Hope Point Enumeration Method | An Idea Generation Method Starting from Ideals
“I wish there was a more convenient service…”
“I wish this product existed…”
This kind of “ideal” or “wish” becomes the starting point for the idea generation method called the Hope Point Enumeration Method.
The Hope Point Enumeration Method is a technique where you freely list ideal states or desired conditions without considering current limitations. By starting from “complaints” and “wishes,” you can generate new products, services, and business ideas.
It is widely used in product development, new business planning, service improvement, invention, and marketing.
What is the Hope Point Enumeration Method?
The Hope Point Enumeration Method is a technique where you list as many “I wish…” or “It would be nice if…” statements as possible, and then develop ideas from them.
The key point is:
“Do not think about feasibility at the beginning.”
By temporarily removing real-world constraints and freely imagining an ideal world, you can discover ideas that would not normally emerge.
How to Use the Hope Point Enumeration Method
- Choose a theme
- Write down as many “it would be nice if…” ideas as possible
- Do not worry about feasibility
- Combine the ideas
- Organize them into realistic plans at the end
The most important step is to freely generate ideals first. How to implement them can be considered later.
Features of the Hope Point Enumeration Method
- Ideas based on ideals
- Easy to generate free-thinking ideas
- Breaks fixed assumptions
- Encourages user-centered thinking
- Suitable for new product/service development
- Produces future-oriented ideas
Example: Thinking About an Ideal Commuting Service
For example, let’s use “commuting” as a theme.
- No more crowded trains
- Make use of commuting time effectively
- Be able to work while sitting
- Shorten commuting time
- Move without stress
From these wishes, we can generate ideas such as:
- Reservation-based commuting train cars
- Private train cabins for working during travel
- AI-powered congestion avoidance commuting app
- Remote office service using VR meetings
These can evolve into new service ideas.
Combining Experts and Beginners is Effective
In the Hope Point Enumeration Method, combining experts and non-experts often leads to more interesting ideas.
Experts tend to be constrained by conventional thinking, while beginners may lack feasibility.
Therefore, it is important to combine:
- People with expertise
- People with free thinking
- User-oriented thinkers
Benefits of the Hope Point Enumeration Method
- Generates imaginative ideas
- Encourages unconventional thinking
- Reveals real user needs
- Suitable for new business ideas
- Helps create problem-solving products
- Supports future-oriented planning
Recommended For
- People who want to create new business ideas
- Product developers
- User-focused planners
- People who want to break fixed thinking
- Those who want to improve creativity
- People designing future services
Free Template Available
To help you get started immediately, we offer a free PDF template of the Hope Point Enumeration Method. Please use it for new business planning, product development, and service improvement.
Hope Point Enumeration Method Template Download