What should teams do when refining their ideas during narrowing?

When teams are refining their ideas during the narrowing phase, it is essential to revisit the customer problem and refine it with additional input. This approach ensures that the ideas being developed remain aligned with the actual needs and desires of the customer. Continuously engaging with the customer problem helps to validate concepts and ensures that the solutions being crafted are relevant, addressing real pain points rather than assumptions. By incorporating additional input, teams can gain fresh insights and perspectives that can significantly enhance the quality and effectiveness of their ideas.

Choosing the first ideas generated may lead teams to pursue less innovative solutions that do not fully address customer needs. Discarding all initial thoughts overlooks the potential value of those ideas and dismisses the creative process that produced them. Making decisions without input can lead to a lack of alignment with customer expectations and may result in solutions that do not resonate with the target audience. Therefore, refining ideas through continuous dialogue about the customer problem is crucial for successful design outcomes.