What is the main goal of the ideate step of the design process?

The primary goal of the ideate step in the design process is to explore as many solutions as possible. This phase encourages creativity and open-mindedness, allowing designers to brainstorm multiple ideas without immediate judgment or constraints. By generating a wide array of potential solutions, designers can foster innovation and discover unique approaches to the problem at hand. This stage is essential because it establishes a diverse set of ideas, which can be refined and narrowed down in later steps of the design process.

In contrast, developing a single solution is more aligned with later stages when the focus shifts toward selecting and refining the best ideas. Testing prototypes is part of the evaluation stage, where ideas are put into practice to see how well they work. Interviewing users is primarily associated with the research phase, where designers gather insights to inform their ideation. Thus, the expansion of ideas during the ideate step is crucial for ensuring a comprehensive exploration of potential solutions.