Keep Brainstorms On-Brand and Reduce Subjective Clashes with AI Design Sprint™
In our ongoing series about the AI Design Sprint™, we’ve explored how agencies can leverage AI for transformative growth. We’ve discussed streamlining workflows, enhancing team collaboration, and driving innovation. In this fifth installment, we dive into creative ideation and concepting, the lifeblood of any agency, and how the AI Design Sprint™ can revolutionize this critical process.
Maintaining brand consistency and managing subjective differences among team members can often hinder the creative process. Many agencies struggle to keep brainstorming sessions on-brand while minimizing conflicts, leading to inefficiencies and diluted creative output.
Today, I want to share how the AI Design Sprint™ can revolutionize your creative ideation and concepting process. By integrating AI, agencies can ensure that brainstorms remain on-brand, reduce subjective clashes, and foster a harmonious and productive creative environment. The outcome? More cohesive and innovative concepts, enhanced team collaboration, and a streamlined creative workflow.
If your agency is grappling with inconsistent brainstorming sessions, misaligned creative visions, or frequent subjective conflicts, this article is for you.
Let’s explore how you can refine your creative ideation and concepting strategy with precision and innovation.
Understanding the Agency
The Agency That Struggled with Creative Ideation and Concepting
Let me take you on a journey about an agency that was experiencing rapid growth.
They began as a small creative studio but soon expanded their services to include comprehensive branding, advertising, content creation, and digital marketing. With this growth came new roles: Creative Director, Ideation Specialist, Graphic Designers, Copywriters, Account Managers, and Project Managers.
Exciting times, right? But with great growth came significant challenges. Their creative ideation and concepting processes were fragmented. Brainstorming sessions often deviated from the brand’s core values, and subjective clashes among team members led to tension and inefficiency. Additionally, the rush to develop creative concepts sometimes resulted in ideas that were not fully aligned with client expectations, risking project delays and client dissatisfaction.
Sound familiar?
Symptoms of Inefficiency
Every brainstorming session felt disjointed, making it tough to maintain a unified brand image.
Multiple team members contributing without a streamlined process led to conflicting ideas and delays.
In the excitement to generate innovative concepts, they occasionally strayed from the brand’s guidelines, risking consistency.
Manual tracking and subjective decision-making processes stretched the time from ideation to concept approval, making them less competitive.
The Six Staff Members: Why Each Role Matters
Let’s meet the stars of their story.
- The Creative Director (CD) oversees the creative vision but struggles with ensuring consistency across all concepts.
- The Ideation Specialist (IS) facilitates brainstorming sessions but finds it challenging to align diverse ideas with the brand’s core values.
- The Graphic Designers (GD) bring visual concepts to life but are often delayed by conflicting feedback.
- The Copywriters (CW) craft compelling narratives but sometimes face disagreements over creative direction.
- The Account Managers (AM) manage client relationships but find it tough to relay clear creative briefs.
- Lastly, the Project Managers (PM) coordinate the creative process, battling disjointed workflows and communication gaps to keep everything on track.
Bringing these roles together in an online AI Design Sprint™ workshop was a game-changer. Facilitated by a certified expert, their goal was clear: overhaul their creative ideation and concepting process, unify team inputs, and embed AI-driven efficiencies from the ground up.
The Steps
Transformations like these need a roadmap. They followed a structured AI Design Sprint™ process, ensuring every detail was covered and every voice was heard.
Mapping the Current Creative Process (Steps 1–3)
Step 1: Check Whether the Process Describes Reality
They kicked things off with Zoom and Miro, mapping out their existing creative workflows.
Everyone shared how ideas were generated, concepts were developed, reviewed, and approved.
Within an hour, their current state looked something like this:
- Idea Generation: Brainstorming sessions to generate creative ideas.
- Concept Development: Refining ideas into actionable concepts.
- Internal Review: Reviewing concepts internally for alignment and feasibility.
- Client Presentation: Presenting concepts to clients for feedback.
- Feedback and Revision: Collecting client feedback and making necessary adjustments.
- Final Approval: Finalising concepts and moving to production.
- Project Execution: Implementing the approved concepts into deliverables.
- Performance Tracking: Monitoring the effectiveness of the creative outputs.
During this step, the team discussed how each stage was executed and identified discrepancies between the documented process and actual practices. This conversation highlighted areas where informal practices deviated from the intended workflow, providing a realistic view of their creative ideation and concepting process.
Step 2: Mark and Describe Pain Points with Red Post-Its
Using red sticky notes, they pinpointed the major obstacles.
The lack of standardised ideation templates led to inconsistency during brainstorming sessions. Manual review processes created bottlenecks in concept development. Messaging inconsistencies during client presentations sometimes led to overpromising, and tracking creative feedback became a mess during revision stages.
The team shared their frustrations and experiences, discussing how these pain points affected their daily work and the overall efficiency of the creative process. This open dialogue ensured that everyone was on the same page regarding the challenges they faced.
Step 3: Mark High-Value Points with Green Dots
They then prioritised the most critical issues with green dots.
Standardised ideation templates, a streamlined review process, consistent messaging, and automated feedback tracking emerged as their focus areas for AI integration.
In a lively discussion, team members voted on which pain points would deliver the most significant improvements if addressed. This prioritisation helped them focus their efforts on the areas that would make the biggest impact.
AI Cards and Prioritisation (Steps 4–5)
Step 4: Go Through AI Cards Two at a Time, Copy Them If Relevant
They explored AI solution categories.
- AI Content Generation tools assist in drafting consistent ideation templates and creative briefs.
- AI Workflow Automation systems streamline the review and approval processes.
- AI Data Integration solutions consolidate feedback and insights from various team members, and AI Compliance Checks ensure all concepts meet brand and ethical standards.
The team examined each AI category, discussing how these solutions could address their identified pain points. By understanding the capabilities of each AI tool, they could better match them to their specific needs.
Step 5: Prioritise the Three Most Important AI Cards for Each Step
Through dot-voting, they landed on AI Content Generation to standardise ideation templates, AI Workflow Automation to streamline internal reviews, and AI Data Integration to unify feedback from Creative, Account, and Project teams.
After reviewing the options, the team collectively agreed that these three AI solutions would most effectively tackle their top pain points. This consensus ensured that their focus was aligned and that they were prioritising solutions with the highest potential impact.
Focusing the Sprint (Steps 6–7)
Step 6: Select Two Process Steps to Focus On
They decided to zero in on the idea generation phase and the internal review process.
Ensuring standardised, high-quality ideation during brainstorming and streamlining reviews to reduce bottlenecks were identified as the most impactful areas for improvement.
The team discussed which stages of the creative process would benefit most from AI integration. By focusing on these two critical areas, they aimed to create a solid foundation for improving overall efficiency.
Step 7: Move and Reformulate the Two Selected Focus Points
These became their anchor points: the AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator, which ensures consistent and on-brand brainstorming sessions, and the Automated Review Workflow, which accelerates the internal approval process with minimal manual intervention.
During this step, they redefined their focus areas to clearly outline how AI would enhance each process. This clarity helped the team understand the specific roles AI would play in their creative workflow.
Integrating and Examining Neighbouring Steps (Steps 8–9)
Step 8: Integrate the Anchor Points into the Existing Process
They introduced the AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator to guide brainstorming sessions based on standardised templates and brand guidelines.
Simultaneously, they implemented the Automated Review Workflow to manage concept approvals, track feedback, and ensure timely revisions.
They mapped out how these AI tools would fit into their current workflow, ensuring a seamless transition. The team discussed the integration points and how each role would interact with the new systems.
Step 9: See How Neighbouring Steps Are Influenced
AI can now suggest creative elements and ensure brand alignment during the idea generation phase.
Consistent strategy messaging enhances the clarity and professionalism of their client presentations. Additionally, automated tracking ensures timely and organised feedback, reducing missed opportunities and delays.
The team evaluated the ripple effects of integrating AI into their creative process. This foresight helped them anticipate and address potential changes in related stages, ensuring a holistic improvement.
Big-Picture Review & People-AI Interactions (Steps 10–12)
Step 10: Rethink the Entire Process
They stepped back to ensure their revamped workflow addressed the initial pain points without introducing new challenges.
It was about making sure AI would enhance their efficiency and consistency while keeping their creative and strategic edge intact.
The team engaged in a thorough review, discussing whether the new integrations aligned with their overall goals and maintained their agency’s unique value proposition. This step was crucial for ensuring that the AI tools complemented rather than compromised their creative processes.
Step 11: Add How and Where People Could Help AI Perform Well
- The Creative Director (CD) oversees the AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator, providing strategic inputs and refining outputs.
- The Ideation Specialist (IS) collaborates with AI tools to generate and personalise creative ideas.
- The Graphic Designers (GD) ensure AI-generated concepts align with the brand’s visual standards.
- Copywriters (CW) input client requirements and feedback into the AI system.
- The Data Analyst (DA) supplies data-driven insights to inform creative content.
- Lastly, the Project Manager (PM) coordinates the Automated Review Workflow, ensuring smooth approvals and timely revisions.
They delineated each team member’s role in the AI-enhanced process, ensuring that everyone knew how to interact with the new tools effectively. This clarity fostered ownership and accountability within the team.
Step 12: Mark Sketches Where a Person Interacts with AI
They created a flow diagram to visualise interactions.
The Ideation Specialist inputs client requirements into the AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator. The Creative Director reviews and personalises AI-generated ideas.
The Graphic Designers ensure alignment with brand standards. The Project Manager utilises the Automated Review Workflow to manage approvals and track feedback.
By mapping out these interactions, the team gained a clear understanding of their touchpoints with the AI tools. This visual aid facilitated smoother collaboration and highlighted areas where human input was essential.
Refining Anchors & Tasks (Steps 13–14)
Step 13: Revisit Anchor Points and Improve Descriptions
They refined their anchor points to ensure clarity and precision.
The AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator now ensures consistent and on-brand brainstorming sessions based on standardised templates, client inputs, and data-driven insights.
The Automated Review Workflow manages concept approvals, tracks feedback, and ensures timely revisions through AI-driven task assignments and notifications.
This step helped the team fully grasp the functionalities and benefits of each AI tool, facilitating better implementation.
Step 14: Break Each Anchor Point into Four Sub-Steps
For the AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator:
- Template Configuration: Define standardised ideation templates with consistent branding and structure.
- Client Data Integration: Input client-specific information and project requirements into the AI system.
- Idea Generation: AI assists in generating creative ideas based on templates and client data.
- Human Refinement: Ideation Specialist reviews, edits, and personalises the AI-generated ideas.
For the Automated Review Workflow:
- Submission for Review: Completed concepts are automatically routed to relevant team members for review.
- Feedback Collection: AI collects and organises feedback from reviewers.
- Revision Tracking: Automated notifications ensure timely revisions and updates.
- Final Approval: Project Manager oversees the final approval process, ensuring concepts meet all standards before presentation.
Breaking down each anchor point into actionable sub-steps provided a clear roadmap for implementation. The team could now follow these detailed steps to ensure each aspect of the process was addressed effectively.
Final Declarations & Ethical Checks (Steps 15–17)
Step 15: Restate the AI Technologies Used
They utilised AI Content Generation through natural language processing models for drafting consistent ideation templates and creative briefs.
AI Workflow Automation was implemented using machine learning algorithms to streamline review and approval processes.
AI Data Integration consolidated feedback and insights from Creative, Account, and Project teams into a unified system.
They reiterated the technologies involved to ensure everyone was on the same page regarding the tools they were implementing. This step reinforced the technical foundation of their new process.
Step 16: Give the New Process a Catchy Name
They named their new process “IdeaSync,” highlighting the seamless synchronization and intelligent automation it brings to their creative ideation and concepting workflow.
Choosing a memorable name helped the team embrace the new process. It fostered a sense of identity and ownership, making it easier to communicate and refer to the system internally.
Step 17: Individually Select Relevant AI Ethics Cards
They selected Transparency, Privacy, Fairness, and Accountability.
Transparency ensures they clearly communicate AI involvement in ideation and concepting. Privacy safeguards client data within the AI systems.
Fairness avoids biased idea generation and ensures equitable treatment of all creative concepts. Accountability maintains human oversight over AI-generated ideas and review processes to ensure accuracy and integrity.
Addressing ethical considerations was paramount. The team discussed how to uphold these principles, ensuring their AI integrations were responsible and trustworthy.
Scenario Planning & Realignment (Steps 18–21)
Step 18: Write Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios
In the best-case scenario, IdeaSync streamlines brainstorming sessions, enhances brand consistency, and reduces concept development time by 50% within three months, leading to a 20% increase in client satisfaction and project approvals.
In the worst-case scenario, AI-generated ideas lack creativity, leading to ineffective concepts and a decline in client trust.
The team brainstormed potential outcomes, both positive and negative. This foresight helped them prepare strategies to maximise benefits and mitigate risks.
Step 19: Reflect on Implications for the AI Solution
To mitigate risks, they implemented rigorous Quality Assurance measures to ensure creativity and accuracy in AI-generated ideas.
Continuous Training of AI models with new data improved relevance and authenticity.
Additionally, Feedback Loops encouraged team feedback to refine AI tools continuously.
They discussed practical steps to address the worst-case scenarios, ensuring that their AI tools remained effective and trustworthy.
Step 20: Share with the Team and Align
They held an all-hands virtual meeting to present IdeaSync.
Each role understood their responsibilities and the importance of collaboration in the AI-enhanced workflow.
The team was excited and committed to the new process.
Sharing the plan with the entire team fostered alignment and enthusiasm. Everyone felt involved and motivated to contribute to the successful implementation of the new system.
Step 21: Go Back to the Solution and Refine
Based on team feedback, they integrated advanced brainstorming features for Ideation Specialists to easily modify AI-generated ideas, simplified the Automated Review Workflow for easier navigation and management, and scheduled comprehensive training sessions to ensure all team members were proficient with the new tools.
Refining the solution based on feedback ensured that the tools were user-friendly and met the team’s needs effectively. This iterative improvement was key to smooth adoption.
Note: Typically at this point a “Tech Check” is done by either external partners or internal tech teams to see if the proposed solution is viable from a technical point of view.
If yes, there would be an agile prototype phase to develop and fine-tune before going into full development and integration.
Pilot & External Feedback (Steps 22–24)
Step 22: Pitch the Solution to External Users
They rolled out a pilot version of IdeaSync with select clients.
Clients appreciated the professional and consistent brainstorming sessions, but some desired more personalised creative elements, prompting further refinement.
Engaging external users provided valuable insights into how their creative ideation and concepting processes were perceived, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.
Step 23: Seek Feedback
They compiled feedback into a Miro board, highlighting strengths such as improved idea quality and reduced brainstorming time, alongside areas for improvement like enhanced personalisation and flexibility in creative concepts.
Organising feedback systematically allowed them to identify common themes and prioritise adjustments effectively.
Step 24: Discuss Feedback and Improve the Concept
Key adjustments included configuring AI tools to incorporate client-specific nuances and preferences, enabling the AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator to learn from past successful concepts and client feedback for better future outputs, and improving the workflow interface’s usability based on client and team suggestions.
Implementing these refinements ensured that IdeaSync was more responsive to client needs and user-friendly for their team.
With these refinements, IdeaSync was ready for full-scale implementation.
The Final Solution – “IdeaSync”
Recap of Pain Points Addressed
By the end of their 24-step journey, they had successfully tackled several key issues.
Inconsistent Ideation was resolved through standardised templates and AI-generated ideas, ensuring uniformity across all brainstorming sessions.
Disjointed Review Processes were unified with AI Workflow Automation, bringing together feedback from Creative, Account, and Project teams seamlessly.
Overpromising Capabilities were mitigated by Automated Review Workflows that incorporated checks to prevent inconsistent messaging.
Finally, Time-Consuming Processes were significantly reduced through AI Workflow Automation, streamlining the creative ideation and concepting timelines.
The Pilot Next Steps
Next Steps
Looking ahead, they plan to integrate machine learning models to enhance ideation with more nuanced and personalised ideas.
They aim to incorporate deeper personalisation features to cater to diverse client needs and implement AI-driven analytics to predict concept success rates and optimise their strategies accordingly.
Why a Step Process Works
Thoroughness vs. Speed
While the temptation to deploy AI solutions rapidly is strong, the complexity of creative ideation demands a thoughtful approach.
Their structured AI Design Sprint™ ensured comprehensive problem identification, tackling root causes rather than just the symptoms.
Systematic AI exploration allowed them to methodically evaluate AI solutions to find the perfect fit.
Inclusive team involvement engaged all relevant roles, fostering ownership and collaboration.
Robust testing and feedback integration validated solutions through pilot testing and iterative refinements.
Everyone Sees Their Part in the Puzzle
From the Creative Director overseeing AI-powered ideation to the Analytics Specialist leveraging unified data for strategic decisions, every role understood their contribution.
This holistic involvement ensured IdeaSync was seamlessly integrated and embraced across the agency.
AI with Purpose, Not Gimmick
Each AI solution directly addressed specific pain points.
- AI Content Generation enhanced consistency and efficiency in ideation templates.
- AI Workflow Automation streamlined review processes, reducing delays and bottlenecks.
- AI Data Integration unified team inputs for coherent and comprehensive creative concepts.
Ethical considerations, such as transparency and accountability, were integral, ensuring AI served as a tool for empowerment rather than replacement.
Key Takeaways
The Resulting “IdeaSync”
Their final IdeaSync includes standardised ideation templates, ensuring consistent quality and branding across all brainstorming sessions.
The AI-Powered Ideation Facilitator drafts comprehensive ideas based on standardised templates and client inputs.
Human Refinement allows Ideation Specialists to personalise and enhance AI-generated ideas.
The Automated Review Workflow manages concept approvals, tracks feedback, and ensures timely revisions.
Unified Data Integration consolidates inputs from Creative, Account, and Project teams into a single creative system.
Lastly, their ethics framework maintains transparency about AI involvement and ensures client data privacy.
Lessons
Tailoring AI tools to address specific pain points rather than adopting generic solutions was crucial.
Engaging all relevant roles ensured a comprehensive and cohesive strategy implementation.
Upholding ethical standards maintained trust and integrity in their AI-driven processes.
Continuous feedback and iterative refinement enhanced the effectiveness and adaptability of their AI tools.
Forward-Looking Upgrades
With IdeaSync in place, their agency plans to develop a machine learning-based ideation facilitator to enhance personalisation and contextual relevance.
They aim to expand to multimedia creative elements by incorporating AI tools for generating and integrating multimedia ideas.
Additionally, integrating predictive analytics will help forecast concept success rates and proactively adjust their strategies.
Last Thoughts
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, blending creativity with precision is key.
Integrating AI into your creative ideation and concepting strategy isn’t just about keeping up with trends—it’s about strategically implementing tools that solve real challenges and drive meaningful results.
For agencies struggling with inconsistent brainstorming sessions and subjective clashes, embracing a structured AI Design Sprint™ can lead to a unified, efficient, and data-driven creative ecosystem.
Gather your team, dive into a collaborative AI Design Sprint™, and watch your creative ideation and concepting efforts transform into a synchronised and impactful force.