The Value of Product Ideation
The growth of this area brings the need to continue to educate new and old residents about their town government. One important initiative is the Don Ryan Center of Innovation. I would encourage each of you to visit the website at donryancenter.com and learn more about our business innovation center. Today I want to talk about one area in the center called ideation.
What is an ideation session?
Product ideation is a strategy session (or sessions) that is a formalized part of the development process. It brings together the entire squad to leverage the insights, experiences, and ideas of product owners, designers, developers, QA, and architects. The logic behind it is simple. Collectively, a team has more knowledge, experience, and insight than an individual. Product ideation channels this and applies it to a particular product.
There are rules of engagement. The product owner is ultimately responsible for the product and ensuring that development efforts align with business goals. He or she still has ownership over the product vision. But, instead of trying to build a product roadmap and suggest features and functionalities by themselves, they are leveraging the knowledge of their entire team.
The DRCI invites subject matter experts (SME), DRCI staff and the innovator(s) to a 90-minute session at The HUB. They talk through the idea, ask questions, brainstorm, innovate and sketch on a 24-foot whiteboard.
This is a helpful process when there may be a kernel of an idea but where the innovator needs to engage with people outside of their “echo chamber” and hear a wider range of opinions. The goal is to decide if there is enough “meat” in the concept to move it ahead.
Four key benefits of product ideation:
• Helps eliminate the waste of non-utilized talent by leveraging the unique creative input of every team member.
• Sparks innovation by drawing from diverse experiences and perspectives.
• Aligns the entire project team around a common objective.
• Generates fresh ideas and results in better products.
Ideas are born organically from collaboration, rather than from the top-down approach. The Don Ryan Center for Innovation and the Town of Bluffton collaborate to create a HUB for entrepreneurs and innovators to develop their ideas. Contact them at (843) 540-0405 or DonRyanInfo@townofbluffton.com to get started.
