Concept Fan
Generate ideas
The Concept Fan is a framework for generating ideas by starting with broad concepts and narrowing them down to specific ideas. It involves creating a list of concepts, identifying relationships between them, and using these relationships to generate new ideas.
- Start with broad concepts and narrow them down to specific ideas
- Identify relationships between concepts to generate new ideas
- Use concepts as collector points or junctions to facilitate idea generation
- Identify Broad ConceptsStart by identifying broad concepts related to the problem or topic at hand. These concepts should be general and overarching.Pro tipUse a brainstorming session to generate a list of broad conceptsWarningAvoid getting too specific too quickly
- Narrow Down ConceptsTake the broad concepts and narrow them down to more specific ideas. This can be done by identifying relationships between the concepts and using these relationships to generate new ideas.Pro tipUse mind mapping or clustering to identify relationships between conceptsWarningBe careful not to get too caught up in the details
- Generate New IdeasUse the narrowed-down concepts to generate new ideas. This can be done by asking questions like 'What if?' or 'How might we?'Pro tipUse the concepts as collector points or junctions to facilitate idea generationWarningAvoid self-censoring or judging ideas too quickly
Generating Ideas for Reducing Traffic
Using the Concept Fan to generate ideas for reducing traffic in a city
OutcomeGenerated a list of new ideas for reducing traffic, including encouraging the use of public transport and creating privilege lanes for vehicles with multiple occupants
Developing New Product Ideas
Using the Concept Fan to develop new product ideas for a company
OutcomeGenerated a list of new product ideas, including a smart home device and a wearable fitness tracker
Getting Too Specific Too Quickly
Getting too caught up in the details can prevent the generation of new ideas
Not Identifying Relationships Between Concepts
Failing to identify relationships between concepts can limit the generation of new ideas
Self-Censoring or Judging Ideas Too Quickly
Self-censoring or judging ideas too quickly can prevent the generation of new ideas
The Concept Fan was developed as a way to facilitate idea generation and concept development. It is based on the idea that concepts are collector points or junctions that allow things to come together and enable us to move from idea to idea.
Source · BOOK
Flowscapes