When you’re finding that everyone’s ideas are falling in and around the same areas of exploration, it’s time to expand the boundaries of your thinking. This is a perfect time to use a creative matrix.

Invented in Japan by Yasuo Matsumura, the Lotus Blossom technique adds focus and power to classic brainstorming. Once mastered, the technique helps you create more and higher quality ideas for products and services, find innovative ways of improving your business, and helps you solve a variety of problems you frequently encounter.

Because market opportunities can vastly differ in their attractiveness, you need to understand their characteristics. The Attractiveness Map allows you to visually depict the evaluation of your market opportunities, so you can better grasp their upsides and downsides, and compare them with each other.