idédriven

idédriven is a term used in design, product development, and business strategy to describe approaches in which ideas and conceptual viability guide decisions in the early stages of a project. The emphasis is on imaginative ideation, user needs, and strategic goals, with the aim of rapidly exploring a broad space of possibilities before committing substantial resources.

Core practices in an idédriven approach include structured ideation sessions, concept sketches, storyboarding, and lightweight prototyping to test ideas with users and stakeholders. Decisions are informed by qualitative feedback, vision alignment, and risk assessment rather than by long-range forecasts alone. Iteration is central: ideas are refined or discarded through quick cycles of refinement and evaluation.

Relation to other methods: idédriven complements data- or evidence-driven approaches by providing a rich pool of concepts to test. It is often used in early product discovery, brand and strategy work, and innovation initiatives. Potential benefits include faster exploration of options, stronger alignment with user value, and a clearer strategic direction; potential drawbacks include bias in idea selection, and the risk of neglecting rigorous validation or scalability considerations if not balanced with evidence.

Origin and usage: The term describes a philosophy where creative exploration leads the way, with ideas driving decision-making in the early stages of a project. While common in design thinking and startup culture, its exact usage and definitions vary by organization and language. See also ideation, design thinking, hypothesis-driven development.