The BrainStore Idea Machine Engine is Beta. So don't trust it 100%. Test the workflow before you work with customers. Currently the application is optimised for the latest version of Google Chrome and for larger screens. Most functions will work in other browsers and mobile browsers, but Chrome is definitely the browser of choice.
Before you get started you need to know if you want to run the process online or analog (workshop). You can combine the two forms.
Access to the Idea Machine
You can access the Idea Machine Engine via
→ www.brainstore.com/i
→ When logged into BrainStore.com via My BrainStore → Idea Machine Engine (you will also find access there to your most recent projects
The entry page provides you an overview of all current projects you are invited to participate as well as all projects where you are in the organizing team.
Provide some basic information to get started with your project. You can adjust the information any time.
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The cockpit
Once you've started a new project you can access the cockpit page.
Your cockpit
In the overview page you find direct access to
→ Briefing
→ Amassing
→ Illumination
→ Like
→ Criteria Scan
→ Idea Selection
→ Road Map
This covers the entire process of the BrainStore Idea Machine.
In addition, the overview page provides you access to the Cycle Board.
In the overview page you can duplicate and delete an existing project (if you created it).
The overview page is also where you add members to the organizing team.
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Finalize the briefing
The Idea Machine Engine provides a full template to create and share your briefing with the customer and the organizing team.
The briefing is structured in the following parts: title, situation, purpose, road map, project related goals, expected results, success criteria
The briefing template
The briefing template allows you to place all relevant information regarding the briefing.
→ You can export the briefing
→ Create a nice pdf with the content
→ Create a purpose printout, to place on your desk :-)
When using the Idea Machine Engine you have
→ The organizing team (with full access to the engine)
→ The participants (with online access to process steps)
Organizing team and participants
By adding members to the organizing team you will provide full access to the entire project. Members of the organizing team can add, remove and change anything in your project (except delete the project).
Select wisely who you want to grant access to your project.
To access the engine the users need to be logged in.
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Amazing creative tools for workshops
There are about 30 creative tools you can choose from in the Idea Machine Engine. Select the tools you'd like to use and print inspiring forms for your workshop.
How to get there
1. Add the questions in the amassing sector
Amassing → Questions → Select the tools
2. Generate the PDF and print the forms for your workshop.
During the amassing phase you can collect all the data with the minute taker tool.
Minute Taking
Select the question you'd like to work on. And simply collect the data. Don't forget to press enter after every input.
You can edit and delete content if you scroll down.
If you work with workshop forms you will find the question number printed on every form (lower right side).
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Enable inspiring moments during the illumination phase. Capture the results
During the illumination part of the process the participants come up with good ideas.
→ Present inspirations with projections
→ Present inspirations in printed forms (newspaper and cards)
→ Prepare decoration material for theme areas
Present your data in inspiring forms
Print out Illumination sheets for participants to capture their ideas.
→ Illumination → Sheets (pdf) or
→ Illumination → Sheets 4PP (pdf) if you print many sheets a prefer large paper and cutting...
You can present your data in inspiring format during the Illumination phase.
→ Print newspapers
→ Print cards
You can also present the data via projectors in inspiring forms:
→ The Cinema
→ The Combinator
→ The Museum wall
Simply connect the a laptop to your projector and select the format to show.
To add quality to the illumination phase you can print banners with different stations.
Capture the results (with title and description) in the minute taker tool.
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Share the good ideas. Find out which ideas participants like. Capture the results
Print the set of concrete ideas created by the workshop participants.
Get the "likes"
In the like menu you can print all the concrete ideas from the Illumination part of the workshop.
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Analyse ideas based on success criteria
One of the most challenging tasks in any innovation process is identifying leading ideas.
The Idea Machine Engine provides a very robust feature for this task: the analysis of ideas based on pre-defined success criteria.
How to setup a criteria scan
→ Define the success criteria you want participants to select from
→ Invite participants to rate the ideas based on success criteria (ideally you have at least two participants per success criterion)
→ All participants are presented with the ideas in a random order and rate every idea based on the one success criterion they selected
And then?
When everyone has completed the rating you have very interesting data showing which ideas are the most promising ones.
You can now refine the ideas (ideally during a well facilitated discussion) and chose the ideas you would like to continue working with.
In the refinement part you can
→ Accept an idea
→ Put the idea on hold
→ Drop the idea
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Prepare the Idea Selection
Prepare a well structured workshop for selecting leading ideas.
Preparation of the Idea Selection
Before running the Idea Selection step you can
→ Add a visual to every idea
→ Define the sequence in which every idea is presented
→ Add a teaser to every idea (a teaser is a short text which prepares the participants of the idea selection for the next idea)
And then download the Idea Selection Presentation as a PDF.
You can additionally print the Idea Selection sheets for your project for the participants.
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Select leading ideas. Capture the results
During the Idea Selection you present a set of ideas (ideally not less than 8 and not more than 24) to a jury. Every jury member has the Idea Selection forms and can provide feedback to every idea. No discussions about the ideas allowed...
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Design Road Maps
Take the leading ideas from the Idea Selection and place them on your Road Map.
You have 4 segments for your ideas:
→ Now
→ Then
→ Later
→ Maybe
Road Map features
You can import ideas from the Idea Selection
→ Road Map → Import from Idea Selection
You can print cards with the results from the Idea Selection
→ Road Map → Get Idea from Idea Selection
You can print the PDF of an empty Road Map
→ Road Map → Road Map Cards
And you can generate a PDF with the finalised Road Map.
Additional feature
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Add participants for online workshops
By adding participants you can provide access to participate in online steps of the process. You can add participants in any process step. However you need to enable the process step for the participant.
You can grant access for all participants at the time or select them individually (then you need to save).
To add members of the organizing team and participants simply add the email address. You can add multiple people at the same time by adding a list of email addresses. Entries need to be separated with "enter".
Additional feature
1
Add signs for workshop preparation
You can add arrows leading to your workshop location.
Simply upload the logo of the workshop customer (1600x900px) in the design menu and go to the amassing printshop.
Fold the sheets in the middle and you can use them for left and right...
Additional feature
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Export
Every tool as a simple export tool. Simply copy the contents and export them to a document editor or spreadsheet of your choice.
