Idea Generation

This stage in developing a new sports product is the most primitive, the idea generation stage. There are many different strategies in coming up with new product ideas. It can come from an imaginative spark of a single individual or years of research. Ways in generating new ideas include involving customers or all employees, setting up suggestion boxes, think tanks and other idea-creation methods. Customers can be vital assets to idea generation and let organisations step away from the somewhat limited internal thinking process. Surveys, advisory boards, informal discussions and observational research are all ways of involving customers. Creating a free thinking environment is often the best way to promote new ideas. Enabling unhindered cooperation between employees, customers even suppliers can increase the probability of idea creation.

BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) is a leading worldwide automobile company known for its overall quality and use of the newest technologies. The company is also a pioneer in customer involvement when generating ideas. It has set up and completed many different projects through the ‘Co-Creation Lab’ with customers at the forefront of the process. The Co-Creation Lab is a discussion board accessible to anyone who wants to share their views and ideas about automobiles. This enables customers or just simply car enthusiasts to become integral parts in the idea generation process. This Co-Creation Lab has delivered several different projects, generating ideas for improvements in a variety of departments. Trunk and interior design contests have and are being run to come up with innovative ideas to improve BMW cars.

When trying to come up with a new physical activity I first began thinking of spin-offs from football, trying to combine it with other sports and physical activities. After coming up with a few ideas such as ‘trampoline football’ I decided to use, to a certain extent, its playing field as the terrain for a new sport. This new sport, which I haven’t been able to name so far, involves aspects of football with tennis. An 11 a side game on a pitch with dimensions of 150 meters by 90 (bigger than the standard football pitch) with goals at either end. Positions same as football however each player possesses a tennis racket and the ball in play is in fact a tennis ball. The use of hands are prohibited, when running or in possession of the ball the players much balance or jungle it with his racket. If on the floor the ball can be kicked or scooped up with the racket. The goal of each team is to score in the opposition’s net. The actual goal is the same dimension as that of a football’s with a slight alteration. At the top corners of the net are 30 by 30 cm ‘mini goals’ so to speak. If scored in these small pockets the team is award 3 points, if you score anywhere else in the goal, the team is awarded 1 point.

Sources: http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2011/10/31/7-strategies-for-generating-ideas/

               https://www.bmwgroup-cocreationlab.com/cocreation