In class, we started our process of generating ideas for our pitch. There was absolute freedom on how we could go about this. My process started with the ‘making connections’ task which Daniel explained in class. I wanted to do this task from the start as I and the others wanted a challenge. Me, Sean, Florence and Laura were given the opportunity to pick a random note from Daniel’s box. We ended up with documentary, health, GPS and children. Originally, I thought this was going to be a hard one to make sense of but the more I studied each word the more pathways it unlocked.
Making Connections / Assumptions
Our group then set around the table for the remainder of class discussing possible products/pitches and making sense of these words. It was very beneficial hearing what others have come up with while also discussing my own narratives allowing me to be inspired and further gain more insights into what connections can be made.
With the help of myself and my group, we came up with a diverse range of potential connections. Below shows my personal favorites:
- A documentary site that geolocates health-related issues in different parts of the world for children.
- An app that tracks children’s health via GPS and documents it.
- An app that locates health services for children.
- A monitoring app for parents who are concerned for their children’s health.
Expanding on my connections, if I had to pick one I would gravitate towards number 2 as I feel like it could be introduced as an app or other device which monitors health, e.g. heartbeat, breathing, etc. If any abnormalities are found this sends a GPS signal to the user’s device and then sends the information to a parent.
Buzzword Brainstorming
One popular method of idea generation I like doing is buzzword brainstorming. This is the process of jotting down popular phrases or just random words that come into my head then organizing the content. I like this method as it is quick, efficient and helps stimulate my brain.
After class, I went home to expand on my ideas. I decided on a brainstorming task that I will conduct on my whiteboard and write as many buzzwords as possible to map and confine as many solutions as I can.
While progressing my ideas further using a brainstorming technique, I decided to write anything and everything that comes into my head in no particular order. I think of this task as similar to the crazy 8’s task Kyle did with us. It helps create new ideas from simple words.
After I felt like I had a sufficient amount of words, I decided to organize them into individual groups. This process helped me refine what keywords I wanted and strengthened my overall vision of what I want my pitch to be about.
Mindmapping
After doing the previous task I went on miro to develop a more in-depth understanding of all the possible routes I can take my idea. As I was developing new routes I started to look more closely into the practicality of my idea and thing such as how would it detect certain diseases or accidents and what device will best suit my idea. I figured the best route is either focusing on health conditions such as arrhythmia that can only be detected through smartwatches yet can be expensive producing if I want this to be a global product. An alternative route is an app on a smartphone that detects immense force and can alert guardians/authorities if the device is idle after this impact. The app also costs next to nothing.
However, I felt like it was best to settle with the first idea as the second route could create possible errors such as if someone dropped their phone down a drain, etc.
I always find the mind mapping stage of my projects to be fundamental to structure the narrative and conceptualize new passages/routes throughout my idea. In this case, it was no different as I now have a stronger vision of the original idea which I think better suits my pitch.
Osborn Checklist
Before delving into the research part of my pitch, I wanted to ensure that I have covered as many possible routes as I can think of. Fortunately, Daniel introduced us to the Osborn checklist (SCAMPER) which allows you to explore a new solution by asking me multiple questions about a problem or idea.
Below I asked a multitude of questions, followed by an answer and evaluation of my answer.
Substitute
Q – What if I changed the age group of my product from children to adults?
A – Changing the age group of my product will expose the user to the same range of detectable conditions, although perhaps in a greater magnitude.
E – However, there are already many devices on the market that cater to this, e.g. Fitbit, apple watch, etc. This leaves a huge gap for children’s safety.
Combine
Q – How would adding an app version affect this product?
A – Adding an app version would greatly improve the quality and documentation process of this product.
E – This is a good idea, a QR code can be possibly scanned on the child’s wearable in an event of an emergency which brings the details of the child and their condition upon the scanner’s screen.
Adapt
Q – What aspects of the product can be adapted to a different context and how?
A – As mentioned before, an app that can detect abrupt force followed by the longevity of the device’s GPS.
E – This can be an addition, however, this can present unreliable readings and false alarms.
Modify
Q – What can be modified to improve the product?
A – Making the materials cheap and simple.
E – This can greatly benefit developing nations/ children in poverty as it provides a cheap and accessible product.
Put to other uses
Q- Are there any other uses this product can serve?
A – This product can serve as a normal watch or child monitoring app for concerned guardians.
E – This would be a great addition to the product as it can act like a cosmetic item attracting a larger audience thus ultimately safeguarding more children.
Eliminate
Q – Is there anything within the product that can be removed to make it simpler?
A – The product can remove cosmetic digital designs so it can work just like an app.
E – This creates a simple yet attractive watch that completes its main purpose, however, perhaps cosmetic additions can be added to the watch at the user’s request.
Additionally, I decided to create a quick Pinterest/mood board to visually convey my vision for the pitch. The helps me better understand the general gist of my intended product. I combined associated features that I want my app to have such as QR codes, etc. I also added images on a variety of different searches to get a sense of the product itself and what features it can contain.
Conclusion
Overall, I am extremely pleased with how Daniel has provided us with many ways to generate ideas. Through this process, I have acquired new and innovative techniques. I am also extremely pleased with how I’ve started with four words and have managed to shape it into a potential idea/product. I will now begin to look more in-depth at my users as well as do more research into the market of my idea.