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Idea conceptualization

Idea conceptualization

Conceptualization

When conceptualizing a new idea, it is essential to direct the thinking to specific features and search for answers to certain questions to help evolve the idea from the initial thought through the various stages of innovation.

Conceptualization is a phase, a process…it takes time. It's not a series of instant decisions to be made in a meeting one afternoon. It's a steady process of testing ideas, analyzing the target audience, and understanding the community ecosystem.

Steve Jobs did not just create sleek devices but conceptualized an ecosystem that included iOS, carrier, and music label partnerships, iTunes, and App Store. The expanding ecosystem is the reason behind the success of Apple. Successful innovators focus on conceptualizing their idea to succeed.

The power of conceptualization is evident in Apple

Five stages of creativity:

We study a topic or set of problems deeply and gain a deep understanding of your chosen area of interest.

Preparation

The stages of this process are not always linear and can be revisited in iterative cycles. The speed at which an idea turns into a concept varies and any applicable environmental factors, such as the availability of informational resources or helpful diverse knowledge across our talented teams.

The aha-moment when your idea starts making sense and works itself into a concept.

Insight

We formulate your idea completely and turn it into a solid concept. This is the hardest part of ideation.

Elaboration

We keep the subject matter in your mind for a while but are not consciously working toward any idea.

Incubation

We evaluate your idea in terms of the value of pursuit based on originality, feasibility, and any potential market value.

Evaluation

Other Ideation Methods

Brainstorming is not the only creative method in our arsenal. it makes sense to vary your creative methods from time to time, so you can incorporate some of the following methods into your idea generation process:

Start listing anything you know about a certain area of interest. Create more than one list, using multiple variations of your core topic. Writing your ideas down helps you generate new ones.

Make a list

You basically start writing down everything that comes to your mind for a couple of minutes (do not worry about writing it properly, just write everything very quickly). Then stop, and read it over. Now you can edit and amend your thoughts.

Stream of consciousness

Snipeet Mind mapping is visual representations of the connections between your ideas. These maps branch from one or more core ideas into ideas that are connected to the core concepts. Often, you will use the core concept as the central idea and proceed to outwardly map actions and feelings related to the core concept.

Make a list

Record yourself while saying whatever comes to your mind. Do this for a couple of minutes, then listen to your recording and transcribe it.

Think aloud

Instead of random idea generation, you can also delve into a subject thoroughly and try to understand it. If you are making a game about ice skating, you should go and try ice skating to better understand the experience. For example, the developers of Far Cry 2 went on a trip to Africa to get a feeling for the environment they were trying to create for their game.

Research

You cut out words from newspapers, magazines, or other reading material, regarding anything that you think is interesting. You scramble your pile of cut-ups and then try to form a game concept based on this collection.

Cut-ups

Inspired by surrealism, you can generate new ideas by using chance and not paying attention to any particular connection between concepts. Our textbook describes an exercise called “Exquisite Corpse” that uses this technique. This is a game played with words. You write down an article and an adjective on a piece of paper, fold it to conceal what you have written, and pass this on to your neighbour. Now, on the folded paper, they write a noun, fold it again, and pass it on. Then a verb is written, next to another article and adjective, and finally, a noun. Now, you read what you have written and try to use this phrase as an idea for a game.

Chance collision