Ideation is a part of the UX process. For ideation to be fruitful, it is implemented after the research phase, when we empathize with the users’ needs, and also after the definition phase, when we craft user personas, user stories, and the problem statement.

Understanding UX design ideation

How to create a wealth of research-based ideas

Ideation: The process of generating an abundance of ideas based on the problem statement, without judging or evaluating the ideas.

Ideation is a lot of fun

Ideation is the creative phase in our UX journey when we come up with a wealth of ideas. In the ideation phase, we look at our users’ overarching problem from many different angles.

We ideate solutions by writing or sketching any idea that comes to mind, no matter how unusual. At this stage, we don’t judge or evaluate. We generate. We create!

Preferably, we ideate as a team with diverse members, but if necessary, we can ideate as a solo designer for our own projects.

Design ideation is often also referred to as design thinking. Coe Leta Stafford, Managing Director at IDEO U, defines it in these words:

“Design thinking is a process for creative problem solving.” [1]

For our story, we will refer to design thinking as design ideation, an all-encompassing methodology to generate an abundance of ideas solving a specified problem.

In which phase of the UX product development process does ideation happen?

Design ideation has its timely place in the UX journey. To effectively ideate a fundamental user problem, as identified in the problem statement, we’ll need to have two prior phases in our UX process, Empathize & Define, completed.

The product development journey is organized in five stages: 1. We empathize with our users, which means, we research our users’ pain points, struggles, and needs. 2. We define our users by crafting personas, stories, journey maps, and problem statements. 3. In the ideation phase, we generate a wealth of ideas that potentially solve our users’ need. 4. We prototype a chosen idea. 5. We test and iterate.

Before we ideate, we will already have deeply empathized with the users, having identified their needs through interviews and empathy maps. We also will have a defined problem statement identifying the users’ needs, supported by user personas, user stories, and journey maps.

These are the UX tools we will have effectively crafted before we enter the ideation phase. It is super-important to have done this research. Research will determine our users and their problems and needs. Thus, we create the problem statement before we start with ideation.

If we are not ready with a problem statement that defines the user’s need, we cannot engage in creative ideation. The user’s need expressed in an effective problem statement is imperative for meaningful ideation.

“{At Ideo}, we’ve seen design ideation transform lives and organizations, and on occasion we’ve seen it fall short when approached superficially, or without a solid foundation of study. Design ideation takes practice.”[2]

– Ideo Design Thinking Today

How do we ideate?

As in other phases in the UX process, we have excellent tools available to help us with the ideation phase. UX ideation tools are designed to help us create a wealth of ideas.

Ideating within a team will create a larger number of ideas than creating as a solo designer. But it’s absolutely fine if the UX designer ideates solo when working on a private project, as long as the problem is looked at from many different points of view.

The top two idea-producing ideation tools—How Might We…? and the Crazy Eights

The top two UX ideation tools: How Might We…? and the Crazy Eights.

With our mighty problem statement in hand, we can start ideating solutions. These ideas are best drawn in very rough formats, in scribbles and quick drawings.

Using the How Might We…? and the Crazy Eights

How Might We…?

Let’s interpret what How Might We…? actually means:

By asking How, we engage in exploring dozens of potential ideas, not only a few.

By expressing Might, we emphasize that our ideas are all potential solutions, created by any team member, and presented as a valid idea to other team members. There is no judgement at this time until a team review will take place.

And lastly, the word We engages us in a collaborative effort. Also, coming up with a multitude of ideas is better done in teamwork. But as we outlined before, it’s absolutely okay to ideate as a solo designer.

An example of How Might We…? based on an actual problem statement

Let’s say our problem statement reads as follows:

Ben is a busy high school science teacher who needs quick book check-outs at his local library so that he can reference his teaching materials from available books.

In How Might We…?, we can brainstorm solutions by adding a particular quality or aspect to the problem. Let’s look at three examples:

1. How might we define the solution, and also amp up the good?

Idea! Implement a premium teacher book lounge in the library linked to a VIP check-out card.

2. How might we define the solution, and also explore the opposite?

Idea! Generate daily lists of books not available for check-out that day.

3. How might we define the solution, and also change the status quo?

Idea! Give all the high school teachers money vouchers to buy relevant books that enrich their classroom teachings and which they can keep forever.

We can see that looking at the problem statement through added quality filters in How Might We…?, we can define many ideas that look at the problem from different angles. Remember, there is no judgement at this stage. We focus on ideation!

The Crazy Eights

The Crazy Eights is an idea-sketching method that allows us to draw ideas fast and succinctly. All that is required is a letter-sized piece of paper, a pen or pencil, and a clock.

We start by folding the paper three times into 8 equal squares.

The only tools needed to do the Crazy Eights ideation is a letter-sized piece of paper, a pen or pencil, and a watch to set an 8-minute time-limit for ideation. Anyone can do the Crazy Eights.

Each one-eighth square on the paper will be filled with one idea. We set the timer to eight minutes, allowing one minute per idea, more or less. At the end of the eight minutes, we’ll have eight ideas.

The key to the Crazy Eights is to sketch the ideas fast, without pondering. If ideating solo, do this exercise a couple of times. If ideating in a team, have each team member fill out one sheet with eight ideas.

Example of a Crazy Eight

Figure 1 shows an example of a Crazy Eight ideation sheet, based on the following problem statement:

Ben is a busy young professional who needs quick and easy sign-up for his preferred gym class because classes fill up fast.

Figure 1

We can see how quickly we can generate many ideas, all within less than ten minutes. In Figure 1, eight ideas are sketched with a few lines, and the idea is spelled out in a few words. Nothing fancy, just the seed of the idea is sketched out.

We will present our ideas one-by-one to the team in person, and elaborate as necessary to convey the full idea.

The ideation generator

Utilizing only these two tools, the How Might We…? and the Crazy Eights, you’ll be amazed at how many ideas will present themselves!

The more we practice ideation, the easier it becomes to craft potential idea solutions for our user’s needs based on the problem statement.

You might even come up with ideas while doing something different, like when walking in the park, riding on the subway, or simply while day-dreaming. You can then explore these ideas more using the Crazy Eights or How Might We…? tools.

What happens after ideation?

Finally, after the team and you have generated this abundance of ideas, take a break. Go out for a coffee, lunch, or for a short walk.

Then, come back together and present your ideas to your team members, and have each team member present theirs. Have everyone identify their top three ideas they came up with.

Then, it’s time to huddle and evaluate!

Evaluation criteria

To focus on top ideas that the team might want to explore further, the following criteria must be answered.

No 1: Feasibility

Can the idea actually be designed and built technically?

No 2: Desirability

Is the idea desirable and fitting the user’s need?

No 3: Viability

Is the idea fitting for the business model?

If an idea fits all these criteria, then the team might decide to move forward with it, present it internally, revise, and start prototyping.

If none of the ideas fit the three criteria, then the team will need to ideate further. As a possibility, the How Might We…? can get expanded into different quality points, and/or, the team can do another round of Crazy Eights the next day, with a fresh mind.

In summary

Start with design ideation after you have done in-depth research, including having crafted a well-stated problem statement.

During the ideation phase, we want to generate as many ideas as possible without judgement or editing.

Design ideation can take a lot of time. That’s okay. Give it the time it needs, and give the team the time as well.

Use your creative powers to their full potential during ideation. Go all out.

Design ideation is a lot of fun.

“What is design thinking {ideation}? It means stepping back from the immediate issue and taking a broader look. It requires systems thinking: realizing that any problem is part of a larger whole, and that the solution is likely to require understanding the entire system.” — Don Norman

References:

[1] Design thinking: https://designthinking.ideo.com/faq/how-do-people-define-design-thinking

[2] Ideo design thinking today: https://designthinking.ideo.com/#design-thinking-today

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