One of the coolest parts of my job is taking everything I already know about the web and interactive and applying it to a new client project, while also trying to add something different and creative.
To put it another way, 1 part Experience + 1 Part Creativity = Innovation.
So how can I draw out that knowledge and spark new ideas? Here are a few methods I like to use.
Competitor analysis is a tried-and-true way to establish best practices for the client's industry. You then have the knowledge necessary to argue for -- or against -- a commonly used feature in similar sites or applications.
We take screenshots of our client's and our competitors' pages and hang them up side by side. It's interesting what similarities and differences emerge this way.
For a recent project, I then used these views to create a spreadsheet cataloguing the common screen elements. It gave us a baseline for elements to include, as well as features to innovate against.
When I'm working on an application, I map out the workflows in a diagram, using a program like Visio. It's then easier to compare to the competitor, and also to see where there may be unnecessary steps.
Armed with as much data, diagrams and analysis as possible, we then group up for Pepsi and diet Coke-fueled brainstorming sessions. Now that we've seen the existing patterns, we can get creative and talk about change.
And like the best brainstorming sessions, we're free to be stupid. Somewhere amidst the off-topic anecdotes and inappropriate ridiculous jokes are the sparks of some great ideas. Really!
- These are just a few of our tools. What are yours?
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