A Comprehensive Guide to Planning for First-Timers, or for Myself Returning to the Basics (1/5 - Idea Edition)

May 21, 2021 Update: Following the Idea Edition, I have also released the Strategy Edition. Please feel free to check it out.

Nice to meet you. I entered the advertising industry believing that the catchphrase "Yes, let's go to Kyoto." was written by a super wonderful station attendant, and now, seven years later, I am a planner/copywriter named Tatsuki Tatara. Recently, I've started referring to myself as "Voku" during major presentations.

While talking at a study group I run with my seniors and juniors (actually, I don't like the term 'study group' because it sounds too pretentious... but this one has a lovely, cozy atmosphere), we decided to systematize our own planning methods in detail! Since we were at it, I decided to publish it in the form of a note.

For example, how to come up with ideas like the one in the figure above. This article is about writing down everything I have learned in 7 years, including how to think about resources, how to build strategies, and how to think about expression, including copywriting.

Following my salaryman instinct, I'll start with an excuse... this article is a collection of my own personal organization. Planning methods and ideation techniques are like religion, and I think they suit some people and not others. Definitions of terms also vary from person to person. There doesn't seem to be a single correct answer for everyone. So, I think it's best to just skim through it, and if you find something you like, just use that part as a reference—that's about right.

However, this is the crystallization of my trial and error, thinking about how I could get closer to the work of genius planners while watching them every day. I have organized it so that it can be used in various situations, as much as possible without being tied to advertising. I hope it will be useful for everyone who is jealous of geniuses.

The introduction has become long... Well then, let's begin.

What makes something a "plan"? It is the shine of the North Star

If you are thinking, "I'm stuck on coming up with ideas! Hurry up!", I think it's best to scroll down and start reading from "Forced Ideation Part 1: Horizontal Expansion". Good luck!

Before I start thinking about planning, I want to organize "what is planning?" so that there are no misunderstandings! (As usual, this is what "I think" planning is)
Planning is something necessary to realize any "thing you want to do," regardless of size or genre. Its role is like a compass that allows you to imagine the path to implementation and the goal image when implemented.

To fulfill this role, I believe a plan requires four elements. They are "Resources, Strategy, Ideas, and Expression." The word 'planning' is very vague, and while the expression part tends to get the most attention, I believe that planning spans all four layers. (For about 4 years, I tended to let 'resources and strategy' slip my mind.)

Furthermore, I think a 'good plan' is one where all four are considered at a high level. Difficulties await the implementation of any plan, but if it is a 'good plan,' the staff can overcome them together as if the North Star were shining above them. Probably. ...Or maybe not...?

Since I have spent 7 years studying planning in the order of "Ideas → Strategy → Resources → Expression," this article will also explain them in that order. By the time you finish reading everything, everyone will be able to create plans as well as a mid-level planner in their 7th year. Woo-ha-ha!!

...That's what I thought when I started writing, but it's quite vast... I thought it would be easier to read if I split the articles, so I decided to write it in a total of 5 articles, adding a "summary" to the four elements mentioned above. So, this article is the first installment, the "Idea" edition.

What is an idea? The brain is as lazy as a cat

Yes. Right away, let's talk about ideas, one of the four elements of planning. It is the part that attracts people the most, but at the same time, it is only one-fourth of a plan. Personally, I think it's just a component of a plan.

The word 'idea' is also very vague... The definition may vary, but I have decided that "an idea is an exciting hunch to solve some kind of problem." (To put it more formally, I think of it as "a thought or measure that solves a problem by destroying premises." This is also deep, so I want to write an article about it someday.)

Yes. "For the purpose of solving problems." In other words, the premise of an idea is the existence of a problem. Without a problem, an idea cannot remain an idea. Furthermore, the brain is incredibly lazy, and it is said that it won't work efficiently unless you show it the bait of a problem. It's a cat-like move. I want to make sure I don't forget that to think of ideas, you first need to present a problem.

And, there is room for ideas in every problem (this is a personal belief). Earlier, I wrote them in parallel as "resources, strategy, ideas, and expression," but problems can occur in "resources," "strategy," and "expression" as well, so there is room for ideas to enter. Therefore, while it is strange to list "money, strategy, ideas, and expression" as a structure, I believe that planning requires at least one idea, so I have listed them in parallel.

If you run out of ideas, it must be that you are running out of problems. When you can't think of anything at all, it might make you happy to give your brain the problem of: "What is the problem in the first place?"

Idea Generation Overview: Schrödinger's Dinner

We are finally entering how to come up with ideas... but here, I have tried to visualize the overall picture of when I come up with ideas.

Written out in text... While looking at the task, I "force" myself to squeeze out ideas to solve that task using various brainstorming methods and take notes. I look at what I've written down and verify/brush up the ideas from four perspectives. I repeat this process several times to come up with multiple ideas (solutions to the task).

Sorry for the bold text from earlier, I'll add one more thing here. If you get stuck on generating ideas, immediately change something—whether it's the brainstorming method, where you're sitting, or what you're having for dinner tonight. If you think you can't come up with anything, or if you thought of something but it doesn't seem interesting, it's often inefficient to stick with it. After switching, for some reason, a great idea might pop up when you think about the same thing again. If you don't switch, a painful hour will just arrive.

I say that easily, and in this moment I feel like I can do it, but it never goes exactly as planned.

I repeat, it never goes exactly as planned. Switch your thinking methods as many times as you need. Change your dinner as many times as you need. In other words, have a heart that doesn't break.

So from here on, I will talk about the contents of the diagram above in detail so that it can be of some help when you stumble.

Forcing yourself to come up with ideas: The Gun-Kata of the Common Man

Even if you try to come up with ideas... you won't think of a brilliant idea right away, so first, start with mediocre ones. Mediocre ideas are fine. If you don't come up with a few ideas for the time being, your thinking will freeze and nothing will come out. To avoid that, there is a "forcing yourself to come up with ideas" part.

It's okay. While you are squeezing out mediocre ideas even by force, you might think of a brilliant one, or mediocre ideas might stick together to become a brilliant one. Masters start with brilliant ideas, but ordinary people start with mediocre ones!

That said. It's not easy to come up with even mediocre ideas. And, to be honest... I want to come up with brilliant ideas as quickly as possible. Thinking like that, over the past 7 years, I have created a "Kata" (form) of thinking that makes it easier to come up with ideas.
Having a form is faster and stronger. Gun-Kata is strong because it's a form. Above all, if you fight with form rather than sense, by improving the precision of the form, you should be able to keep up with the cool kids even if your physical strength or sensitivity declines someday.

There are 8 thinking forms that I use myself. Rather than using them in order, I feel like I am thinking of ideas while swapping between various forms. Depending on the problem, there are forms that are completely useless. Even with a form you used earlier, you might get a different answer if you think about it after coming up with something using a different form. By changing your way of thinking and refreshing your mood while generating ideas, you can come up with ideas without fluctuations in your condition.

Also, this is important: when you are thinking of ideas, definitely have a smartphone notepad or paper and pen ready. You should write down everything you think of, even if it's trivial. I don't think this happened to me when I was a teenager, but lately, I'll stand up to go to the bathroom and immediately forget why. Let alone ideas—they vanish into oblivion in an instant. As long as you can remember it later, it's fine, so keep it rough. It's okay to write just fragments in messy handwriting.

From here, I will explain all 8 patterns of thinking that I use.

……I sound pretty arrogant saying that, but these are still unfinished patterns. If you don't really get it, feel free to skip it and just pick the ones that suit you.
And from here on... it's going to be... very long!! So I would be happy if you could read it slowly, maybe one pattern a day.

Forced Idea Generation Part 1: Horizontal Expansion

I'll start with the most useful one. My idea generation almost always starts with this pattern. It's a pattern I call Horizontal Expansion.

The idea is to extract and stock the 'useful techniques' from ideas (case studies) that you think are 'great!' Then, by applying that stock to your current challenge, you generate ideas that address that challenge.

In short, it's about imitating, but the important thing is 'extracting' and 'stocking.' If your extraction is poor, it becomes plagiarism or a technique you can't use at all. Also, since some techniques won't work depending on the problem, the pattern won't be useful unless you stock a lot of techniques. It's like watching commercials you like, looking at services you like, or watching programs you like, and saving them up day by day.

Let's try an extraction exercise as an example.

I think this is a fantastic idea, and when I think about why I feel it's 'good,' there seem to be several factors. First, the impact of 'using a landmark', which is the Tower of the Sun. Beyond physical resources like masks, there's the insight that 'selecting and visualizing information' is also important. It's also great that they are 'reusing what already exists', like the lighting. ...I write down the parts I think are good like that.

・Using a landmark
・Selecting and visualizing information
・Reusing what already exists
Osaka Prefecture COVID-19 Countermeasure Tower of the Sun

Like this. What I bulleted above is what I call a technique. I have learned three techniques from the Osaka Prefecture case study.
Since what people think is good varies from person to person, there are surely people who will extract completely different techniques from the same case. If you don't feel like 'this is good!', you won't be able to grasp the sense of the techniqueand won't be able to apply it to other problems, so when extracting techniques, please don't lie to your heart and find the points you think are 'good.' Also, since it's hard to organize if there are too many, I think it's best to extract 1 to 3 techniques per case.

Next, let's apply the techniques learned from the Osaka Prefecture case to another challenge. Let's use 'improving bookstore sales,' which appeared as an example in the horizontal expansion diagram, as our exercise.

To increase bookstore sales...
・Use landmarks
　→ For example, all statues across the country start reading books at once
・Select and visualize information
　→ For example, the bookstore name on the sign changes when a popular comic arrives
・Reuse what is already there
　→ For example, place wine from the same year as the publication date of an unsold old book next to it

If you have techniques, you can think while you write. It's convenient! Since it's about "forcing yourself to come up with ideas," it doesn't matter if these are actually good ideas. Let's verify them later. For now, being able to produce even slightly decent mediocre ideas is what's important.

Because they are so easy to use, I store these techniques daily like a mom who keeps soup in the freezer. The image below is a screenshot of a part of my own notes. If I have an idea I like, I add it to these notes, and I really do plan while looking at this every day.

I organize mine in Word, but a junior colleague organizes theirs very neatly in Notion, and I also know someone who uses PowerPoint. It's best to have a format that makes it easy for you to generate ideas (easy to see at a glance) and is not inconvenient to add to daily.

Since I'm at it, I'll summarize the techniques I like below. Please feel free to use them if you'd like.

(*I'll add more eventually)
So, that was the first pattern, "Horizontal Expansion." I'd like to make a note that only collects these techniques someday...

Forcing yourself to come up with ideas Part 2: The "In the First Place" Argument

Next is a fairly orthodox method. It's a pattern I call the "In the First Place" argument.

...or rather than a pattern, I think many people do this in their heads. The important thing is to consciously inject the "In the First Place" argument while swapping between various patterns.

The idea is that by skipping over all premises, including the issues, and asking, "What is the purpose of that service, content, or product, and how should it be?", you can sometimes find good answers.

I'll try it with the same example as before: "Increasing bookstore sales."

You say you want to increase bookstore sales, but...
【In the first place, why does it need to be increased?】
　→ Can we make Amazon an ally? 5% OFF if you show the Amazon purchase screen
【In the first place, is there no other form of a book?】
　→ Added value to physical books? Include PDF data if you pay 1.5 times the price
【In the first place, is there a need to sell books?】
　→ Maybe what we should sell is knowledge? Sell audio that explains the content of the book in 10 minutes

Something like that. I think of it with the image of climbing a different mountain than the original issue. The point is to vary the level of the "in the first place" question. In the example above, I changed the "in the first place" level from top to bottom, such as "in the first place regarding the significance of a bookstore's existence," "in the first place regarding what to sell at a bookstore," and "in the first place regarding the current state of bookstores."

When it works, it's a strong pattern that leads to interesting and meaningful ideas, even though it takes time. While it follows a logical order, by creating a gradation, you can sometimes come up with surprising ideas. If you're stuck, try asking "in the first place."

Forcing Ideas Part 3: The 'Like' Approach

Yay!!! This is the easiest one.

That's it!! Great work everyone!!!! This is a very powerful pattern. It also adds weight to your persuasion when recruiting collaborators. Above all, it's fun to execute.

There's no twist to this, but... I'll try it anyway. How much do you want to increase bookstore sales? It feels like that, but since I've come this far, I'll try it one more time with the problem of 'improving bookstore sales'.

Now, I like anime. So let's start the planning from an anime perspective.

To improve bookstore sales...
・Kinokuniya Bookstore, anime adaptation
・(Trend) Weather bookstore. Weather-linked bookstore
・List/shelf of anime influenced by those books (by genre)
・Voice actor original work reading relay
・Books that are good to read while watching anime

Something like that. Huh, that's not very good. But, you can see that if the pattern is different, the ideas change completely. (I intentionally, unavoidably, and as a last resort, came up with mediocre ideas to convey that... I did it on purpose, okay?)
Precisely because you like it, you understand the feelings of those who like it, and you gain confidence in finishing it into something that will delight them in the details. When you plan from the 'Like' approach, not only do ideas come out, but the finish is often better. It is a pattern that has such merits.

Forcing Ideas Part 4: Motif-First

Motif-first!! This pattern is fun to think about!! It's like a cross between the 'Like' approach introduced just before and the 'Media-first' approach I will introduce next.

In my case, when it works, it produces something really great, but when it doesn't, it's a completely useless pattern.

There are motifs that look attractive no matter what you attach them to...I feel like. So, for every plan, why not just attach that to it for now? That is this rough and unrefined pattern.

The motif-first pattern also requires savings. What you save is 'things you'll look at anyway if they are included'. Below are examples of my motif savings.

Ruins... cool... I often planned things like 'original art exhibitions in ruins' (my resources and strategy were weak, so they never reached execution).
Yeah, you can come up with about 5 ideas for the problem of 'planning an original art exhibition' with the motif collection above, right?

Let's plan an original art exhibition
・(Ruins) Original art exhibition in ruins
→ As the name suggests, an original art exhibition using ruins. For sci-fi, etc.
・(Wearable) Wearable original art exhibition
→ An exhibition where many people are standing around with original art attached to their T-shirts. It's alive.
・(Early morning/Late night) Dawn original art exhibition
→ A time-limited exhibition. Printed on acrylic to make it a transparent display and watch the sunrise.
・(Capsule hotel) Capsule hotel original art exhibition
→ An exhibition you can stay in. The experience changes depending on which capsule you stay in.
・(Restaurant) Edible original art exhibition
→ Turn a restaurant into an original art exhibition. Re-experience the story through a full course meal.

Oh. There are many that I want to try. It really is a powerful pattern when it hits. It was fun, so let's challenge bookstore sales too.

To increase bookstore sales...
・(Vending Machine) A Vending Machine for Stories
→ Sell excerpts of text as cards. The cards can be used as coupons.
・(Chocolate) Haruki Murakami-flavored chocolate
→ Develop flavors for each paperback. Sell them as books.
・(Restaurant) Wonderful bookshelves for wonderful restaurants
→ Propose to restaurants: "Would you like to build a wonderful bookshelf?"
・(Camping) A bookstore that visits campsites
→ Wouldn't it be nice to encounter books while camping to relax?
・(Hospital) Counter-argument Bookstore
→ A bookstore that places books with opposing views next to books with biased opinions. Medical misinformation.

Oh. You can come up with these. I like the motif-first approach... though you might struggle with resources later on.

Regarding ideas generated motif-first, there are many patterns that seem interesting on their own but don't actually work. In such cases, aligning them firmly with the strategy part will make for a much better plan.Let me explain that again in the strategy section. A point of caution: if you generate ideas based on things you don't particularly like, you'll have trouble when it comes to refining the details, so try to generate them from your own fetishes as much as possible.

Forcing ideas, Part 5: Media-first

This is a form similar to motif-first. Media-first is a method of generating ideas by working backward from the output location (the shell) rather than the content: "Where will we output this?".

I think this is an easy-to-use form because it's easy to adjust resources and visualize the goal. Conversely, it goes without saying that it's unsuitable when the media is already decided (like CM planning or the aforementioned original art exhibition planning). By the way, I plan to organize CM planning in the expression session as well. It is possible to plan using the above method, but there are ways to generate ideas unique to the expression part.

For now, I have listed common outputs in the image above. The point might be something like 4-panel manga. If there is a trending medium, don't hesitate to incorporate it into your idea generation. I think new media will continue to be born one after another. Should you go for retro media, or a currently popular format? Selecting the media should also be a place for a planner to show their skills.

One more thing. Let's try to come up with ideas that bring out the potential of that medium. Look for things that are done in other media but not in that one, and try challenging them. When that idea and strategy mesh, it grows into a strong plan. For example, right now. Animal Crossing is popular. People are building real art museums inside the game, making music videos... all sorts of things are being attempted. Suppose, for example, you think of a plan to "build a bookstore in Animal Crossing." It's a plan that might get people talking... but it might be a weak plan. The novelty is just shifting the target sideways (which has value in itself), so in reality, it's not new. So,
assuming you are releasing it in the medium of Animal Crossing, rethink the characteristics of Animal Crossing, and then come up with a plan.

To increase bookstore sales...
・Animal Crossing Bookstore where turnip prices are linked to book prices ・Bring one book per person! Animal Crossing Bookstore made by everyone ・Are the naughty books in the bushes?! Animal Crossing Bookstore that hides its products ・Bookstore that distributes bookstore packages and franchises them within the game

Franchising seems like it could be an interesting initiative. What do you think? Don't you feel like these are more interesting ideas than just "opening a bookstore in Animal Crossing"? When going media-first, I believe you can create a powerful plan if you can use the characteristics of the medium to take a step further.

Forcing ideas, Part 6: Going the opposite way

This is a form that can be called the real thrill of a planner. I use it thinking of it as a form to "go wild" with ideas.

If you want them to "sell," don't sell; if you want them to "come," don't let them come; if you want to "prohibit," allow it. This is a method of finding unexpected breakthroughs by thinking of the opposite of the original purpose. Let's look at an example.

For example... Let's prohibit smoking on the street
→ Conversely, why not allow it properly? → Why not issue a "Street Smoking License"? → Make it something you get after clearing tests for peripheral vision, sense of balance, concentration, and physical control → "Street smoking, isn't that impossible for humans?" Stir up a debate again

Yes. This is the perfect template for those looking for ideas that feel like real ideas. The key is setting a "reverse challenge." Since the answer changes depending on the challenge, I think your success rate will improve if you set a completely opposite challenge while thinking about what "reverse" means in this case. Shall we try it?

To increase bookstore sales...
<Conversely, make books harder to sell>
→ Increase books that don't sell. A difficult bookstore that only stocks esoteric books. You'll be popular if you frequent it.
→ (You could probably come up with things like hiding the titles from here too)
<Conversely, don't invite people to the bookstore>
→ Reduce the number of people who can come. A bookstore exclusively for people currently having an affair.
<Conversely, quit being a bookstore>
→ Sell only added value. A used bookstore where people who have passed university entrance exams come to sell their books.

You could probably come up with a "Book Pillow Fair" from this too. I didn't think of it, though. As you can see, you can come up with multiple reverse challenges. I personally like the idea of a bookstore exclusively for people having an affair; it sounds fun.

Looking at it this way, it seems there is an essence corresponding to each reverse challenge. In the previous example, "affair" was just something I thought of on the spot, and the essence of this reverse challenge seems to lie in narrowing down the target. Besides this, by exploring the essence of the reverse challenge, you could likely come up with even deeper ideas.

Forcing an idea #7: Resetting the challenge

Did you notice that I changed the order unnaturally? Because this template is difficult... That said, it is a major technique that you must consider at least once as a planner. It borders on the realm of strategy, but I've included it because I think it's something you should consider even during regular planning.

Redefining the challenge. It means exactly what it says. I've done similar things with the templates we've looked at so far, but instead of a mechanical method like those, here we re-examine: "Is this problem correct?"

It even appeared in the movie "Penguin Highway"! (Penguin Highway is a cute and mysterious movie based on the original work by author Tomihiko Morimi.)
"Divide the problem into smaller parts / Change the angle from which you view the problem / Look for similar problems"!! Isn't that exactly redefining the challenge?

It only appears for a split second in the film, but I was so moved that I bought it on Amazon Prime, paused it, and took notes. It seems to be a note the protagonist's father gave him when he was facing a problem. In the world of Penguin Highway, "redefining the challenge" is used to solve problems...!

That said, this alone might feel a bit vague. So, I have listed some easy-to-use "redefinition patterns" for now. Hopefully, this will make it a bit easier to visualize.

These are just "redefinition patterns" I've encountered a few times in my roughly seven years of experience. There is likely infinite potential in this template, so don't just apply the methods above loosely; try to struggle to "get closer to the essence of the problem you are working on."

To increase bookstore sales, reset the challenge
・Can we increase sales while cutting costs?
→ Robot bookstore. Bookstore vending machine.
・What lies behind the act of going to a bookstore?
→ Wanting to buy a book in a hurry. A membership-based subscription bookstore where you can take out one book a week.
→ Dropped by by chance while doing something else / Want to enjoy the encounter with a book
・What are the uses for books other than interesting or useful ones?
→ The benefits of books as interior decor. Proposing books that match the room's interior.

Sorry, this isn't as shallow as it sounds... This template requires an essential understanding of the problem, so it's difficult to do with a hypothetical problem. I want to think about it thoroughly while talking to the client.

It's a template that makes it easy to come up with deep, strategic plans. Please give it a try.

Forcing an idea #8: Thinking about the outside

Finally, the last template. It's called "Thinking about the outside." I'll say this first:
this is a bat for hitting home runs. It's very difficult to use, but I feel like if you connect, it's huge. (I've never connected with this bat, so I don't really know lol)

This is a pattern for reviewing all the ideas you have considered so far, discovering the 'assumptions and cognitive biases you are unconsciously trapped in,' and searching for 'things that you/everyone have not thought of yet.'

A good idea is one that makes you think, 'Wow! Why didn't I think of that!?' As that phrase suggests, you cannot come up with a good idea by yourself. If that's the case, wouldn't it be possible to come up with one if you search for areas you haven't thought of yet after you've gone through and thought of everything?

Taking the bookstore idea as an example,

Assumptions Tatara was unconsciously trapped in regarding 'ideas to improve bookstore sales'
・Thinking only from the reader's perspective
　→ What if you think from the perspective of publishers, authors, or printing companies?
・Tending to think of bookstores in terms of individual elements like 'products/location/staff/customers'
　→ Is there anything that can be seen from their relationships?
　→ Is there anything that could reconstruct those relationships?
・The premise that 'books ⊂ bookstore' is taken for granted
　→ Could there be a book that bundles bookstores, or could the book itself be a bookstore?
・Not being able to think about the social aspects of bookstores
　→ What can bookstores do in a society that lives with COVID?

That's the kind of thing. Once a question is raised, the answer is close by. So, I'll stop here, but I definitely feel like my mind has become more flexible. I have a feeling that I might be able to do this!! It was interesting, so I'll think about what comes next again later.

Well then! The above are the 8 idea patterns I use. If you have any others, or if you think about things in this way, please let me know.These patterns are still incomplete. I intend to continue improving them from here on out.

Verifying: Sekai-kei Synapse

From here, a different phase begins, separate from coming up with ideas. It is the phase of 'verifying,' where you look closely at the ideas you've come up with, brush them up, and select them.

There should be many ideas rolling around in front of us now that we have forced ourselves to come up with them. There may be things you like and things you don't, but... you can't possibly implement (propose) all of them, so you have to choose which ideas to go with.
But wait, hold on. What is in front of us are still just fluffy ideas with only one line written down. We should think a little more before deciding whether they will become good things when incorporated into a plan. To that end,
'Is this idea really good? Can it be made even better?' is what the verification phase is for. You can tell if an idea will work by brushing it up once. Conversely, ideas that you thought were mediocre often turn out to be really good after you rethink them a little.

With that said, from here on, I will organize the steps for verifying and brushing up the ideas that have been produced.

When verifying, I remember Sekai-kei. Sekai-kei is a story format popular in anime, manga, and light novels, and to put it very roughly, it is something that has a frame where 'the outcome of a romance with a girl you like affects the fate of the world.' It is characterized by the large amplitude of the perspective, such as when a meteor falls and destroys the world the moment after depicting a water droplet dripping from a faucet. 'Evangelion' and 'Your Name,' which became global booms, are also said to be Sekai-kei. Like 'Iriya no Sora,' you know.

No, no, it is true that I love Sekai-kei, but there is a clear intention for bringing it up here. I think the sense of Sekai-kei is very useful for verifying ideas.

I will tell you something very important. It is a waste if an idea is just simply interesting, and it is boring if it only has social significance. It is extremely difficult and I myself am not able to do such a thing, but don't you want to aim for an idea that can somehow achieve both?
That is where Sekai-kei comes in. I brush up ideas by going back and forth between an extremely small perspective and an extremely large perspective, asking whether it is simply interesting and whether it has historical significance. It is human nature that when you do one, the other is missing. Like Sekai-kei, I believe it is necessary to brush up in both directions. Sometimes, both synapses connect, and I think, 'This is interesting and significant!' To intentionally make that happen, I review the ideas I have come up with so far from 'her perspective' and 'the world's perspective.'

As shown in the figure above, I use four perspectives, large and small, when verifying ideas. From here, I would like to look at how to use each of those perspectives.

Verification Part 1: Individual Perspective

Let's start with a "narrow" perspective that is easy to think about. Let's look at ideas from an individual perspective.

When verifying an idea from an "individual perspective," simply think about how you would feel if you encountered that project, and how it could be made more interesting. The key points are the visual presentation, the timing of the encounter, and what the user is looking for.

As a test, if we re-examine the idea of a "bookstore exclusively for people having affairs" from an individual perspective, we might want to add points like these.

・Only books about extramarital affairs are lined up. Conversely, there are also books that warn against affairs.
・There are masks at the entrance, and those who wish to can wear a mask to enjoy the store.
・It is not listed on Google Maps.
・There is a shower room where you can destroy evidence.
・The store name is "Itsumono Toko" (The Usual Place). You can say, "I'm at the usual place."

And so on. In short, it's about adding various things to make the idea more interesting. What is important is a perspective called "insight."
In a word, insight is a user's latent desire. An insight-based idea is an observation like, "Don't they need a place to calm their mind when returning from an affair?"

How can you make the user happy? Conventional things have already been done, so if you can hit the spot that the person is thinking about deep down but society has not yet been able to solve, that idea is as good as won.

One more point. If you added something but it doesn't really make it more interesting, quickly discard those brush-up points.If you keep adding too much, the sharpness of the idea will drop, so once you have added a really interesting point, be satisfied and move on. I sometimes see cluttered ideas, but they inevitably stop feeling interesting.

So, the idea of a "bookstore exclusively for people having affairs" has been...

brushed up into the idea of: "Enjoy terminal love books at 'The Usual Place,' a bookstore for affairs with showers that isn't even on Google Maps."

Yes, in this way, from an individual perspective, we keep piling up
"How would the user react if they were there?" "What would I think if I saw it?" "How can I make it physiologically more interesting?"How about it? Don't you feel the idea has improved?

Verification Part 2: The News Perspective

Next is a relatively simple brush-up. It is what I call the news perspective.

First, try turning the idea you thought of into a news headline.Then, check if that headline piques interest, and tune it into a form that can capture interest.

Let's try it.

Exclusively for people having affairs!? What is this hard-to-enter specialty bookstore for terminal love books?

In these days when the problem of fake news is growing, I am careful not to lie as part of my job. But everyone, rest assured.
Since our ideas haven't taken shape yet, we can just reshape the idea itself into something that looks good in the news!!

To make it a news headline,you should have about two key elements, and you'll want to include words that grab interest within them.In this case, since I wrote "difficult to enter," it seems I need to come up with some way to manage entry. I feel it would be problematic if only people who are actually having an affair could enter, so maybe I'll make it so that any pair who self-identifies as having an affair can enter.

By trying to turn it into a news headline like the one above, the interesting points that should be valued will emerge. While refining those parts once more,let's adjust it so it becomes a news statement that everyone will be interested in!
Also, if it doesn't become an attractive news headline, think about the cause. If it's "too novel to put into words," that's fine. Otherwise, it might be better to discard it.

Verification Part 3: The President's Perspective

This is a refinement of a part that is close to strategy. Let's look at the idea from a slightly broader perspective than before.

The "President's Perspective" is about imagining the reaction of someone who would invest in your idea when they hear it.

The president in my head manages money strictly andis conscious of cost-performance.On the other hand, since they are also a business person, they are always thinking aboutwhether the business can increase its impact on society.(I've never been a president, so it might be completely different!!! But this is just a methodology for refining ideas, so it's fine.)

Perfect! Our company values that direction!
This project is in a novel position in the market!
This performance for this cost. I definitely want to adopt it!
Our users will surely be happy with this!!

I think they might say something like this. In short,if you want to persuade a president, "just being interesting is not enough."There are many capable people around, after all. They must be tired of hearing ideas that are just interesting.You must do something that is both interesting and meaningful.

Since "A Bookstore for People Having Affairs" is something I would likely pitch to the president of a bookstore chain, let's imagine that. I'm sure they would say something like this.

● I cannot support something that goes against public order and morals.
● How many users are there for that, anyway?
● Are you saying the store needs to be renovated?
● Even if you did it, what kind of prospects would open up?

Hmm. That's a tough reaction. But it's okay.Because questions were the seeds of the idea, weren't they?Let's try to counter them one by one.

● I cannot support something that goes against public order and morals.
　→ The point is to "self-identify to enter." I'm not supporting actual affairs, and it can also serve as a cultural study of the act of having an affair.
● How many users are there for that, anyway?
　→ Secret romances are a theme that will always attract literary interest.
● Are you saying the store needs to be renovated?
　→ Not necessary. It can be handled just by decorating the entrance.
● Even if you did it, what kind of prospects would open up?
　→ We can draw users who are interested in such things but don't usually read books into a reading experience.

I just wrote that on the spot, but writing it down makes me feel like I can make the idea more correct. Yes, that's how you should refine it as an idea. Well, maybe it is indeed imprudent... but let's try making adjustments like taking a survey about affairs from people who come (that's actually interesting) or giving up on the shower room.

It's a small thing, but... don't you feel like various parts have tightened up just from this?

Verification Part 4: The God's Perspective

The long, long idea generation process is finally reaching its final stage. Lastly, let's verify the idea from the God's perspective.

From the God's perspective, regardless of business or anything else, you re-examine the potential that the project has from a social, global, and historical viewpoint.
It is the process of finding connections between your idea and things like the problems of current society, historical principles and arguments, and the future of humanity.It's okay if you don't force it, but I believe that putting such feelings somewhere into your idea will lead to making this world a better place.

Let's think about it with a 'Bookstore for People Having Affairs'...

Isn't society making too much noise about affairs these days?

That thought comes to mind. No, I don't think it's a good thing, but I also don't think it's an issue for unrelated people to chime in on. With that sentiment in mind, shall I try writing a catchphrase?

Diversity means being able to shout what you love. A bookstore for people having affairs, opening in 2020.

It had a shady image until now, but suddenly it's started to look dignified... Is that okay? I guess so. That's my honest take. Doing this changes things like the entrance design, and it feels like it could start hosting workshops.

The perspective of a god produces such unexpected byproducts. Above all, with the thought that humans want to live with a broad perspective, I included it as the final verification method. I highly recommend this perspective.

When the Idea Phase Ends: Da Capo

I have organized 8 forced ideation techniques and 4 refinement methods to generate 'ideas,' the building blocks of planning. I kept thinking about the bookstore and ended up creating a bookstore for people having affairs that shouts about diversity. What do I do with this?

Honestly... usually... I don't think this far!! I was just doing it vaguely in my head and hadn't properly systematized it.
I feel like I can generate ideas faster than ever from now on. The power of putting things into words is amazing. That was super fun.

Huh? You couldn't come up with any ideas? Don't worry. That happens to me often, too.
In that case, let's start over from the beginning. Since you've thought as far as the perspective of a god, if you use the framework again, something should come out.

Idea generation often returns to the starting point like this.Just like a musical score with 'Da Capo' written on it.

In terms of what I've learned over 7 years, this is still only a quarter of it. Next, I would like to summarize the 'Strategy' section.