Which method can be used to generate design ideas?

Mind-mapping is a powerful brainstorming tool that allows individuals or teams to visualize and organize their thoughts, making it particularly effective for generating design ideas. This technique involves creating a diagram that represents words, ideas, tasks, or concepts linked around a central idea. The visual format helps to stimulate creativity and encourages the exploration of associations and relationships among different design elements, leading to a variety of innovative ideas.

In contrast, while surveys can gather useful feedback or preferences, they do not inherently generate creative ideas as they focus on collecting opinions or data from others. Consulting competitors can provide insights or benchmarks but may limit creativity by focusing too closely on existing designs rather than encouraging original thought. Software coding is a technical skill that is typically used in implementing designs rather than ideation, as it does not facilitate the brainstorming process itself. Hence, mind-mapping stands out as the most effective method for generating fresh design concepts.