Smart concept development requires the blending of three important approaches in order to create a rich and relevant canvas for development: Learn, Experience & Collaborate. Let’s briefly explore each one.
LEARN – When developing any new product or service concepts it is really key to understand where you’ve been, where you stand now, and the needs and drivers of your target audience. Probably one of the biggest challenges for a brand team is that the players on the business often change. As a result, the “new kids on the block†may not have the understanding of what has happened in the past and unfortunately may end up “reinventing the wheel†rather than pushing the business in a new, productive direction. In addition, consumers’ needs may in fact change over time; so revisiting them through some type of qualitative exploratory should be first on the list before ideation.
EXPERIENCE – It is also extremely important for the team to experience their product or service first hand. So often clients are immersed so deeply in their business, that they may actually lose touch with their target consumer. For example, if you work on a mascara brand 60 hours a week, it is hard to refocus the lens and realize that the typical female may only interact with you product for 15-30 seconds a day, tops! As such, any ideation session for new concept ideas should create opportunities to think like a customer or consumer. They are many fun ways to actually do this and a trained creative facilitator can certainly help you forge this path.
COLLABORATE – And finally, every organization regardless of size should take advantage of the knowledge base around them. By leveraging cross-functional talent for new concept development, one is able to truly leverage the different and fresh perspectives that diversity can offer. This might be from internal employees in different business lines or who play different functional roles within the organization. For others, this may include formal or informal networks from the outside world such as experts, suppliers, vendors, inventors or even competitors. The possibilities are practically endless, it just requires an open-minded attitude, a willingness to listen, and a place to write down the ideas.
So think about this in your next concept development ideation session, you can make it much more focused and productive if you combine these 3 key areas to weave a brilliant tapestry of thought starters.
