Originally published What’s Your Problem? #8 on by https://www.sdbj.com/commentary/whats-your-problem-8/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-your-problem-8 at San Diego Business Journal
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Dear Idea Guy,
My team is constantly asked to “show” our innovation ideas before we gain buy-in, but we struggle with how to illustrate our concepts effectively. Sometimes we’re pitching products, other times services, or even process improvements.
Like everyone else, we’ve experimented with a bunch of AI tools but aren’t sure we’re using the right tools for the right concept.
How can we best use Gen AI to demonstrate different kinds of concepts?
— Visualizing in Vista
Dear Visualizing,
In innovation, clarity wins. If people can’t picture your idea, they won’t fund it, support it, or buy it. That’s where Generative AI becomes a game-changer. The key is matching the right tool to the right stage of development—and the type of concept you’re working on.
Here’s how I break it down with teams I advise:
Start Lo-Fi to Align Early
At the idea stage, skip the polish. Focus on fast, rough representations to get feedback.
- For product ideas: Use Midjourney or DALL·E to generate quick visuals that capture the form or function.
- For services: Ask ChatGPT to script a sample customer interaction or describe a service flow.
- For processes: Use Whimsical or Miro to map workflows—bonus points if you co-create them live with your team.
At this stage, your goal isn’t to impress. It’s to spark conversation.
Increase Fidelity to Build Belief
Once your idea gains traction, level up the visuals.
- For products: Tools like Canva or Figma help mock up packaging, interfaces, or in-context views.
- For services: Tome or Synthesia can create storyboards or explainers with avatars that walk through the customer experience.
- For processes: Use AI video generators like Runway ML to simulate what a future-state workflow might look like.
Now you’re not just telling a story—you’re helping others imagine themselves in it.
Build MVPs to Test in the Real World
Ready to experiment? AI can help you build “good enough” to learn quickly.
- Products: Try Glide or Bubble to prototype digital tools or apps without code.
- Services: Pair ChatGPT with a form builder, like Tally, to simulate intake flows or booking systems.
- Processes: Use Notion or Retool to create dashboards or internal tools for early testing.
Don’t wait for the final version to start learning. Let AI help you fake it before you make it.
Innovation is a preview, not a pitch.
People support what they can see and understand. Gen AI won’t make your idea better—but it will make it easier to believe.
— Kevin Popovic, The Idea Guy®
Got a problem worth solving? Send your question to [email protected] – it could be featured in an upcoming column.
Originally published San Diego Business Journal