Design Ideation Sessions

Stop asking clients "what's your feedback?" Well, I don't mean don't ask for feedback. Obviously you should. But "what do you think?" is an open invitation to chaos. I made a small cheat sheet in Framer that you can bookmark for your next design review. Every designer has lived this meeting: you present refined brand concept and someone reopens the logo discussion. Someone else mentions a competitor. The color debate starts again. Suddenly the entire project is back at square one and you're playing design ping-pong with six people who all have different opinions about blue. The problem is that nobody defined WHAT kind of feedback the work actually needs right now. One trick I learned at IDEO is naming the feedback mode at the beginning of every session. Not "any thoughts?" but what kind of thinking we're doing today. Here's the framework I use: [Inspire mode] When we're exploring what the brand could become, ask questions like: → Which references feel closest to your ambition? → Which ones feel completely wrong? → Where should this brand sit culturally — more institutional or more experimental? [Challenge mode] When we need to stress-test the concept, ask: → Does this feel too safe or too bold for where the company is today? → What objections would users or investors raise? → Would this still feel right if the company scaled 10×? [Decide mode] When it's time to commit, ask: → Which direction best reflects the company's future, not just today? → What trade-offs come with this choice? → If we shipped this tomorrow, would you defend it publicly? [Refine mode] When the direction is right but the details need tuning, ask: → What parts feel strongest? → Where does something feel slightly off — even if you can't articulate why? → Where do you want more clarity or emphasis? [Polish mode] When the work is almost ready to ship, ask: → Anything unclear before launch? → Are there key use cases we haven't stress-tested? → Anything that makes you nervous about rollout? Once I started doing this, feedback sessions stopped being fight-or-flight situation. And the framing can be very simple in practice! For example: “For this review I’d love to stay in inspiration mode. I’m not looking for approval yet — I’m trying to understand what territory feels right for the brand. Which of these directions feels closest to your ambition, and which ones feel completely wrong?” Or later in the project: “Today we’re in refine mode. The concept is already chosen, so I’m mostly looking for signals on details — what parts feel strongest, and where something feels slightly off.” A tiny shift in framing, but it changes the entire conversation. I hope it might save you from at least one unnecessary “i don’t like this shade of blue” debate!

Back in 2017, my team had a simple but powerful ritual. We held "I have a design challenge" meetings, where someone would bring a project they were working on, and we’d workshop it together. These sessions weren’t just about fixing problems. They helped us grow our skills as a team and learn from each other’s perspectives. In 2024, I wanted to bring that same energy to learning designers looking to level up their skills in a fun and engaging way. This time, I turned to Tim Slade’s eLearning Challenges but took a different approach. Instead of just participating, we started doing live reviews of the challenge winners. How It Works One person drives the meeting, screensharing the challenge winner’s eLearning project while recording the session. We pause at each screen and ask two simple but high-impact questions: ✅ What worked well and why? ✅ What would you do differently and why? This sparks rich discussions on everything from instructional design and accessibility to visual design and interactivity. Everyone brings their unique expertise, turning the meeting into a collaborative learning experience. Want to Try It? Here’s What You Need ✔️ A web conferencing tool with recording capabilities ✔️ Adobe Premiere Pro or a transcript tool (optional, but helpful) ✔️ A generative AI tool like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude (optional for extracting themes from discussions) After the session, we take the recording and import it into Adobe Premiere, which generates a transcript in seconds. Then, using GenAI, we pull key themes, quotes, and takeaways, turning raw discussions into actionable insights. Why This Works This approach takes learning from passive to interactive. You’re not just seeing best practices. You’re critically analyzing them with peers, learning through feedback, and refining your own instructional design instincts. Would you try this with your team? Have you tried something similar? What worked well? #InstructionalDesign #GenAI #LearningDesign #eLearning #AIinLearning #CourseDevelopment #DigitalLearning #IDStrategy #EdTech #eLearningDesign #LearningTechnology #InnovationInLearning #CustomerEducation

I lead a 9-person creative team. Here’s the process we’ve used for years to turn loose ideas into some of our best work. Many great thinkers had their inspiration rituals. Einstein played the violin. Da Vinci filled notebooks with scribbles and sketches. Ben Franklin took “air baths” (don’t look that up). Ours isn’t quite as weird. But it 𝘩𝘢𝘴 sparked breakthroughs, especially when the brief is vague or open-ended. So for the first installment of 𝘗𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯, here’s how we approach ideation for a new data story. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 We kick things off with a team brainstorm, which is usually remote, often messy, but always productive. We’ll start assembling our thoughts in Figma, guided by 5 prompts: 🎯 What’s the goal of this project? ⚙️ What functionality is a *must-have*? 📊 What data do we have? 👥 Who’s the audience, and what do they want to learn? 🗣️ Is there a core message or CTA? 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 Once we have a direction, we start pulling visual inspiration. We’ll scour media outlets, design platforms, blogs and of course, our 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢 & 𝘌𝘨𝘨𝘴 newsletter. 🥚 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Now it’s time to dig into the data and look for trends, outliers, and storylines to highlight. We’ll put together a short doc or deck with the insights we’ve found. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 We draft a loose outline to align on the story structure. It includes a written description of all the charts and features we’re imagining, which helps guide the design process. Ideation is one of the most energizing parts of our work. And this process helps keep us grounded and creative. How do 𝘺𝘰𝘶 approach ideation? Any rituals, tools, or prompts that help you think better?

Stop designing workshops around topics. Start designing them around decisions. Every bad workshop starts the same way: "We need a workshop on communication." "Let's do something on leadership." "The team needs training on collaboration." Those aren't workshop briefs. Those are themes. And themes are where workshops go to die. Here's what happens when you design around a topic: → You google "communication workshop activities" → You find 15 exercises that sort of relate → You pick the ones that fit your time slot → You deliver them in a logical order → Participants leave saying "that was interesting" → Nothing changes The workshop felt full. But it was full of content, not decisions. Now here's what happens when you design around a decision: → You ask: "What specific decision does this team need to make?" → You design every activity to get them closer to that decision → Participants leave having made the decision together → Something actually changes on Monday Same amount of time. Completely different result. Here's how to make the shift: Step 1: Replace the topic with a decision statement. → Topic: "Team communication" → Decision: "How will we handle disagreements when the project lead and the client manager don't agree?" → Topic: "Leadership development" → Decision: "What are the 3 behaviours we expect from every people manager, starting next quarter?" → Topic: "Collaboration" → Decision: "Who owns what in the handoff between sales and delivery, and what does the process look like?" A decision statement is specific. It names the tension. It points to a real problem that needs resolving. Step 2: Design the session backwards from the decision. Ask three questions: → What information does the team need to make this decision well? (That's your input. Keep it short.) → What conversation needs to happen to surface different perspectives? (That's your main activity.) → How will the decision be captured and committed to? (That's your closing.) That's your entire workshop. Input → Conversation → Decision. Step 3: End with the decision on paper. Not on Post-it notes. Not in someone's head. Written down with: → The decision itself → Who owns implementation → The first action within 7 days → A check-in date within 14 days If the decision isn't written down before people leave the room, it wasn't actually made. The difference is this: Topic-based workshops give people something to think about. Decision-based workshops give people something to do. One feels productive. The other actually is. ___ Save this for later (three dots, top right). Share with friends → ♻️ Repost. Get consultant-grade workshops every Sat → https://lnkd.in/eSfeUapJ

💎 60 UX Strategy Methods And Activities (Figma) (https://lnkd.in/eCDU-vhR), a large repository of UX methods, templates and activities for ideation sessions and product sprints, from storyboards and brainwriting to 6 thinking hats, journey mapping and concept testing. Neatly put together in one single place by fine folks at Merck. The team has also put together a very thorough overview of their UX Strategy Kit (https://lnkd.in/ek5dEYn4), broken down by categories for strategy, observation, ideation and warm-up, along with detailed video walkthroughs, examples and step-by-step guides. Frankly, most of these methods are unfamiliar to me. And by no means is the point to actually study and apply all of them. What works for you works for you. To strategize, I rely on How Might We but also think about metrics that should be moved once we implement some features or refine some user flows. For event storming and brainstorming, I tend to rely on Bono’s 6 thinking hats to align brainstorming, and (of course) journey mapping. For ideation, I love using storyboards to jump right into the user’s success story, but would also use card sorting with cut-out paper cards to understand user’s mental model. And for almost every project, I’d run concept testing with tree testing or Kano model, or low-fidelity/paper prototyping to understand if we are on the right track. Once you sprinkle a bit of critical thinking, early user testing and strategic planning across the design work, you gain confidence that you are moving in the right direction. And really that’s all you need. A few of my personal bookmarks with UX methods and activities: UX Tools For Better Thinking, by Adam Amran 👏🏽 https://untools.co/ Playbook For Universal Design (+ PDF/Powerpoint templates) https://lnkd.in/ernris4g UX Methods & Projects, by Vernon Fowler https://lnkd.in/eAHaiaSm 18F Method Cards https://methods.18f.gov/ Hyperisland UX Methods Resource Kit 👍 https://lnkd.in/eDTaci7T How To Design Better UX Workshops, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/edxqCC-n How To Run UX Workshops With Users, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/ejm7_TsS Happy designing, everyone — I hope you’ll find these guides and resources helpful to get started. Just don’t feel like you have to try out all of them. It might be much more worthwhile to get early feedback from stakeholders and end users, even if your work isn’t really “good” enough. Good luck! #ux #design

Navigating power imbalances and fostering psychological safety in brainstorming sessions can be a challenge for facilitators. I recall a CEO of a law firm who was hesitant to run strategy workshops due to past experiences where the Chairman's voice dominated the room, making it difficult for other partners to share their perspectives freely. I assured them that as a facilitator, my role was to ensure that everyone's voice was respected, heard, and valued. I'm happy to say it worked well. 😊 Creating a psychologically safe space is crucial. This can be achieved by setting clear expectations at the start of the session, encouraging respectful dialogue, and managing the room to bring in all voices in a way that works. Here are some ways I run an idea generation or brainstorming session. ⭐ Start by clarifying what challenge or problem we’re here to address. Do this by reframing it as a 'How Might We…’ statement - a common method used in design thinking. This approach encourages collaborative thinking and ensures everyone in the room can contribute their perspectives. ⭐ Another design thinking tool I use is Crazy 8s, a great way to generate ideas quickly (handy when workshop time is tight). It involves generating eight ideas in eight minutes, which pushes participants to think beyond their initial ideas and stretch their creative boundaries. - Give each person a blank A4 sheet. Fold it in half 3 times so you have 8 equally spaced squares. - Each person silently writes or draws one idea per square per minute. - Go around the room so each person shares their ideas. Each idea has its moment. No judgement. Most senior persons share last. - Pop them up on a wall. - Each person then selects their top 2 to 3 ideas. - Discuss the ideas and collectively build on them (encourage the use of ‘and’ and ban ‘but’). - Collectively select the ideas you want to action. ⭐ But what about those quieter voices in the room? Silent Brainstorming is a way to encourage those who prefer to work independently to have their ideas heard. - It starts with individual ideation, where everyone writes their ideas independently before the session. - These ideas are then shared in an in person or virtual session and built upon collectively in a non-judgmental environment. These are just a few methods to address power imbalances and foster psychological safety in idea generation sessions. I'm curious, what other methods do you use to ensure that all voices, not just the loudest, are heard and valued in your brainstorming sessions? Thanks to Adam Grant for sharing the Work Chronicles cartoon below. ——————————————————————————- 👉 If you're looking for an experienced facilitator for your upcoming sessions or workshops, whether defining a strategy, mapping a plan, or crafting your purpose and values, I can help. #facilitation #psychologicalsafety #creativity #inclusion

My workshops got 10x better when I started doing this: Understanding that people's brains work differently We spend so much time understanding user's needs, but we often forget about the people we work with. → What do they need? → How do they work best? → How can we be more inclusive? → What could they struggle with? The truth is, workshops can create pressure and anxiety. ...thinking of ideas against a timer, in tool you've never used, then presenting to the group when you can barely draw a stickman? No thanks. People can spend the whole time panicking about whether their idea looks "good" rather than actually having space to ideate and let the ideas flow (I've definitely felt embarrassed to present my ideas that I didn't think were "good enough") Our brains are all beautifully unique, so our workshops should support that. That means, ideation shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all approach Instead, we can create encourage people to ideate in whatever format suits them: → Draw ideas on paper and take a photo → Write ideas down on post-it notes → Create scrappy wireframes → Use screenshots of apps / websites as references Anything that helps people communicate their ideas! The best workshops are the ones where everyone feels confident to share their ideas and can be heard 💛

This is what the beginning looks like. Not renders. Not polished CAD. Just printed parts, straps, sketches, and a lot of questions. Early ideation is messy by design. You're not trying to be right — you're trying to be wrong fast enough to learn something. Every prototype at this stage is really just a question with a physical form. What if it worked like this? Does this feel right in your hand? Is this even the right problem to solve? The sketches stay on the table on purpose. They remind you that nothing is precious yet. That's where the best work starts.

The best way to teach brainstorming? Let students brainstorm your teaching approach. Today, our design thinking class at the University of Kentucky, TEK 300, "Teens and Screens," reached a pivotal moment. With midterms behind us and spring break over, we faced a critical question: How might we structure the remaining weeks to promote deeper understanding rather than just blasting through the steps of our semester-long project? Instead of deciding for our students, we chose to "eat our own dog food"(as they used to say at Apple). (HT Reinhold Steinbeck, charles kerns) We turned our students into users and co-designers through a structured brainwriting session focused on this challenge. The process was beautifully simple: • Students received worksheets with our "How Might We" question and a 3×5 grid • Everyone silently wrote initial ideas (one per box) in the first row • Sheets rotated three times, with each person building on or adding to previous ideas • We ended with a gallery walk and dot-voting to identify the strongest concepts In just 20 minutes, we generated over 50 unique ideas! The winner? Incorporating hands-on, interactive activities in every session that directly connect to that day's learning objectives. The meta-realization? We were already practicing the solution before formally adopting it. The brainwriting exercise itself exemplified exactly what our students told us they wanted more of. My teaching partner Ryan Hargrove immediately began storyboarding how we'll implement this approach, moving us closer to the collaborative learning journey we want to have with our students. We're moving from "Once upon a time..." (not as great as we could be...) to "Students designed..." (active participation), to "Now we really dig learning all this..." Your students already know what they need; your job is to create space for them to tell you. P.S. What teaching approaches have you transformed by inviting your students to become co-designers of their learning experience? #DesignThinking #HigherEducation #TeachingInnovation #BuildingInPublic #StudentCenteredLearning

Why brainstorming sessions fail to produce winning products... "Let's brainstorm ideas. No idea is a bad idea!" 3 reasons why this fails: 1. No target - Teams generate ideas without knowing if they address the top unmet needs...this is because they don't know the top unmet needs 2. Quantity over quality - Success is measured by the number of ideas, not the value potential 3. Poor evaluation - No systematic way to identify which ideas create the most customer value The result: Hundreds of ideas, but much debate over which to pursue. The alternative: Focused brainstorming targeting underserved customer outcomes. Instead of random idea generation, teams focus creative energy on specific customer metrics that are important but poorly satisfied. Why this works: - Clear targets for ideation efforts - Ideas automatically address customer value - Quality over quantity approach - Built-in evaluation criteria Companies don't need 500 ideas. They need five ideas that address the 5 top unmet customer outcomes tied to the customer's job-to-be-done. Are your ideation sessions producing breakthrough concepts or just adding to the idea inventory?