Ideointia

Ideointia is the process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas. In Finnish usage, it refers to the initial phase of creativity in fields such as product design, business, research, and education. The aim is to produce a large number of ideas, to be refined later in the development process.

The process typically involves divergent thinking to generate many ideas, followed by convergent thinking to evaluate and select promising concepts. It often takes place in structured settings such as workshops, meetings, or individual work. Tools include brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, and design thinking exercises.

Applications span product development, marketing, policy design, and problem solving. Ideointia is used to explore new opportunities, overcome constraints, and communicate concepts to stakeholders. Digital collaboration tools and visual note-taking have become common aids.

Origin and history: ideointia derives from idea plus -ointi, indicating the activity as part of everyday creative work. The concept is tied to broader 20th-century creativity research and design thinking, with brainstorming popularized in structured practice. Critics warn that quantity alone does not guarantee quality, and effective ideation requires facilitation to avoid groupthink.