You have several proposals, but on closer inspection they differ only in colour, wording or an added detail. Each one solves the brief in the same way. These variations can help refine an idea, but if you need to explore other possibilities, simply editing the first one will not take you much further.
As you generate ideas, ask what the proposal would change in a person’s actions or in the way an activity unfolds. This helps distinguish a genuinely different approach from another version of the same idea. You can use the process below for a work task, event planning or a collaborative creative project.
Return to the purpose behind the brief
If you start by asking, “What kind of poster should we make?”, you will probably come up with posters. First, check whether a poster is actually the required outcome or simply the first idea for achieving something. Your answer determines which other options are worth exploring.
Example: After a creative workshop, crayons and markers are left mixed together on the tables. The organisers are considering a larger sign with instructions for tidying up. But the goal might be more precise: “When the session ends, the materials should be ready for the next workshop, and tidying should fit within the time available.” A sign is one possible way to help achieve that.
For your own brief, complete this sentence: “We need a specific person in this situation to be able to…” Name the action and the circumstances. A broad aim such as “improve organisation” gives you less direction than describing what a participant should be able to do when leaving.
Also check whether you know what is causing the problem. Participants may not know where the materials belong, but they may also be in a hurry or miss the final instruction. A short observation and a question for someone who uses the materials can help you identify which part of the situation to focus on.
Separate fixed constraints from привычные routines
Before exploring possibilities, write down what can change. For the workshop, the end time, room and number of organisers may be fixed. The location of the containers, how the materials are sorted and the closing routine may be flexible. This gives you a specific space to work within.
For each constraint, ask where it comes from and who can confirm it. A client requirement, available equipment and “we’ve always done it this way” do not carry the same weight. A familiar routine may have a good reason behind it, so find out what that is before deciding whether to keep or change it.
If the client specifically needs a design for container labels, stay within that scope. You can still explore different ways to guide people, such as text, an image of the contents or a picture showing how items should be put away. Agree on any expansion to the whole workshop process first.
Change a meaningful part of the solution
Describe the first idea in one sentence: “We’ll use a sign to explain where participants should return the materials.” Then try changing one part of that approach. Start with a question that fits the brief; you do not need to work through every option.
- What could guide someone while they are doing the task? Explore the layout of the space, a visible example or a label at the point of use. Ask how someone will recognise the right next step.
- Could the order change? Consider whether part of the activity could happen earlier, together or at a different time. A proposal can change how the work unfolds without adding more materials.
- Could a step be removed? Look for sorting, rewriting or searching that might be avoided through a different arrangement. Check that removing the step would not create a problem for someone later.
- Could people divide the work differently? Consider who has the overview and when they can help. Also identify any extra work the new division would give a particular person.
Write a brief idea for each question you choose, without developing it in detail. A sentence or simple sketch is enough to show who would do what. If you have already started designing the final version and refining every detail, pause and ask which other possibility you still want to explore.
You can combine ideas later. At the beginning, though, it helps to know what makes each proposal different. If you change the space, people’s roles and the order of activities all at once, describe the proposal clearly enough to make sense without a long explanation.
Record ideas so their differences are clear
Use the same outline for each idea: who will do what, what it will enable them to do and what you still do not know. The workshop questions might lead to the following options. Each would need to be tested before you could be sure it was practical.
| Proposal | How it should work | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Clearly labelled places for materials | Participants match each item to a picture on a container as they put it away. | Whether they can find the containers and understand the pictures. |
| A shared end-of-workshop routine | The organiser sets aside time at the end for everyone to return the materials together. | Whether there is enough time and whether the organiser can lead the routine alongside other tasks. |
| Materials prepared in sets for each table | Participants return a complete set on a tray instead of sorting items into shared containers. | Whether the set will suit the next workshop and can be checked easily. |
The first proposal changes how people find their way, the second changes the event’s routine, and the third changes how the materials are organised. You can explain the difference without having finished the graphic design. Apply the same check to your own ideas: can you say in one sentence how each one works differently?
If two proposals use the same approach and differ only in presentation, group them as variations of one idea. They may still be useful when you refine it later. This also helps you see how many genuinely different options you have explored.
Bring in someone who sees a different part of the problem
If you keep returning to the same solution, involve someone with a different experience of the situation. At the workshop, an organiser may know the preparation process, a participant may know what it is like to use the materials, and another person may handle the clean-up. Each can add a different part of the picture.
Explain the purpose and constraints of the brief. You could first ask them to suggest their own approach, then show them your options. Ask about specific experiences: “What do you look for when putting the materials away?” or “Which part of the preparation has to be repeated after the workshop?”
Ask what they mean before evaluating the idea. If someone suggests giving each table its own set of materials, find out what they hope to make easier. Then discuss whether trays are available or how the materials would be replenished. Even if the whole proposal is not feasible, it may contain a useful element.
When working as a group, note ideas you do not yet agree on. Turn disagreement into a specific question: “We’re concerned that checking the sets will take more time. How could we find out?” This gives you a practical next step for exploring the idea.
Choose an idea worth developing further
Being different does not automatically make an idea better. Return to the purpose of the brief and its fixed constraints. For each option, check whether it addresses an observed obstacle, what it would require and which unknown could determine whether it is practical.
Then test the selected idea at a scale appropriate to the task. For container labels, you could ask someone unfamiliar with the system to put the materials away using the proposed design. For table sets, you could try preparing and checking one set. Focus on the specific action the idea is intended to support.
If a small adjustment to the original sign turns out to be enough, use it. Exploring alternatives helps you make an informed choice; it does not oblige you to implement the most unusual idea. You may also find that the problem requires more time, equipment or a clearer brief.
For your next creative task, start with a simple note: what a person needs to be able to do, what can change and how your first idea works. Then choose one question that could change the approach and use it to generate another option. Focus on the details only once you can explain what makes that option different.
