Suggestus

Suggestus is a class of systems and a project name used to describe platforms and methodologies for collecting, discussing, and prioritizing ideas within organizations and communities. It aims to formalize the idea submission process, enable transparent deliberation, and support collaborative decision making. While the term has no single canonical implementation, many tools describe themselves as Suggestus-inspired or as implementing Suggestus principles.

Core features typically include: submission of ideas by participants, threaded discussions, tagging and categorization, ranking or voting mechanisms, lifecycle stages (proposed, under review, accepted, rejected), and governance workflows that route ideas to evaluators. Advanced implementations add analytics, notification channels, and access controls.

Architecturally, Suggestus can be delivered as software-as-a-service or self-hosted platforms, often offering REST or GraphQL APIs for integration with collaboration tools, issue trackers, or document repositories. Some variants emphasize anonymity or pseudonymity to lower participation barriers, while others emphasize accountability via user identities and audit trails.

Use cases span product development, municipal or institutional participatory processes, research ideation, event planning, and community-driven improvement programs. Proponents argue that Suggestus fosters inclusion, reduces decision time, and improves transparency, while critics note potential bias toward vocal participants and the need for thoughtful moderation.

See also: idea management, participatory budgeting, open innovation, suggestion box.