A deliberate and ongoing effort to generate ideas and forge meaningful connections will lead to great ideas. As a result, creativity is not a magical ability. But how do you organize all the ideas that pop into your head when you’re trying to come up with a creative solution to a problem?
Uses for idea boards
Idea boards can be helpful for coming up with ideas in many different contexts. Some of the common uses for idea boards are:
Problem-solving
It can be beneficial to solicit as many original ideas as you can when a team within an organization or the organization itself is facing a challenge. Members can share ideas for solving a problem on both physical and digital idea boards. Finding a suitable solution is more likely given the sheer volume of contributions, and working together and getting feedback can help improve problem-solving skills.
Brainstorming
The process of generating ideas on the spot during a designated session is known as brainstorming. This popular method for coming up with ideas is helpful when a company wants to experiment or try something new but is unsure of where to start. Brainstorming on an idea board can enable suggestions to come from various areas of the organization, in contrast to a top-down approach, in which senior members of the organization make decisions that the rest of the organization follows. Employees may have knowledge that the key decision-makers may not have taken into account. As a result, businesses frequently use idea boards to decide on strategies, imagine or name products, and discuss potential improvements.
Team-building
Idea boards frequently result in team-building because they enable ongoing contributions from team members. A team’s collective efforts may be represented by the visualized act of collaboration, and the feedback they receive can increase engagement through acknowledgement and discussion. Digital idea boards, in particular, can promote these contributions because they let users participate at their own pace and perhaps offer a calm environment where introverted people feel at ease.
What is an idea board?
An idea board is a visual tool that allows groups or individuals working together to capture, share, and develop concepts for a single task or subject. The board is accessible to everyone involved in the project and allows for contributions, providing a democratic forum for ideas. Because the medium is visual, it makes it easier for people to understand how something might work and what potential problems it might run into.
Organizations may initiate idea boards via various platforms, such as:
How to create and use an idea board
If you’re interested in using idea boards at work, follow these instructions to learn how to make and use one:
1. Determine its purpose
The objective you want the idea board to support is referred to as the purpose. Try to be as specific as possible. It can be useful to first decide what markets and audiences you want to target when coming up with ideas for a new product, for instance. Prior to asking for input, clarifying the goal will help members’ suggestions become more focused. Knowing the subject of what they’re discussing gives members a foundation on which to base their ideas, which can encourage the act of contributing itself.
2. Select a platform
Next, choose the platform for your situation that will work best for an idea board. Consider holding an in-person brainstorming session or a series of such sessions over one or several days if the need for ideas is urgent. As an alternative, you might think about using a digital platform that permits a more leisurely contribution. It’s a good idea to take your team’s qualities into account as well. For instance, a large team might find it difficult to reach consensus in person, but a digital platform might enable them to give other people’s contributions more careful thought.
3. Inform the team
Once you’ve decided on the idea board’s goal, share that information with your team. Mention the concept of an idea board, its goal, and the platform on which you plan to implement it in your announcement. If you’ve chosen an in-person brainstorming session, try to announce it one or two days in advance to give your team enough time to conduct additional research and preparation.
4. Have a system
If you’re using your idea board in person, it’s crucial to create a system that encourages participation and speeds up the procedure. First, designate at least two roles:
Decide how you want members to contribute their ideas after that. Unlike a more organized system, which might ask everyone to write their ideas on pieces of paper that they submit rather than speaking up at will during a traditional brainstorming session. Another option is a hybrid system, which encourages discussion while allowing members to express themselves in writing. This hybrid system might encourage the team’s more reclusive members to participate while permitting the generation of ideas on the spot.
5. Actively encourage contributions
If you’ve chosen to use a digital idea board, keep in mind to ask for contributions daily. This can simply be a morning reminder asking team members to add any fresh ideas they may have Encourage them to be imaginative when adding content as a digital idea board allows for more thorough explanation and consideration of ideas. On such a platform, ideas could be described and illustrated with images and videos.
6. Filter the contributions
As a team, evaluate each contribution to determine which ones have the best chance of succeeding. It might be a good idea to reserve a separate session for this filtering procedure during in-person meetings. Together, evaluate each idea’s merits and decide whether it should be pursued. Initiate the filtering process by telling your team to stop contributing and start analyzing if you’ve implemented a digital board. They can then send you their comments, or the group can meet in person to have a discussion. Remove ideas from the board accordingly.
7. Share the board with stakeholders
The last step is to share the idea board’s findings with key stakeholders, like the company’s senior staff. When necessary, make notes or provide clarification to help with understanding. If you’ve used an actual board, it might be a good idea to convert the concepts to a digital format so that they can be shared more easily than by having the stakeholders come to the meeting or pass around easel pads.
Tips for successful idea boards
Consider these tips to implement a successful idea board:
Go first
Consider being the first poster on the idea board since you are the team’s leader. Try to be as exemplary as you can when contributing, and include any images, videos, or other media that you would like to see from other people. This not only motivates the team members to follow your example but also helps them comprehend the goal you have in mind.
Provide feedback
By giving team members feedback on their contributions, managers can encourage participation in the idea board process. For ideas that you think are promising, express your approval. If there are any that could use improvement, make recommendations or ask others to contribute to the idea’s development. This could promote a feeling of unity and support within your team.
Reorganize if necessary
Prior to distributing the board to the stakeholders, think about rearranging the concepts to improve readability and comprehension. The structure of the board’s ideas may be difficult to follow for those who didn’t participate because of the process’s impromptu nature. To overcome this difficulty, rewriting the ideas in a clearer format may be helpful.
How to Create and Use IdeaBoardZ
FAQ
Is IdeaBoardz free?
Do I need to pay for using IdeaBoardz ? No. It is free.
How do I get IdeaBoardz?
- Click “Login” (this step is optional).
- Click “Create” to start your own Board.
- Create your board by giving it a name and a succinct description. Select a format that will best suit your needs. Now, select appropriate section titles.
- Select the CREATE button to start your board.
What is it called when you put ideas on a board?
What is an idea board? [2021 Updated] An idea board serves the functions of brainstorming, gathering and showcasing ideas, and creating designs. It facilitates idea and design sharing between distant or distributed teams.
What is a creativity board?
Essentially, note cards and creativity boards are a quick, visual way to arrange your thoughts. The different note card colors make it simple to see where you’re planning each component of what you’re making. On the other hand, they will also point out where you need more.
