Use an idea map to identify ideas related to a central question.
On an idea map, the main question is in the center. Affinities, which are
categories, branch from the central question and ideas branch from the
affinities.
An
Idea Map
answers the following questions.
What ideas affect the
affinities?
What affinities affect the
central question?
How-to
Identify a central question
to investigate. For example, product waste on the laminator or dropped calls in
a call center.
Assemble a multi-functional
team for the brainstorming session.
Generate and record several
affinities to segment the idea generation. For example, maintenance, training,
and raw material issues are common affinities.
Generate and record ideas
and sub-ideas that support each affinity.
Prioritize the affinities,
ideas, and sub-ideas.
Draw conclusions.
Note
You can quickly brainstorm ideas in the brainstorming list, then drag
them to the diagram to create associations between related ideas. For more
information, go to
Generate a brainstorm list.