Does quality or quantity matter more when thinking of creative ideas?

Is it better to come up with tons of ideas or to just focus on getting good ideas?

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might be a little confused about what kind of thinking I advocate.

Not long ago, I grumbled about a podcaster who spoke about how many ideas it takes to come up with 1 idea that will be a commercial success.

Based on a recent study by the  Product Development and Management Association that one commercially successful idea arises for every 11 ideas, the podcaster laid out a schedule for innovators to follow.  He told listeners that coming up with 110 concepts would turn into one successful product.

Unsurprisingly, I disagreed.  That theory is completely useless because it never takes into consideration the quality of the ideas.  Someone might have a successful idea in 110 concepts, but it could also take them 10,000 concepts.  Or only 5.

There is no way to predict the quality of ideas when the only measure is quality.

At the same time, however, I've also been going to bat for the other side of the issue.

In The Easiest Way to become a Creative Thinker I stated very strongly that "the only way to be able to think of wickedly good ideas is by thinking of ideas all the time."

Then, in Why Saying No Destroys Creativity, I told thinkers that the worst thing is to say no to an idea right away when it's something different than what they're specifically looking for in that creativity session.

And if you've popped over to the fun IdeaList website after reading the post I wrote in furious response to a person who cruelly and crudely dismissed an idea with no consideration for the creator, you'll see that I think all ideas should be given a chance.

So, what gives?  Which view am I lying about?  Are all ideas good, or is it only worthwhile to focus on getting good ideas? Or am I just a spineless flip-flopper who takes whatever view is convenient to write about at the moment?

The truth is, both viewpoints are correct.  That's why creativity is such an interesting pursuit.

So, when is it important to think of many ideas?

• For people who are just beginning to become creative thinkers, the most important thing is to train their brain into idea mode.  It's best to get each and every idea, no matter how silly, out there on the table--and then to see which ones have promise later.

• For people who are trying to come up with something completely new and different.  If they only create a few new ideas, and only accept the safe ones, they will fail in their quest for a wickedly good, complete original idea.

• For people who are asked to be creative on a very irregular basis as a part of their job.  Asking an employee to come up with a bankable idea out of the blue is the best way to stop them from having any ideas at all.  Stopping the 3rd degree interrogation of their idea's value and letting all ideas in is the only way to break down their fear of rejection and encourage them to be creative.

And, when does the quality of the idea count far more than the quantity?

• When the idea is coming from a trained creative team that has been assigned the ideation task.  This is what the team does for their job, and quality is to be expected.  At the same time, the team will probably come up with tons of wacky ideas that will contribute to the final idea...the organization just won't know about all the gory details.

• When the person coming up with the idea has a lot of experience with creative thinking.  In this case, the innovator likely knows how to classify initial ideas into groups (e.g. ideas that need more thought, ideas that can be used now, ideas with concepts that should be looked at more, etc)

• When a person or company is qualifying everything as a creative ideas to brag about how innovative they are--even though none of their ideas are worth pursuing. It's true: some people and companies tell everyone that they're wildly creative--even when they're not.  When the bragging is there, I demand proof as well.

In summary, I'd have to say that it's important to have as many ideas as possible when people are new to the creative process (or don't practice it frequently). 

Quality is more important when creativity becomes a regular part of someone's job--although in those cases, an "idea" may be developed from one or many earlier concepts.

There you have it.  Quality versus quantity in creative thinking and what I really believe.

Comments

[Bruce DeBoer]

One of my oldest friends and I - both commercial photographers - often comment feeling as if we need to get past the bad stuff to get to the good, and then edit out the good to get to the great.

One of the biggest obstacles to creativity is fear. That's why idea inventories - no matter how badly perceived - need not to be eliminated too early.

I wrote a few articles on the subject, here's one: http://brucedeboer.typepad.com/articles_and_essays/2006/02/limit_creativit.html

Hi Bruce, I'm glad you and your friends have given yourselves "permission to suck". It sounds like the initial acceptance of bad ideas puts you on the right path to great ideas.

And thanks for the article link!

[Greg Krauska]

While there is a tension between quality and quantity, it's not one versus the other. It's both! The key is sequence: get as many unfiltered ideas as possible, then add constraints, such as assumptions about required quality, funding, customer acceptance, etc. Even seasoned creative teams get into predictable patterns sometimes. They, too, need a way to stay fresh.

Very true, Greg! I've been practicing creativity for years, and I'm constantly looking for new ways to keep my mind fresh!