Ideations

Ideations refers to the creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas. In practice it is the early stage of idea-generation within fields such as design, product development, and strategic planning. While ideation is often used as a noun or verb (to ideate), the plural ideations appears in discussions that describe a set or sequence of ideation activities or sessions.

Common ideation methods include brainstorming, brainwriting, mind mapping, SCAMPER, and rapid prototyping. These approaches emphasize divergent thinking to expand the range of concepts before converge on evaluation. Effective ideation sessions are typically facilitated to manage time, encourage inclusive participation, and capture ideas for later refinement.

In design thinking, software development, business strategy, education, and public policy, ideation helps teams define problems, explore user needs, and discover innovative solutions. The output is usually a portfolio of ideas, some of which develop into concepts, prototypes, or implementation plans. Ideation is typically followed by evaluation, testing, and iteration.

Critics argue ideation can produce low-quality or biased ideas if not structured, and that group dynamics can lead to conformity or domination. Effective ideation integrates criteria-based evaluation, prioritization, and user feedback, to select ideas for prototyping and testing. The goal is to balance quantity with practical feasibility and potential impact.