Define 12

Concept Generation

Concept generation is helpful for exploring many possible solutions at a rapid pace. Often combined with participatory design and involving team members or users with different backgrounds or perspectives, exercises focus on coming up with new ideas—even bad ones. Activities are mostly generative but may end with reductive exercises to help guide and focus direction.

Depending on when it takes place, concept generation can explore more strategically, coming up with new ideas for products and services, or more tactically, finding different executions of an individual feature. While most projects benefit from concept generation, it can be a distraction when timelines are tight and design work is focused on straightforward execution rather than exploration.