THE COMPLETE TOOLKIT TO
IDEA CHALLENGES
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Table of contents
Breakdown of the toolkit slide 3
Double diamond of idea development slide 4
Different types of challenges slide 5
Problem-centric idea challenge slide 6-13
Solution-centric idea challenge slide 14-20
Email templates slide 21-27
Challenge canvas slide 28-30
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Breakdown of the toolkit
The Complete Toolkit to Idea Challenges starts with the double diamond of innovation and how it
can be used to understand differences between problem-centric and solution-centric challenges.
After this, the guide will be divided into 3 segments:
1. Overview of problem and solution –centric idea challenge processes that can be used for visual
representation and templates
2. Email templates which can be used as guidelines for challenge related communication
3. Challenge canvas for planning out your very own challenge from scratch
Double diamond of idea development
Problem Plan Solution
Discover Define Develop Deliver
Problem-centric vs solution-centric
• A problem-centric idea challenge goes through Plan
both sections of the double diamond and thus
focuses first on defining a “problem” in a priority
area and then finding solutions to that problem.
Problem-centric
• If the problem is already clear or you otherwise
need creative alternate solutions in various areas, it
isn’t necessary to go through the entire double
diamond. In this situation, the solution section will
suffice. This is called a solution-centric idea
challenge.
Solution-centric
Problem-centric
Idea Challenge
Problem-centric idea challenge process
1. Charting your 2.2.Defining
Choosingpartici-
the 3. Concrete planning 4. Wrap-up and
goals participants
pating audience and executing reflection
Pick a topic that Choose people Problem Wrap up the
is of significant with whom you phase campaign and
importance to can best reach reflect on the
your company your goals process as a
whole
Solution
phase
Charting your goals
In a problem-
centric idea
Choose the topic of the idea challenge this is
challenge and try to narrow it down typically a very
specific area of
improvement
A quantifiable
goal makes it
Chart a quantifiable goal to build easier to
your challenge around objectively
measure results
Keep refining
your goal until
Don’t be afraid to return to the
Solution you’re satisfied
drawing board phase with it
Choosing the participants
KEY FACTORS OF A
FOCUSED AUDIENCE
Size Reachability Relevance
The size of your
Make sure the people who Choose the most relevant
audience can range
you wish to include in the andKeep refining
knowledgeable
from focused groups
challenge are realistically your goal
stakeholder groupuntil
that is
inside the organization you’re satisfied
within reach willing to contribute
to the entire public
with it
Problem phase – Concrete planning and executing
1. Choose a time period for
scouting problems
2. Contact the participation
audience through various
channels
3. Start gathering ideas
Identifying the initial problem 4. Make responsibilities clear to
the organizing team
5. Engage the participants Discover
6. Give participants time to rank
problems by significance
7. Send reminders
After you’re finished with
problem scouting
1. Identify recurring
themes and group
Analysis by organizing team ideas to them
2. Abstract the themes Define
and choose 3 or 4
most important ones
Solution phase – Concrete planning and executing
1. Choose a time period for
finding solutions to the
selected problems
2. Contact the target audience
through various channels
Solution development 3. Start gathering ideas
4. Make responsibilities clear
to the organizing team Develop
5. Engage the participants
6. Give time for feedback,
iteration and evaluation
7. Send reminders
1. Pick a few ideas with
the most promise
2. Assign responsibilities
for the development
Processing the results of those ideas
3. Allocate resources Discover
4. Communicate results
and following steps
Wrap-up
Rounding up the Planning next steps Communicate the
Follow up
findings and responsibilities next steps
Aspire for
Round up and Make a plan on transparency in Make sure that
prioritize all the what to do with the communication and the plan is
ideas, input, promising ideas make sure all followed and
insights, and other and assign people relevant participants actual progress is
notable responsibilities for and other relevant made with the
discoveries carrying out that parties are aware of ideas.
plan the plan
Reflection
Go through the entire idea challenge What Have everybody pool their thoughts on
What process with your team. Have everybody
write down the things they feel led to didn’t work what ultimately led to the shortcomings in
worked your challenge
successes along the way
Use the gathered knowledge to make a
Practical
process out of improving every idea
takeaways challenge as you move forward
Solution-centric
Idea Challenge
Solution-centric idea challenge process
1. Charting your 2.2.Defining
Choosingpartici-
the 3. Concrete planning 4. Wrap-up and
goals participants
pating audience and executing reflection
Pick a topic that Choose people Wrap up the
is of significant with whom you Solution campaign and
importance to can best reach reflect on the
your goals phase process as a
your company
whole
Charting your goals
A quantifiable
goal makes it
Chart a quantifiable goal to build easier to
your challenge around objectively
measure
results
Keep refining
Don’t be afraid to return to the your goal until
drawing board you’re satisfied
with it
Choosing the participants
KEY FACTORS OF A
FOCUSED AUDIENCE
Size Reachability Relevance
The size of your
Make sure the people who Choose the most relevant
audience can range
from focused groups
you wish to include in the andKeep refining
knowledgeable
challenge are realistically your goal
stakeholder groupuntil
that is
inside the organization you’re satisfied
to the entire public within reach willing to contribute
with it
Solution phase – Concrete planning and executing
1. Choose a time period for
finding solutions to the
selected problems
2. Contact the target audience
through various channels
Solution development 3. Start gathering ideas
4. Make responsibilities clear
to the organizing team Develop
5. Engage the participants
6. Give time for feedback,
iteration and evaluation
7. Send reminders
1. Pick a few ideas with
the most promise
2. Assign responsibilities
for the development
Processing the results of those ideas
3. Allocate resources Discover
4. Communicate results
and following steps
Wrap-up
Rounding up the Planning next steps Communicate the
Follow up
findings and responsibilities next steps
Aspire for
Round up and Make a plan on transparency in Make sure that
prioritize all the what to do with the communication and the plan is
ideas, input, promising ideas make sure all followed and
insights, and other and assign people relevant participants actual progress is
notable responsibilities for and other relevant made with the
discoveries carrying out that parties are aware of ideas.
plan the plan
Reflection
Go through the entire idea challenge What Have everybody pool their thoughts on
What process with your team. Have everybody
write down the things they feel led to didn’t work what ultimately led to the shortcomings in
worked your challenge
successes along the way
Use the gathered knowledge to make a
Practical
process out of improving every idea
takeaways challenge as you move forward
Email Templates
How to use the email templates
• The following slides contain pre-crafted emails that can be used as the
basis for some of your communication during the challenge.
• Each template has [bolded placeholders] with descriptions. These should
be replaced with content specific to your challenge.
P.S. Don’t stress if you can’t replace all of the placeholders right away. As
many aspects of idea challenges are very case-specific, these emails should
primarily be viewed as guidelines. Feel free to edit them to best fit your
challenge!
Introductory email in a problem-centric challenge
Greetings everyone, Next, during the second brainstorming period, we will
start looking for solutions to the most critical problems
As all of you may know, we’re always eager to find new found during the first brainstorming period. Much like in
ways of improving the way we work. We’ve decided to the first phase, everyone is welcome to comment on
launch an idea challenge so that you get to share your other people’s ideas and our organizing team will
valued thoughts on [area of problem scouting]. By provide feedback.
putting our heads together, we can make our
organization even more exceptional than before! Finally, after both brainstorming phases of the challenge
are over, we will choose the most promising solutions
The challenge will start [time until challenge starts] from for further development. In this phase, the organizing
now and have two periods of brainstorming. The First team, along with volunteers who have been a part of
period will last for [time for problem scouting] weeks and molding the ideas, will start processing them further.
the second period for [time for finding solutions] weeks.
This is a unique chance for you to participate in
The challenge itself will happen in three phases: improving our organization and your thoughts and
insights heard. If your idea is popular, you may even get
It will start with the first brainstorming period, during to be a part of making it happen after the challenge is
which all participants can share their own ideas and completed!
thoughts on what areas of [area of problem scouting]
could be improved. During this time, everyone is more For all the action to take place, we’re using a platform
than free to comment on the ideas of others. Our called Viima, which you can find from the following link:
organizing team will also give feedback and constructive
notes on the ideas. (Link to online platform, e.g. https://app.viima.com)
Introductory email in a solution-centric challenge
Greetings everyone,
As all of you may know, we’ve worked hard for the last Next, after the brainstorming phase of the challenge is
few months to solve [problem]. We’ve decided to go all-in over, we will choose the most promising ideas for
and launch an idea challenge so that you get to share further development. In this phase, the organizing team,
your insights and ideas. By putting our heads together, along with volunteers who have been a part of molding
we can make even more progress on this crucial issue! the ideas, will start to refine them further.
The challenge will start [time until challenge starts] week This is a unique chance for you to participate in
from now and last for [time for finding solutions] weeks. improving the way we work and to get your insights and
In this time, you are free to throw any ideas you might ideas heard. If your idea is popular, you may even get to
have regarding [problem] at us. If you’re eager to already be a part of making it happen after the challenge is
check it out, you can do so [link to the online platform]. completed!
The challenge itself will happen in two phases: For all the action to take place, we’re using a platform
called Viima, which you can find from the following link:
First, we are going to let everyone share their own ideas
and comment on the ideas of others. Our organizing (Link to online platform, e.g. https://app.viima.com)
team will also give feedback and constructive notes on
the ideas throughout this phase.
Email to team in charge of a problem-centric challenge
Hello team, In phase 3:
- Doing follow up checks on the progress of ideas
We’re very excited to have you as a part of our team responsible for - Communicating following steps to related users
organizing the idea challenge. - Sending reminders to responsible parties
As all of you know, the theme of the challenge is to find new ways of Subject domain experts’ tasks include:
improving [area of problem scouting]. Your role as a member of this
team is to be the rallying force behind the venture. Together, we can During phases 1 & 2:
make this challenge a success! - Giving constructive feedback on ideas
- Encouraging participation
As a reminder, the challenge will be divided into 3 phases. Firstly,
scouting the initial problems. After that, finding solutions to those Between phases 1 & 2:
problems. Finally, developing the most promising of those solutions. - Prioritizing the problems found during the first brainstorming period
Different tasks during the challenge will be divided between the In phase 3:
organizing team, subject domain experts (category admin), and steering - Helping further development of ideas through iteration
group.
Steering group’s tasks include:
The organizing team’s tasks include: Between phases 1 & 2:
- Choosing the most important of the problems for the second
During phases 1 & 2: brainstorming period
- Helping users resolve challenge related issues
- Encouraging participation After phase 3:
- Sending reminders - Choosing the best of the developed ideas for implementation
Between phases 1 & 2: The challenge will start in [time until challenge starts]. If you have any
- Reminding people to also take part in the second brainstorming period questions or don’t know what you should do, please contact us!
Email to team in charge of a solution-centric challenge
Hello team, In phase 2:
- Doing follow up checks on the progress of ideas
We’re very excited to have you as a part of our team responsible for - Communicating following steps to related users
organizing an idea challenge. - Sending reminders to responsible parties
As all of you know, the theme of the challenge is to find new solutions Subject domain experts’ tasks include:
to [problem]. Your role as a member of this team is to be the rallying
force behind the venture. Together, we can make this challenge a In phase 1:
success! - Giving constructive feedback on ideas
- Encouraging participation
As a reminder, the challenge will be divided into 2 phases. Firstly, coming
up with ideas. After that, further developing the most promising of In phase 2:
those ideas. - Helping further development of ideas through iteration
Different tasks during the challenge will be divided between the Steering group’s tasks include:
organizing team, subject domain experts (category admin), and steering
group. After phase 2:
- Choosing the best of the developed ideas for implementation
The organizing team’s tasks include: The challenge will start in [time until challenge starts]. If you have any
questions or don’t know what you should do, please contact us!
In phase 1:
- Helping users resolve challenge related issues
- Encouraging participation
- Sending reminders
Participation reminders
PROBLEM-CENTRIC SOLUTION-CENTRIC
Greetings everyone,
Greetings everyone,
It’s almost here!
It’s almost here!
As most of you know, in [time until challenge starts]
we will launch an idea challenge in the hopes of As most of you know, in [time until challenge starts]
getting your valued insights and solutions on [area of weeks we will launch an idea challenge in the hopes
problem scouting]. of getting your valued thoughts on [problem].
As a reminder, the challenge will happen in three As a reminder, the challenge will happen in two phases.
phases. First, we will gather ideas on [area of problem First, we will gather ideas on how to fix [problem].
scouting]. Then, we will focus on finding solutions to Then, we will further develop the most promising of
the arisen problems. Finally, we will further develop those solutions.
the most promising of those solutions.
So, are you ready to put your creative minds to the
So, are you ready to put your creative minds to the ultimate test? Will it be you, who comes up with a
ultimate test? Will it be you, who comes up with a game changing idea?
game changing idea?
Get familiar with the challenge in advance:
Get familiar with the challenge in advance:
(Link to online platform, e.g. https://app.viima.com)
(Link to online platform, e.g. https://app.viima.com)
Challenge Canvas
RESULTS &
THEME AUDIENCE RESPONSIBILITIES
FOLLOW-UP
(post-challenge)
TASKS
Write down your top priority agendas Write down the factors that limit your Decision makers:
audience size
Can you find a key theme based on What defines the most relevant
those agendas? stakeholder group for you?
Subject domain experts:
(category admins)
GOALS TIME
Organizing team:
Build a quantifiable goal Write down what you feel is an optimal Write down various tasks regarding Gather results from the challenge
around your chosen theme length for gathering ideas . the challenge and assign them and plan future steps for ideas
Are you satisfied with that goal or What disruptive factors should you How do you choose the right What did you learn from your
should you repeat the earlier steps? avoid from overlapping with your people for the positions? successes and shortcomings?
launch?
