In last UI session we had an introduction in some brainstorming techniques by professor Markus Specht. The bottomline was to design a program with keywords ‘filter’, ‘information’ and ‘priority’. In order to get us on the right track we started with a core dump: we had to write down all associations with this words. This is a good way to get a lot of different ideas in a short time span. We think this part of the session could perhaps be more productive if it would be performed in an iterative fashion. This way, associations made by others can spawn some new ideas.
In the next phase, three random associations were handed out to each group to design an application based on these three words. In 15 minutes we had to think out a concept, name and business model, which we had to present to our fellow students. By forcing us to do this in such a short time, we were limited to the essence of the design process. The key words gave a clear scope. Yet the usefulness and the attractiveness of the product had to be considered as well, so users would see why they should use the product.
The following step was writing down a user scenario for the product we designed. This helped us think about specific and concrete problems users could have with the product. This scenario was presented to the class, after which other students were invited to ask questions and point out strengths and weaknesses. These comments served as a first feedback about a broad concept.
The last part was evaluating the other designs, by handing out a total of 10 points to the other teams. Unfortunately, we were running out of time and the evaluation had to be done with few consideration. So in our opinion, this step didn’t really indicate the quality of the designs.
But indeed, professional situations are very similar in the way that when you can’t sell an idea in five minutes, you won’t sell it at all. Then again, in real life situations, marketing strategies tend to be a little more thought through.
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