Say it like this
- Let's ideate on ways to cut onboarding time.
- We spent the morning ideating, and the afternoon prototyping.
- Bring three rough ideas to the ideation session.
Use it at work
Starting a workshop
- Let's start by ideating on the problem.
- No bad ideas in this part.
Proposing a step
- Can we ideate a bit before we decide?
- Let's run a quick ideation session.
Plain alternative
- Let's brainstorm some options.
- Let's come up with a few ideas first.
Don't say this
"Ideate" usually takes "on" or "around", not a direct object.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| ideate | generate ideas (design thinking) | product and design teams | workshops |
| brainstorm | generate ideas (everyday) | everyone | any meeting |
| prototype | build a rough version | designers, engineers | after ideas are chosen |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. You want the team to generate ideas before choosing a design. Which sentence is most natural?
2. In the first half of the workshop we'll _______ on ways to reduce churn.
3. Which sentence uses 'ideate' correctly?
4. Rewrite in plain English without 'ideate': 'Let's ideate around customer retention.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"Let's ideate on ways to cut onboarding time."
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More about ideate
Real examples(3)
- in a workshop invite
"Agenda: 30 min problem review, 45 min ideation, 30 min voting."
- in a design review
"Before we commit to this layout, can we ideate on a few alternatives?"
- in a retro
"We jumped straight to building. Next time, let's ideate first."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Some colleagues find "ideate" too jargony. "Brainstorm" is safer in everyday conversation.
- ✕I ideated a bug fix.✓I came up with a fix for the bug.
Ideate is for open-ended idea generation, not for one specific solution.
- ✕Ideate (in every sentence)✓brainstorm / come up with ideas
Overusing it sounds like corporate jargon. Mix in plain words.
Other forms(3)
- ideation noun
"The ideation phase lasts one week."
- ideated past
"We ideated on 20 ideas and picked three."
- ideation session adjective
"Join the ideation session on Friday."
Often used with(3)
- ideate on · generate ideas about a topic
- ideation session · a meeting for coming up with ideas
- ideation phase · the idea stage of a project
Similar words(3)
- brainstorm · the most common everyday word
- come up with ideas · plain English
- explore options · neutral, business
Opposites(3)
- execute
- implement
- converge
Questions(4)
- What does ideate mean?
- Ideate means to come up with ideas, often in a group, before deciding on a solution.
- Is ideate a real word?
- Yes. It is in major dictionaries and is common in design and product teams, although some people see it as jargon.
- What is the difference between ideate and brainstorm?
- They mean almost the same. Brainstorm is more common in everyday speech; ideate sounds more formal and comes from design thinking.
- What is an ideation session?
- A meeting or workshop where a team generates lots of ideas about a problem, usually before voting or prototyping.
