What Is an Idea Board? (With Definition, Uses and Steps)
By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated 16 November 2022
Published 27 April 2022
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
Having a designated place for tracking ideas in the workplace is great for achieving goals. Knowing what an idea board is can help you use this tool effectively. In this article, we discuss what an idea board is, how they are used, the different types that exist and how you can go about creating one.
Related: What Is Ideation? Tips for a Successful Creative Process
What is an idea board?
An idea board is any sort of visual presentation of ideas or concepts. They can be created from:
whiteboards
paper
computer slides
glass walls
digital whiteboards
Types of idea boards
Here are some different types of idea boards:
Charts or graphs: Idea boards can be in the form of charts or graphs, where ideas, concepts and data are organised in different segments.
Mood boards: Mood boards are another way to visually represent ideas and are often used in the fashion and interior design industries.
Mind maps: Mind maps are a great way to visually showcase different ideas as well as the relationships between them.
Related: Creative Skills in the Workplace
Benefits of using idea boards
Here are some benefits of using idea boards:
Gives visual form to ideas
Ideas and concepts are intangible, and sometimes harder for others to grasp. Idea boards provide a platform for one to showcase the ideas in one's mind in a more tangible form so they can be understood by one's co-workers.
Related: How to Show Your Creativity at Work (Plus Examples)
Improves focus
Idea boards can help track and organise ideas as well as projects. Having a centralised place where all workplace projects are displayed and tracked can help employees improve their focus and stay goal-oriented.
Related: Important Roles and Responsibilities of a Team Leader
Unifies thoughts
Having a centralised idea board can also help bring creative visions from different individuals into 1 place, where it can take on a composite form.
Helps transform thoughts into action
Once an idea board is finalised and the creative vision for a project has a more tangible form, it becomes easier for everyone to see and understand what actionable steps need to be taken for the project to succeed.
How to create an idea board
Follow these steps to create an idea board:
1. Set an objective
Begin by setting an objective for your idea board. This can be an individual goal or a team one.
Related: The Primary Differences Between Goal vs. Objective
2. Create a safe environment for brainstorming
Brainstorming is a time for all ideas to take flight. By giving yourself or your team a safe space to throw out any and all ideas you promote creativity and inclusivity, and are more likely to get good ideas out of the brainstorming session.
3. Designate a scribe
Have a designated scribe to write all ideas down during the brainstorming session, so nothing is lost.
4. Filter ideas
Once all ideas from the brainstorming session have been jotted down, you can begin filtering through them for the best ones.
5. Present the ideas on the idea board
Your list of filtered ideas is now ready to be presented on the idea board. Choose the form of idea board that would best suit the type of information you are inputting.
6. Display the idea board
Once your idea board is ready, it's a good idea to put it up somewhere highly visible so everyone who is working on that project can easily refer to it whenever necessary.
Related: What Are Some Common Career Development Goals Examples
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