Eureka

Eureka is an interactive ideation toolkit designed to transform how design students approach creativity. Born out of the challenge of predictable, surface-level brainstorming, Eureka introduces structure, surprise, and play into the creative process. At its core is the CICD framework: Context, Idea Generation, Curveball, and Decision Making. This framework acts as a scaffold, giving students enough guidance to start exploring while leaving room for unexpected directions.



The experience unfolds like a creative journey. Students begin by grounding themselves in context before moving into timed idea generation sessions that push them to work quickly and avoid overthinking. At key moments, “curveball” prompts are introduced, unexpected constraints or scenarios that disrupt comfort zones and force fresh perspectives. The final stage, decision making, guides students in filtering their ideas, encouraging critical thinking about what should move forward.



What makes Eureka stand out is its ability to gamify creativity. By blending structured prompts with playful challenges, it shifts the classroom dynamic from pressure to exploration. Instead of staring at blank pages or defaulting to clichés, students are nudged into making, sketching, and iterating with a sense of momentum. The toolkit encourages collaboration, too. Many exercises are designed for group interaction, sparking conversation, and revealing how diverse perspectives can elevate an idea.



Eureka was built to address a growing concern in design education: the tendency for students to replicate digital trends rather than develop original concepts. With this toolkit, students practice divergent thinking, embrace ambiguity, and strengthen the muscle of creativity itself. Early testing showed a noticeable difference in the range and depth of ideas produced, with students reporting that the curveball stage was the most liberating.



More than a classroom tool, Eureka is a mindset shift. It reminds students that great design is not about polished screens or perfect sketches, but about the messy, exciting process of exploration. By reframing ideation as a playful, structured challenge, Eureka equips the next generation of designers to move beyond imitation and create work that is truly original and impactful.