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The Idea Grid is a way to take a complicated design problem, and split it into a few smaller and simpler problems. By solving the smaller problems first, one at a time, you can combine them into a complete solution for the whole design topic.

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FIGURE: A normal dining room armchair showing its four main parts: seat, backrest, legs, and arm rests. We can use the Idea Grid to think of new ideas for a dining room armchair.

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FIGURE: Some dining room armchairs that came from the ideas in the Idea Grid.
 

What you need

• You can work alone, but doing the idea grid in a group of around three to five designers will give better results.
• A quiet place to work, with chairs and tables.
• Paper and pens or pencils.
• About half an hour to an hour to do it properly.

How it’s done

• Make a list of the main parts of the design topic, which is the thing that you are designing.
• Draw a grid on a sheet of paper with as many rows as there are main parts of the design topic and about 6 columns for ideas.
• Row-by-row, take each part of the design topic and think of ways to solve it.
• Sketch or note down your ideas for that part in its row on the grid.
  • Draw or note ideas down clearly so they aren’t forgotten.
  • Try to fill the row with ideas for that part.
• Repeat the process with each part of the design topic.
• When you are finished, you will have dozens of solutions and hundreds of possible combinations.
• Pick the best ideas from the grid and mark them.
• Combine those ideas to find new ideas for your design topic.
  • You will be able to easily combine some ideas in the grid.
  • Some ideas cannot be combined with each other, because they just won’t work together.

Tips

• Share your ideas: The more you give, the more you get!
• Just expand the grid, if you have more ideas than can fit.
• Wild or crazy ideas are welcome! Let your imagination run free!
• Do not judge ideas or criticise them. You will do that later.​​​​​​​