Idea Journal for ZSEM

Each year, I encourage my students to think about ideas they have for new businesses as part of the Entrepreneurship course at ZSEM and other places I teach.  One of the most effective tools is the assignment called the Idea Journal.  Although we have some class sessions on creativity techniques which are fast, fun and furious ways to generate ideas quickly, the idea journal demands that students combine both original thought with research so that they think longer and more deeply.  I often feel so lucky when I am grading such assignments as I get to know how the students come to their ideas and its a fascinating process.  A few years ago I switched to creating an in-class event so that students could share more of their ideas with their peers as a step in team formulation.  When they had to include a 3d element to their ideas for business in the form of a prototype it really helped give a boost to pitching ideas and its now a required element.

This year's edition has a new twist which is that the 2015 Idea Journals will showcase 6 special thematic areas where we are encouraging students to develop their new business ideas.  These include: Agriculture/Food; Culture/Design; Health; Technology; Tourism; and Social Entrepreneurship.  This post will link to sample pages I am creating to show students how their online Idea Journal should look like.  The first element is the Table of Contents.  Here are all the elements that should be contained in their online blog.  As I create my entries, I will hot link the pages so all you will have to do is click on a link and see the corresponding entries.  This will be a work in progress over the next few days so check back as it unfolds and thanks for visiting.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Entry#1 OneChildhood Memory tied to any of the 6 themes
• Entry#2 TwoWord Associations – Exercise this Creativity Technique
• Entry#3 Threeof a Kind – Give Examples of 3 different businesses that offer the same orsimilar products/services/experiences
• Entry#4 Agriculture -Think about an idea for a business and how something that isgrown goes from Farm to where or how a customer buys it or consumes it usingfour different examples.
• Entry#5 Culture in a Box, Customize a Barbie torepresent a culture and give her 5 accessories that reflect where she comesfrom.
• Entry#6 Health Mashup – Find blended concepts that combinehealth with the other themes to explore hybrid business ideas.
• Entry#7 Technology – Compare two tech startups
• Entry#8 Tourism – Create a customized tour for visitors from (see entry#5) in my case Scotland to Croatia
• —Entry#9 List 5+5  Social Problems/Business Solutions
• Entry#10 Design and make a 3d element to your Idea Journal (example package/packaging)