The Innovator's Toolkit: 50+ Techniques for Predictable and Sustainable Organic Growth, 2nd Edition

Technique 22

Concept Tree

Leverage current ideas to generate many ideas.

 

Concept tree starts with an idea and uses that idea to identify concepts, or connecting points, from which alternative ideas can be derived. For example, a perfume designer could explore the concept behind a new fragrance idea and subsequently create a way to naturally enhance a person's pheromones.

By using an existing idea as a source of inspiration for untapped ideas, concept tree can lead you to a unique approach to an old problem. It's also valuable if your original idea is too general, has too many limitations, or is not actionable.

Some call this technique a concept fan, or concept abstraction and alternatives. For more information, see “Generation of Alternatives” in Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step, by E. de Bono (New York: Harper Paperbacks, 1973).

Steps

Scenario: Let's say we want to improve our company's image. We have a few broad ideas along these lines, but we can use the Concept Tree technique to generate many actionable ideas.

1. Agree on the Job to be Done

On a white board or flip chart, write the job to be done (JTBD). In our example, we are tasked with the rather broad job of improving the company's image. We could use Job Scoping (Technique 9) or Nine Windows (Technique 8) to better define this job, but since we have a few general ideas for meeting this JTBD, let's see where the concept tree takes us.

2. List Ideas

Next, list your ideas for fulfilling the JTBD. So far in our ...