After after generating ideas, use a variety of tools to analyze and filter the ideas to end up with those worth pursuing in more detail. These techniques can be applied iteratively as new ideas emerge or as existing ideas are refined.
The goal of concept screening and scoring is to evaluate concepts before investing too much energy in detailed design work. Screening and scoring is about reducing many ideas into a smaller and more manageable set. The quality of ideas in the final set depends on the quality of ideas in the initial set. Therefore, it is important to put good effort into the front end processes of customer research and ideation.
The outcomes are not always precise, i.e. a clear "winner" may not emerge. In that case, devise an experiment (prototype) or new question(s) to use in evaluating concepts. Perhaps the group needs to conduct more internal research (brainstorming, concept sketching, cardboard mock-ups) or external research (web search, patent search, catalog search).
Concept Screening
Concept screening is used to eliminate ideas that are not worth pursuing. The team makes a go/no-go decisions using simple criteria
- Is the idea feasibile?
- Is the idea desirable?
- Does the technology exist, or does it need to be developed?
- If it needs to be developed does the team have the resources (skill, time, money) to do the development?
The screening process may lead to new ideas or ways to combine ideas. The process can be repeated, but it makes sense to use screening early in the design process when there are several, high-level ideas. As the ideas become more detailed, other techniques are more beneficial.
Concept Scoring
After specific design concepts have been evolved, concept scoring is used to establish a qualitative hierarchy of design options. The concepts are scored numerically using simple scales relative to a benchmark.
- Create a set of criteria to evaluate (score) the concepts: 3 to 7 is criteria is a good number.
- Identify a benchmark design
- Use a simple scale: -1, 0, 1 relative to the benchmark design. (A more detailed scale -2, -1, 0, 1, 2 could be used if more detailed information on each concept is available.)
- Work across the criteria, not across the concepts. For example suppose that cost and weight are two (of several) criteria. Rate rate all of the design concepts first by cost, and then by weight.
- Tally and rank the scores
The outcome is a smaller number of design concepts that the group decides to pursue. The scoring exercise may generate additional ideas for new design concepts or for ways to combine design concepts.
The team may decide that future research is necessary. Any additional research should be focused on answering specific questions. Failure to obtain clarity should not set the team back to open-ended searches. To do so implies that the team did not learn much in the scoring process.