Note From Tongal: “How to Come Up with Great Ideas” is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
--
Trying to come up with an idea can be agonizing, but also extremely rewarding. It is agonizing because there is no step-by-step process that you can follow to create an idea. It is rewarding because the birth of an idea will create an 'aha' moment, which will bring cherishable joy.
So how do we go about creating that killer idea? While there are no guaranteed ways to come up with an idea, these are some of the methods that I use to push my brain to search through its vast subconscious region and discover a golden idea:
Gather important keywords from the project brief
Once you read the project brief, ideas won’t magically appear. You have to take the first step. I find it easy to start with noting down some keywords that jumped out at me from the brief. For the Mastercard Activation project, I came up with the following keywords: moment, surprise, unexpected delights, cooking events, chef, food, cultural moment.
Google the keywords
Once I have the keywords, I start searching them one by one in Google. This is where I spend most of my time while trying to generate an idea. My first stop would be to go to Google Images and browse through related images. Our brains love visuals and it is easy for them to form ideas while looking at relevant images. I also go to YouTube and watch some videos related to the keyword. Sometimes I’ll even read interesting blog posts. If it is an existing product, I also visit Amazon and read user reviews.
As I am doing this exercise, ideas will start creeping up slowly – some are raw and some are ready to be used. Then, I will jot down the ideas and move on. I won’t actually try to flush out the ideas into the final 140 or 250 characters. At this point, I am just trying to get as many ideas onto the page as possible.
For the Mastercard Activation project, I was browsing images of cooking events. I came across an image of a cooking class in progress and this idea struck me immediately.
Imagine actual people using the product
If it is a product, I know the target audience from the brief. I will try to imagine people from different walks of life using the product in different settings. For the Healthy Mouth Moments project (toothpaste that removes bad breath), I imagined a situation where one might use the product – a woman sitting closely with her friends in a crowded restaurant.
Daydream and encourage the mind to wander aimlessly
It seems that the best time for a great idea to flash is when I am not actively trying to generate an idea. I may be brushing my teeth or jogging or reading a book. Suddenly my mind drifts away from the current task and starts thinking about something else. Instead of trying to bring it back, I let it go and see where it takes me. Some of my best ideas were born this way. It doesn’t happen always, but when it happens it is golden.
There are a few additional points to keep in mind as you go about coming up with ideas:
1. Make sure your idea is aligned with the objectives and requirements outlined in the brief. You can come up with a great idea but if it is not meeting the client’s requirements, then it may not be selected.
2. When you sit down and try to come up with an idea, the first 10 minutes is the hardest. Time goes by and you might still be staring at a blank screen with no ideas. Be patient. The ideas will start appearing eventually.
3. If you come up with a great idea that is totally unrelated to the current project, don’t throw it away. File it in a safe place so that you can use it in the future.
4. Don’t be discouraged if your great idea did not win. Ideas are subjective and the client may not consider your idea as great for their needs. Personally, the reward of a great idea is the experience of an ‘aha’ moment. Winning a prize is just a bonus.
