplace #leadership