Ideas are everywhere. Usually, it's one idea that inspires an entire business, but that does not stop there with the creative process. What separates some of the world's most well-known creators, such as Walt Disney or Albert Einstein, is a single common bond: they never stopped thinking of new ideas. While some people do have a natural knack for coming up with ideas, this is not a requisite. Anyone can learn to be good at idea generation with practice. Here are some tips on how to improve your creative thinking—and how an HKMLC Smart Whiteboard may help you in that process.
What is an Ideator?
Idea generation means an activity, process, or stage of creating new concepts or solutions. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it is the development of ideas or notions. Those people who are very good at generating ideas always have new ideas on how to innovate, solve problems, and even bring into question some ideas from conventional wisdom. It is just those people who have that creative juice inside themselves, turning challenges into opportunities.
In the Gallup StrengthsFinder test, those scoring high in the "Ideation Theme" are those who find fascination with ideas. For anyone attempting to enhance their creative thinking abilities, there are a number of core qualities that enable one to foster this skill.
4 Ways to Use a HKMLC Smart Whiteboard for Ideation
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SCAMPER Method
SCAMPER is one of the most usable variants of brainstorming; its acronym means Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Rearrange. Each step in SCAMPER provokes the process of idea generation concerning a product, service, or a problem from different perspectives. It works quite well for those who want to rethink or reinvent an already existing process or solution.
With the HKMLC Smart Whiteboard, columns can be established for each step in SCAMPER and virtual sticky notes utilized to capture thoughts. The collaborative capabilities of the board will also allow all participants to contribute in real time, whether located down the street or across town, creating an immersive, inclusive ideation experience.
2. Mind Mapping
Mind mapping works when one thinks visually. It is one of the various means of organizing ideas and showing their relationship. It works more especially when the center is the general theme, and other topics come as subtopics. Instead of having your ideas lined up in a straight line, a mind map spreads them out visually, allowing participants to visualize all types of connections.
You will get an HKMLC Smart Whiteboard that has a mind mapping template inside to be customized for any project you will have in the future. You can add, move, and link ideas intuitively with a drag-and-drop interface; hence, it is highly appropriate for use in solo brainstorming sessions and team collaborations.
3. Storyboarding
Storyboarding is a visually based process of mapping the user's journey, processes, or sequences of events. It's particularly helpful to understand how the components fit within a larger project. Even though storyboarding is primarily used in UX design, it can apply to any area where there is a need to visualize some kind of workflow or timeline.
A blank canvas of the HKMLC Smart Whiteboard is perfect for creating storyboards. You are able to add images, upload text, and even draw directly on the board. Whether it be project planning or product development, storyboarding on a digital whiteboard helps clarify complex ideas and makes them easy to follow.
4. Worst Possible Idea
The Worst Possible Idea technique attempts to reduce creativity barriers by having participants generate the worst ideas they can. The underlying logic of this technique is that without fear of failure, participants are free to think more outside the box and riskier ideas. Often times what starts out as a "bad" idea leads into the truly innovative solutions.
HKMLC Smart Whiteboard's interactive tool lets teams brainstorm their worst ideas quickly and freely. So, in the end, this whole relaxed approach to creativity can bring about unexpected breakthroughs, making it one of the most effective techniques for innovation.
Turning Ideas into Actionable Steps
It's now time to put the ideas generated in a fruitful creative session into concrete action. That's where the HKMLC Smart Whiteboard will make things even easier: once the brainstorming is complete, you can export the board, share with your team, or sync with project management tools.
Prioritize your most promising ideas using the Action Priority Matrix. This will help you categorize your ideas on feasibility and impact, ensuring that your team focuses on the richest solutions. Integrating HKMLC Smart Whiteboard with the cloud ensures that no idea goes away in the air and all data from your sessions is captured and stored for easy reference later.
Becoming good at generating ideas is not about an innate gift, but rather about adopting the appropriate attitude and making use of the right tools. The HKMLC Smart Whiteboard equips you with an intuitive and collaborative medium that heightens creative thinking, turning those brilliant ideas into actionable plans. In these respects, the smart whiteboard will substantially raise your personal or group creativity.
