Ideor

Ideor is a term used in discussions of creativity and design to denote a structured approach to ideation and evaluation. It describes a lifecycle for ideas that emphasizes externalization, iteration, and collaborative refinement, from initial concept to preliminary screening.

Etymology and scope: The word ideor appears as a blend of "idea" and the agentive suffix "-or," used in some design literature to signify an active process or facilitator of ideas. There is no single canonical definition, and the term is used variably across sources.

Overview of the framework: Core components often attributed to ideor include idea capture (collecting thoughts through notes, sketches, or digital tools); idea refinement (organizing and combining ideas); evaluation (assessing feasibility, desirability, and impact); and iteration (revisiting ideas in repeated cycles). Proponents typically advocate integrating visual aids, prototyping, and peer feedback to accelerate convergence on viable concepts.

Variations and implementations: In some uses, ideor is described as an AI-assisted ideation engine that surfaces prompts, patterns, and connections; in others, it is a human-centric framework emphasizing collaborative workshops and design sprints.

Applications and reception: Ideor is discussed in educational settings, entrepreneurship training, and corporate innovation programs as a heuristic to structure brainstorming and decision-making. Critics note that the term lacks a formal standard and that its usefulness depends on concrete methods and metrics rather than the label itself.

See also: ideation, design thinking, brainstorming, rapid prototyping.