What is Ideate in Design Thinking?
Ideate is the third stage in the Design Thinking process – where you and your team start creative thinking to solve the problem that has been clearly identified in the Define stage. This is the moment you step out of your comfort zone, unleash your brain, and try every possible option before selecting the most suitable solution direction.
In other words, Ideate is when you stop thinking about the problem, and start thinking about the solutions – the more, the better, the crazier the ideas, the more interesting!
Objectives of the Ideate Stage
Expand your thinking: Break free from conventional constraints to create diverse pathways
Explore potential solutions: Not limited by what is immediately "feasible"
Encourage collaboration and group thinking: Each individual contributes a part, creating a “synergy effect”
Common Methods Used
Some popular brainstorming and idea generation methods:
Crazy 8s: Draw 8 ideas in 8 minutes
How Might We: Turn the problem statement into a question to spark ideas (“How might we…”)
Brainwriting: Write down ideas instead of speaking, then share to avoid mutual influence
SCAMPER: Suggest modifications to existing solutions (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify…)
Example
Suppose you are redesigning the experience of buying movie tickets online. After the Define step, you identify that users find it frustrating to select seats due to a slow and hard-to-see interface.
In the Ideate step, you and your team generate 20 ideas in 30 minutes, including:
Using a dynamic grid layout for the seating map, smoothly scrollable
Allowing seat selection by suggested areas
Try AR Preview simulating the seat view from the screen
Automatically choose the best location based on previous user habits
No idea is immediately judged, the goal is to create as many as possible before filtering.
Why is Ideate Important?
Ideate is the creative launchpad for the design process, but still stays aligned with user goals. Thinking in many directions not only helps generate better solutions but also broadens your perspective on the problem. Flexible thinking, no judgment, and collaboration are the keys to this step.
Hello 👋 With a passion for digital product design, focusing on user research, optimizing experiences, and building effective interfaces. Here, I share knowledge from real projects, ideas, and my stories in the field of UX/UI - Product Design 📚 I hope these articles will provide practical insights, supporting you in your work and product development journey ✨✨✨
Toan Nguyen
Product Designer