MethodAnalogous Inspiration is a way of seeking inspiration from examples of solutions to problems that have been solved elsewhere, but that have some similar characteristics to your own problem. There are five steps to this process.Gather examples...
MethodLotus Blossom is another tool that can be used as a structured and visual way of finding inspiration from other innovations or solutions. The tool encourages you to map out the design criteria you developed in the Search stage, and to identify...
MethodMission Impossible is a game that asks participants to think about how they would address the challenge without any of the usual constraints: What if you only had 24 hrs to develop a solution? How could you develop a solution that is...
MethodFlip It is a game where you deliberately seek to turn your assumptions, constraints and issues around a problem into opportunities and possibilities. This can be particularly useful for helping participants and collaborators who may be naysayers;...
MethodHow Would? is similar to the ‘Analogous Inspiration’ and ‘How Might We’ exercises in that it seeks to draw inspiration from the wider world, inviting participants to change their perspective and open their minds to a wider range of...
MethodBefore beginning the ideation processs you should agree on ‘ground rules’ with your participants to create a safe and supporting environment. IDEO’s Design Kit provides some good advice on setting the right tone ahead of brainstorming...
MethodObject Brainstorming is a non-threatening, abstract and contextually adaptable warm-up exercise, using tangible objects to help externalise the thought process involved in ideation. It involves bringing one or more functional objects to a...
MethodWallet Project is a useful exercise for introducing the concept of user-centred design. It enables participants to practice the process, get the feel of a design approach and gain some shared vocabulary. Stanford University’s D.School provide a...
MethodKeeping a log for tracking and testing your assumptions will help you to unearth and expose the assumptions of the team and to assess whether those assumptions are reasonable, and how they can be tested or tracked.
It is insufficient to just...
MethodOne of the reasons to l develop your Scale Strategy is to be able to access funding, so it is worthwhile stress testing how your strategy measures up against grantmakers’ funding requirements.
At Elrha we use our Progress to Scale Framework...