The ideation session begins with everyone thinking of their positive ideas for solutions to the challenge(s) presented. After a while ideas dry up and this is a way to stimulate additional, different ideas.

 

what is it

This is an exercise that forms part of the ideation phase, generating more creative and different ideas.

 

 

why is it important

This activity creates ideas that you normally wouldn’t come up with. This adds creativity to the ideation phase and will reinforce your best ideas.

 

 

how to do it

  1. Think about the design challenge and think about ideas that are ‘the opposite’ of what you are trying to achieve e.g. instead of ‘how do we make this task easier’ think ‘how do we make this task harder’
  2. Tke turns in the design team to come up with opposite ideas quickly with just enough information so that the rest of the team understand.
  3. Group and cluster the new opposite ideas on the wall or a flip-chart.
  4. Brainstorm on how to make the crazy ideas happen – what would it take, what are the barriers, what resources are needed? Now think of the opposite i.e. how do you prevent that idea from happening?
  5. This should create new ideas that you can add to your ideation – add them to your first burst ideas.
  6. Make sure that you record the additional ideas you have generated – take photos.
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