Idea Generation Techniques among Creative Professionals

While reading some articles I found the following article interesting:
Idea Generation Techniques among Creative Professionals

The creative process has been a key topic research over the past century, but it wasn’t until the last decade that creativity became a hot topic of research in the HCI.(Herring, Jones & Baily, 2009). Generating ideas is a key process in every design, because as we know there is no design without an idea. Although we have not thought of that, supporting the idea generation through techniques is one of the key points for helping designers create something new.

After Herring, Jones and Baily identified the 19 idea generation techniques, they were categorized and placed into the IR3 model according to what the technique was used for (inspiration, research, representation or refinement). The techniques were placed into the boundary areas of the model if the technique served many purposes. Therefore some techniques are placed on the boundaries between two categories or in the middle of the model if they encompass all aspects of the ideation process.

Table 1: Categorization of idea generation techniques

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced.”

 Swami Vivekananda quotes (Indian Spiritual leader of the Hindu religion (Vedanta)

“Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes.”

 Napoleon Hill quotes (American author, 1883-1970)