Basics Advertising 03: Ideation

Nik Mahon

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9782940411504
• eBook ISBN: 9781350034136
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Design
• Subtopic: Graphic Design

Idea generation is arguably the most vital part of the advertising process - and can be the most demanding. This book provides an essential introduction to the process of generating creative advertising ideas and concepts, and looks at the various obstacles that can stop ideas from forming - before exploring in detail a range of effective ways to break through creative blocks. Ideation examines different ways of visualizing and communicating ideas, explores key approaches used by international and memorable advertising campaigns and details a vast range of methods that you can use for generating your own creative ideas.

Chapter 1

What is ideation?

Ideation is the process of generating creative ideas. The term ‘ideation’ is a portmanteau word that combines the words ‘idea’ and ‘generation’.

For some, it can be a natural thing that happens without conscious effort or premeditation. For others, it may happen through a concerted effort and necessitate a more systematic approach involving specific techniques. Some of us feel more creative at certain times of the day or while performing certain activities; others may find certain environments or surroundings more conducive to creativity.

One thing about ideation is common to us all: we can never know if or when that ‘eureka moment’ will occur. In some creative fields, it’s okay to simply wait however long it takes for inspiration. In advertising, where there is always a deadline tomorrow, it’s necessary to take proactive measures to gain inspiration and generate creative solutions.

The principles of ideation

While there is no magic formula nor single method or approach for generating ideas and finding creative solutions, there are nevertheless a few general principles of ideation that you can easily pick up. Gaining a good understanding of these principles, together with acquiring some knowledge of how the general process of creative thinking operates, will significantly increase your chances of having great ideas every time that you need to tackle a creative problem or brief.

Divergent and convergent thinking

To help you get started, think of the route that you need to take from a creative problem to a creative solution as a journey. This is an analogy that we’ll revisit on several occasions throughout this book.

The quickest and safest route to a creative solution is the direct, well-trodden pathway that can sometimes lead to the first idea that pops into your head, or at other times to a solution that’s very similar to previous solutions that you may have arrived at. Using the same conventional linear approach each time that you’re faced with a creative advertising brief will undoubtedly guarantee that you’ll reach a solution, but it’s highly unlikely that this solution will break any new creative ground and be noticeably different from past ideas that you’ve had.

Divergent thinking

The best way to find new ideas is to start with fresh ways of approaching the problem that you’re confronted with; this requires the use of divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a term used to describe the process of looking in different directions for alternative ideas (or to use a well-worn and hackneyed phrase, of ‘thinking outside the box’).

Divergent thinking represents the essence of creativity. It leads us to ideas and sometimes to random thoughts that are often so far from the conventional or logical way that we would normally approach the brief that it can be easy to get carried away with an exciting idea and so lose sight of the creative objectives. For this reason, divergent thinking is always followed by convergent thinking.

Convergent thinking

Convergent thinking refers to when we have to refocus on the creative problem and evaluate the thoughts and ideas that have been generated through divergent thinking in order to see if any of them can be successfully used or adapted to provide adequate solutions that are both highly original and relevant to the brief.

From problem to solution

Divergent thinking is the creative phase of the ideation process that involves exploring alternative lateral ideas; whereas convergent thinking brings us back on track by evaluating those ideas in terms of the objectives outlined in the creative brief and filtering through those ideas that may provide viable creative solutions. In some fields of business, divergent/convergent thinking is sometimes referred to as ‘loose/tight thinking’.

Preparation, incubation, illumination and verification

The creative process broadly involves four sequential phases or stages; preparation, incubation, illumination and verification, which we shall explore in more detail below.

Preparation

The preparation stage includes all the effort that is invested in the initial part of the process. For advertising creatives, this will involve everything from the creative briefing through to subsequent research or fact-finding measures undertaken to discover more about the product, brand or service to be advertised. It will also include any initial brainstorming sessions or first thoughts regarding the brief and may result in the creation of some initial ideas.

Directly sampling or experiencing the product or service by talking to those who make it, sell it, buy it or use it can also enable you to discover interesting things about it and so trigger an original concept for a whole campaign. Surrounding yourself with articles and objects associated with the product while it’s in front of you can also liberate new ideas and keep your brain working on the creative problem, even when you’re not really thinking about it.

Preparation also includes the kind of activities that you might routinely engage in but that may not be specifically related to the problem at hand. The films you watch, the books you read, the music you listen to, the art galleries you visit and the people you meet are just a few of the everyday influences that inform how you perceive the world around you and that will influence how you approach the tasks you are presented with.

Essentially, the preparation stage is about priming yourself for inspiration. It’s important to remember that without any input, there can be no output. Creativity needs to be fed, and absorbing information from an eclectic range of sources is key to finding a solution that’s both unique and unexpected.

Incubation

Once you’ve done the preparation work, it’s time to step back from the brief and simply allow ideas to gestate. This is particularly true if you’ve spent a long time trying hard to have an idea. The best ideas rarely happen whilst you’re staring at a blank page of layout paper and it’s more often the case that the harder you try, the more difficult it becomes to have an idea – so just relax and do something else. Go for a jog, take a bath, read the newspaper, have a coffee, or simply work on another project for a while. In many cases, you’ll find that you’ll have your best ideas for project A whilst you’re working on project B (and vice versa). Crucially, taking a break from the problem gives you some creative space and allows you to return to it with fresh eyes.

The best ideas rarely happen whilst you’re staring at a blank page of layout paper and it’s more often the case that the harder you try, the more difficult it becomes to have an idea – so just relax and do something else

Illumination

The illumination stage is the point at which an idea is realized – more commonly referred to as the moment of inspiration. The Roma...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 What is ideation?
• Chapter 2 Breaking through to ideas
• Chapter 3 Using creative tools to generate ideas
• Chapter 4 Executing creative ideas successfully
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Glossary
• Index
• Acknowledgements
• Working with ethics
• eCopyright