What role do ideation tools play in collaboration spaces?

The term ideation is being used -- and misused -- as a marketing buzzword for digital whiteboards and other meeting room display technologies. However, the term is more than just a buzzword.

Ideation is a design process that empowers teams to reach new creative heights. When implemented and used correctly, ideation tools in the meeting room can be a game-changer for these teams.

Those familiar with collaboration, but new to ideation, should think of it in similar terms as the Agile development philosophy, which provides a set of team workflow recommendations. Due to increasing popularity, the audio/video community has been designing and marketing meeting room technology that supports an Agile workflow. Similarly, we are now seeing meeting room products designed to support ideation workflows.

From an audio/video perspective, you should be thinking in terms of ideation facilitation. You don't simply buy ideation tools and drop them in your meeting room. You have to design workspaces to facilitate the ideation process. Start by studying how your teams like to get work done and find the tools to support their chosen workflow.

Choosing the right ideation tools can be tricky, as many are impressive in demos. It's tempting to have your teams using the latest 3D holographic modeling technology. But if that doesn't fit with a team's desired ideation workflow, it's a waste of money.

If you find an ideation offering that can help your creative team share ideas and work together in a way that supports their chosen workflow, it will be money well-spent. Not only will your team actually adopt and use the offering, but they are likely to see better results from their creative process. Better results from your design teams mean you have better products, which lead to better sales.

Do you have a question for David Maldow or any other experts? Ask your enterprise-specific questions today! (All questions are treated anonymously.)