What is Ideation? Idea Generation? Well, yes, but it is much more. Think about how we generate ideas. One method is Brainstorming. Brainstorming has been called "an open ended search with a prepared mind." It is open-ended because you do not have to stop searching, and the answers you get are likely to be varied and, hopefully, unexpected. A prepared mind, however, gives this process some direction. You don't just want stream-of-consciousness thinking--although therein lies the power of brainstorming--you want the process to work for you in a specific manner. You want it to give you answers that are innovative and exciting. To do this you have to "postpone the evaluation" of your results until you are ready to stop. Don't judge your answers until after you stop because you might just interrupt the flow of ideas, and/or you might discard a result that, with a little re-evaluation, is just what you're looking for. An important thing to keep in mind here is that what I've just described is only one definition of brainstorming. There are many more, but this one works well for designers. (I'll do this often. Give you the example that is design-related, when usually there are an infinite number of others.)

How does this apply to Design? Imagine: Instead of writing in text or verbally speaking the results of your brainstorming activity, you create drawings of them. Think about the power of images; they are much more universal than text or speech, and they communicate almost instantaneously. Drawings are especially powerful images since they have so much flexibility. Sienkiewicz says that in drawing you have a "billion-dollar special effects budget." Take advantage of this 'budget' to do things other media cannot.
 All drawings are about communication. Whether it is fine art or a doodle (designers usually do a combination of the two in their work), a drawing is trying to communicate something. You have to consider the audience when deciding what kind of drawing to use. The fine art audience is often vast, while the doodle audience is usually singular. Working as a designer (self) there are three types of communication drawings that are typically used. You will almost always use all three of these types of drawings in a design project, and sometimes they will even merge.

• Self-to-Self.  These are the doodles, sketches, thumbnail drawings, etc. that aren't evaluated until later. You are using drawing in a "visual search" for ideas. This is where most of the brainstorming occurs in ideation. Often you are putting marks on paper in an attempt to visually solve a problem. You are the audience since you are using drawing to create something, or to work out an idea. You are also likely to be the only one who can understand these drawings.

• Self-to-Limited-or-Specific-Others.  You are trying to communicate something to an audience that has existing knowledge of what you are trying to communicate. Other designers, manufacturers, printers, builders, etc. are the audience. Idea sketches, shop/engineering drawings, color studies, mock-ups, etc. are examples of this kind of drawing.

• Self-to-All.  Highest level of communication possible. You are trying to communicate an idea or concept to a universal audience. Anyone should be able to look at your drawings and understand the information.

Much of the drawing done in Ideation is technique related since Ideation is a kind of "generic drawing." It is more concerned with communicating ideas than with evoking an emotional response or being an experiment--although these are sometimes important as well. Because of this emphasis on communication, much of the work done in this class will have the same "style." 

One final thing to keep in mind: "technique is not design!" Drawing is a skill.  Anyone can learn it. Learn to draw well, but do not mistake a good drawing for good design.