Day Three: Ideate
What is the ideate mode?
According to the d.school bootcamp bootleg, ideate is the mode of your design process in which the aim is directed at generating the most radical design alternatives. In terms of concepts and outcomes, you should think of ideate as a true representation of the idea of "going wide”. Embedded throughout the process, this mode specifically should have a “flaring” rather than a constant “focus”. The overarching objective or goal of ideate is to probe and explore a wide solution space. This wide solution space encompasses both a large quantity of ideas as well as a diversity amongst those ideas. From this vast repository of ideas, prototypes can then be built to test with users. Ideation enables the transition from figuring out what the problems are into finding solutions for the users. Objectives |
1. Students will be prompted to think alternatively, outlandishly, and profoundly to find solutions for users via observations from collective and differing perspectives.
2. Students will spark innovation through separate but ongoing generation of ideas, exploration of ideas, and evaluation of ideas.
3. Students will put into practice what has been learned in the previous modes of Emphasize and Define.
4. Students will comprehend that the creation of innovative options requires volume (fluency) and flexibility (variety) that will lead their team to uncovering the unexpected plausible or scaled solutions.
2. Students will spark innovation through separate but ongoing generation of ideas, exploration of ideas, and evaluation of ideas.
3. Students will put into practice what has been learned in the previous modes of Emphasize and Define.
4. Students will comprehend that the creation of innovative options requires volume (fluency) and flexibility (variety) that will lead their team to uncovering the unexpected plausible or scaled solutions.
Lesson Plan
1. Have students give their 5-minute POV statement presentations expressing the culmination of the previous day's work. (Allow time for Q&A)
2. Begin the improv game/stoke activity, “Yes, Let’s” that will get the creative juices flowing and increase team member engagement with one another. “Yes, Let’s” requires everyone to walk around the room at random and then have a student proposes an idea to which everyone shouts in unison, “Yes, Let’s.” All the students then proceed act out the proposed idea. For example, “Let’s act like we’re on stage at the Oscars!” or “Let’s be babies trying ice cream for the first time!”, etc. Additional improv games or stoke activities like “Category, category, die!” or “Sound ball” are also noted in the d.school bootcamp bootleg.
3. Let the high engagement brainstorming commence! Students will listen to directions and gain an understanding of how the brainstorming rules will be enforced in this mode. Students will note what they are brainstorming using a How-Might-We (HMW) question framework further explained in the d.school bootcamp bootleg. Throughout the design process, allotting a distinct segment of time for brainstorming allows teams to interact with one another, build or piggyback off existing ideas, in addition to leveraging the collective and varied thinking of the group. Brainstorming is the perfect opportunity for ideation because the evaluative part of the brain is turned down, whereas the generative part of the brain is intentionally and consciously turned up. As facilitator of the brainstorm, you should create variations and constraints in hopes that it creates new ideas. Students will be using the “All-in” capture framework where every person writes down their ideas as they come on post-its and then verbally share their findings with the entire team.
4. The brainstorm selection process will solidify or validate all work completed above in #3. There are a few selection techniques described in the d.school bootcamp bootleg. For this task, have students use the four categories method where they select one or two ideas for each of the following four categories; the rational choice, the most likely to delight, the darling, and the long shot. The four categories method encourages students to continue advocating for their eccentric, crazy and/or meaningful ideas. The primary objective for the brainstorming selection process is to carry forward multiple ideas for the next mode, Prototyping. The more ideas that are carried forward, the better they can be tested and integrated into new solutions.
5. Students will use the technique of bodystorming or physically experiencing a situation to derive new ideas. Bodystorming is dependent upon setting up an experience that will be physically tested. This crafted experience must include artifacts and people. In ideation, students will physically change the space around them and will be focused intently on the choices they make and the way in which they interact with the environment. Bodystorming is key in evaluating the context of their ideas and prototypes. Students will have an opportunity to use 3D bodystorming/planning tools such as SketchUp, myturnstone 3D planner, and/or Autodesk Homestyler. Relate to the physical and virtual environment around you by paying close attention to your emotional reactions through digging deeply into the “WHY!” of the (How-Might-We, HMW).
6. Students will have adequate time to reflect upon all aspects of ideation conveyed today.
7. Students will be prompted to spend the duration of the day evaluating their ideas. Students have been reintroduced to the notion that the fundamental principle of ideation is to be cognizant of the separation between the initial generating of ideas and the later evaluation of those ideas.
8. At the end of the day, there will be a reminder telling students that they should have at least 5-10 ideas generated for the next mode of Prototyping.
2. Begin the improv game/stoke activity, “Yes, Let’s” that will get the creative juices flowing and increase team member engagement with one another. “Yes, Let’s” requires everyone to walk around the room at random and then have a student proposes an idea to which everyone shouts in unison, “Yes, Let’s.” All the students then proceed act out the proposed idea. For example, “Let’s act like we’re on stage at the Oscars!” or “Let’s be babies trying ice cream for the first time!”, etc. Additional improv games or stoke activities like “Category, category, die!” or “Sound ball” are also noted in the d.school bootcamp bootleg.
3. Let the high engagement brainstorming commence! Students will listen to directions and gain an understanding of how the brainstorming rules will be enforced in this mode. Students will note what they are brainstorming using a How-Might-We (HMW) question framework further explained in the d.school bootcamp bootleg. Throughout the design process, allotting a distinct segment of time for brainstorming allows teams to interact with one another, build or piggyback off existing ideas, in addition to leveraging the collective and varied thinking of the group. Brainstorming is the perfect opportunity for ideation because the evaluative part of the brain is turned down, whereas the generative part of the brain is intentionally and consciously turned up. As facilitator of the brainstorm, you should create variations and constraints in hopes that it creates new ideas. Students will be using the “All-in” capture framework where every person writes down their ideas as they come on post-its and then verbally share their findings with the entire team.
4. The brainstorm selection process will solidify or validate all work completed above in #3. There are a few selection techniques described in the d.school bootcamp bootleg. For this task, have students use the four categories method where they select one or two ideas for each of the following four categories; the rational choice, the most likely to delight, the darling, and the long shot. The four categories method encourages students to continue advocating for their eccentric, crazy and/or meaningful ideas. The primary objective for the brainstorming selection process is to carry forward multiple ideas for the next mode, Prototyping. The more ideas that are carried forward, the better they can be tested and integrated into new solutions.
5. Students will use the technique of bodystorming or physically experiencing a situation to derive new ideas. Bodystorming is dependent upon setting up an experience that will be physically tested. This crafted experience must include artifacts and people. In ideation, students will physically change the space around them and will be focused intently on the choices they make and the way in which they interact with the environment. Bodystorming is key in evaluating the context of their ideas and prototypes. Students will have an opportunity to use 3D bodystorming/planning tools such as SketchUp, myturnstone 3D planner, and/or Autodesk Homestyler. Relate to the physical and virtual environment around you by paying close attention to your emotional reactions through digging deeply into the “WHY!” of the (How-Might-We, HMW).
6. Students will have adequate time to reflect upon all aspects of ideation conveyed today.
7. Students will be prompted to spend the duration of the day evaluating their ideas. Students have been reintroduced to the notion that the fundamental principle of ideation is to be cognizant of the separation between the initial generating of ideas and the later evaluation of those ideas.
8. At the end of the day, there will be a reminder telling students that they should have at least 5-10 ideas generated for the next mode of Prototyping.