So you're going to tell me: “Mai, I already know what is the problem that I have to solve. . .
now what? #idk, right? How do you solve this problem that we have?
”. Let's look back, guys, what do we have so far? The objective and the central problems are well defined, you know exactly what you are going to solve, what your objective is, everything is well defined, very clear, correct?
Also, now the question is: what do we do with it? Come on people, you have a problem, what do you need to do with the problem? Crying might be an option, but then cry, cry a lot but then, at some point in your life, you'll have to solve the problem and that's exactly what Ideation proposes, that is, we'll generate many ideas for us to solve this problem.
Do you remember what the goal of this stage was? The goal of this step is: to find as many solutions as possible. So, how are you going to solve this problem?
You will generate many, many, many solutions. What are your ideas? What does the user really need?
What would be cool for the user? You know that thing you have: “Ah, there are a lot of ideas, this would be cool, this would also be cool”, sketch, go, put everything on paper, without editing too much, guys. Because at the end of this step you will have a lot of ideas to try to solve this problem, ok?
So that's what we're looking for. A couple of notes: please, at this point, don't limit yourself to just “Oh, I had this idea… No! but that won't work", "Ah, there is no use thinking about this", "This is too crazy".
. . No, go, get crazy, go as crazy as you can, okay?
Because after this stage, later on, we will filter these ideas. Now you let it all out and just go with the flow. And we filter later on.
So, gather all the ideas you have, put it, put it on paper and remember the solution is not always an application, it is not always a screen, it is not always a website. For example, in that project I did for Income Tax, I even redid it as if it were an application, but in the case of Income Tax, without going into details of what is right and what is wrong, much better than we having to declare and talk about how much we earned, it would be all bank systems, government, already being somewhat interconnected and then the government would only send us a bill to our house, for example. Of course, that's a solution I just guessed.
In the real world, I would have to research with users, really understand if it is viable, if this is the best solution. But, thinking this way, it wouldn't even need a system and screens, for example. So, the best solution isn't always a screen or an application.
If you come up with a solution that doesn't need a screen or an app I suggest archiving this solution, if you are going to write a case study later, an article and everything, you can even quote that “this could be an even better solution”. But for our project, so that you can continue with me, I suggest that you come up with at least one application, one screen, something that you can actually prototype, because we're going to talk more about that in the next lessons, okay? But like, only for this current purpose of our course project.
The main point here is that the best design is the one we don't even see. That is, if you don't even notice that there's a design there, it's probably because it's working very well. And so, what would the ideation tools be?
How am I going to generate all these ideas? There are several ways, again brainstorm, that is “brainstorming ideas”, throwing everything that comes up to your head on paper, this can work very well, even if it’s in a group with everyone, throw everyone’s ideas on paper. Creating user flows, creating wireframes, for example, wireframes are several drafts, so here I even have some that I'll show you later on in the next lesson, but here you already have an idea that they are drafts of screens, how would it work, how would it not work, user flow, for example, to say: “Ah, when the user clicks here they go there and from here they go there”, a structure of screens and menus as well is something really cool, because you need to have a scope of your project, right?
For example, which screens will you really have if you are going to make an application, which ones are important? What are the main ones? What will you have at home, what won't you have?
A site map is also good, for example, this whole structure of what is there, where it is, when you click here it goes there, from here it goes there and so on. User flow has a slightly different connotation. For example, the user has to perform a task and to perform this task, they will have to go from this screen to this one, to this one, to this one and so on.
In the next lesson, when I show you examples, you'll see that this will be a little clearer in your mind, but it's also something really cool to do and, guys, all these things I'm talking about here, user flow, wireframes, site map, if you Google all of it, you will find a lot of examples of all these things, it's an article on how to do it, on how to do each of these things and I want you to please research a lot of examples of what people are making. . .
like wireframes for users, for example, for you to understand “Whoa, for my project this would work really well”, “Ah, for my project, this other tool here could be interesting”. And maybe for another project you do, you may use another methodology, no problem at all. I myself when I'm carrying out my projects, I often see, "wow, how do these companies, these people, even at Google, how are they working here when they make a wireframe?
, when they create a persona? , what have they been putting there? " because that's what will guarantee the continuity and evolution of your process as a designer, okay?
Also, I want to recommend you a book in this class. The book is called "The Non-Designer's Design Book". This book is more focused on the visual part of the design.
So, when we get into the Ideation phase, in a way, we're starting to get into this visual part. And this book is by Robin Williams. It's also a very short book, guys.
So it's easy to read, it's also a very easy read. I swore I had this book here at home and I was going to show you "Look, it's this the book! ".
But I'll leave the cover here somewhere in the edit. I don't have the book at home, but it's an excellent book because it provides some very interesting foundation to start thinking about design and these visual elements. We'll talk a little more about it in the next step, when we talk more about Prototyping.
And you already know, right guys? I couldn't end this lesson without the Alfred's Challenge. And your challenge is to apply at least two tools or methods to help you think of ideas that will solve your problem.
You already know, for example, user flow, a lot of doodles, sketches, a lot of wireframes, brainstorming, everything you can to try and explore as much as possible, as many solutions as possible for this problem you need to solve, okay? And so, it's better to err on the side of caution. .
. So, come up with as many ideas as you can, let it all out! Another important point is that if your project does not really have screens and you have chosen this path, in this Ideation part, you can extrapolate, for example, how would it work?
Try to write, try to draw somehow, how it would work, how your idea would be, try to bring your idea to paper somehow. As if you were, for example, going to explain it to someone, okay? And you already know, right?
If you want an example of how to apply all of this, of how to do Ideation in practice, click on that card there, it's on your screen and you won't regret it.
