Question: how do you come up with some many different designs?

Eleanor Sherwen answered on 6 Mar 2016:

It’s really really hard. It’s one of the hardest bits.

There are lots of methods I’ve been taught at Uni, by people I’ve worked with, on training courses. The key is, look at things in lots of different ways.

Good tips:
– Start with the person riding the bike. What do they need? Why?
– Never stop once you’ve had one good idea. Write down everything, even the rubbish ideas
– Ask other people to talk through the problem with you. They have questions and thoughts that make you see it differently
– Think about all the new technology you know about, read up on new stuff not just in bikes. What can you apply to your design?
– Look at how other companies/designers solved a similar problem. Why do they do it that way? Is there a really good idea that they have missed?
– Write a list of everyone involved in making your thing. Go to talk to them; the suppliers, the manufacturers, the production line staff, everyone. Ask them what they do right now, and what bugs them about it.
– Use different ways of recording ideas. You can write, sketch, model, talk, act out. The different ways engage different bits of your brain.
– Don’t stop; new ideas might come after you’ve made 3 or 4 prototypes. It’s still OK to change your mind.