Page Location: | Admin > Set Up Idea Collection > Idea Form |
Playbook Section: | Plan, Prepare & Configure: Design the Idea Form |
!Ensure the Idea form is exactly as desired prior to launching an event. While the system allows for changes to the Idea form during an event, it is strongly discouraged since the Ideas submitted prior to the change will not match the new form.
*Text that is copied and pasted from Microsoft Word often has undesired effects (e.g., hidden characters preventing reports from running correctly), so it is recommended that you instruct your users to avoid pasting MS Word text into any Innovation Central forms.
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Field Descriptions
Edit guidance is the descriptive text that appears on the Idea Form when in Edit mode (entering/editing the Idea). Use edit guidance to help people strengthen & clarify thinking as the idea is being created. Example
Read guidance is the descriptive text that appears on the Idea Form when in Read mode (reading the ideas of others). Use read guidance to suggest ways to collaborate and build out ideas. Example
Anonymity allows authors to submit their ideas anonymously. For most internal challenges, this is disabled. Where anonymity can be helpful is in hierarchical cultures where people may be intimidated to express themselves, and with several special use cases such as some Open Innovation uses, where revealing author information may be undesired.
- Disable: The author’s name appears on the Idea form as author.
- Limited: Authors can submit ideas anonymously while allowing the review team to request the author’s identity through Innovation Central. The author can then accept or decline the identity request. The following shows what authors see when the “limited” option is enabled. Example
- Full: Authors can submit ideas anonymously and the review team cannot request the author’s identity. The following shows what Ideators see when the “full” option is enabled. Example
Co-Author gives people the opportunity to add co-authors to an idea that was developed by multiple individuals. For most challenges, this is enabled, because then all individuals are named within the idea for any future recognition and see all comments for any future collaboration.
Additionally, co-authors are automatically subscribed to Follow This Idea, so they are sent an email any time a new comment is added to the idea. They can then continue the collaboration on the Idea so that it develops into a rich concept.
*Authors and Innovation Consultants are not able to add co-authors after an Idea has been submitted. To add co-authors after submission, contact Support.
Edit idea (click the more settings link to see this field and those in the next two sections). When enabled, this option allows the author and those with the Admin and Oversight Special Role to change Idea titles, descriptions, question contents and attachments.
Idea Reference is a unique identifier for each Idea, defined by a random, system-generated string according to the options below. The benefit to using the Idea Reference is using it (instead of a key word) to search for ideas using the search function found in the upper right hand corner of Innovation Central. Example
- Prefix: An optional 3-character string at the beginning of all identifiers.
- Random string length: The number of characters to be used in the identifier, after the prefix.
- Show in read mode: When enabled, the Idea reference is displayed on all submitted Ideas. Changing this setting affects all Ideas, so if enabled after Idea submission, those Ideas will display the Idea reference. The Idea reference does not show on the Create Idea form.
Idea Confirmation
- Landing page is the location where the author will be returned after submitting an Idea. Best practice for a standard challenge is to craft a simple message letting the author know the idea was successfully submitted, and what to do next.
- Return to idea: Read-view of the Idea just submitted.
- Return to the Collaborate space: Main page of the Collaborate Space.
- Load My Ideas view: User’s Personal Space.
- Load custom code: Enabling this option loads the Custom code text box where you add your custom CSS.
- Load FlexForm: Presents an editable FlexForm for next steps on Idea just submitted. Enabling this option loads the Flex form field, and you select the specific FlexForm to be loaded.
- Heading: Title for the confirmation message displayed after Idea submission.
- Confirmation message: Text for the message displayed after Idea submission. HTML is accepted in this field.
- Anonymous landing page: Text for the message displayed after an Idea is submitted anonymously. HTML is accepted in this field. Example
Challenge
- Options:
- Optional: Users may choose to select a Challenge or not.
- Mandatory: Users must choose a Challenge.
- Hidden: Challenge is not displayed on the Idea Form.
*Using Areas can help categorize Ideas in many ways:
*Ideas can be viewed by Area under Browse Ideas
*Ideas can be filtered by Area when you Create a Filter
*Reviewers can review ideas by a single area at a time
*Reporting can be run based on Area
Area
- Options:
- Optional: Users may choose to select an Area or not.
- Mandatory: Users must choose an Area.
- Hidden: Area is not displayed on the Idea Form.
- Type:
- Multiple values: Allow users to select more than one area. Don’t use this option for a standard challenge. While it may seem like a good idea, in practice people choose all areas, or there is a greater misclassification of ideas.
- Single values (radio): Allows users to only select one area by clicking a button next to the desired option. Example
- Single values (select): Allows users to only select one area by selecting from a list of options. Example
- Instructions: Text for guidance displayed on the Area field.
- Values: List of specific Areas. At least one value is required when using Areas. Type each value on a separate line.
- Default value: Identify one Area to be highlighted when the Idea Form loads.
Questions (1-15)
Use up to 15 optional questions to solicit additional details to further define Ideas.
- Type:
- Disable: When a question is disabled, it is not displayed on the Idea Form.
- Short text: Provide a one-line text box in which the user types an answer.
- Long text: Provide a larger text box in which the user types an open ended answer. Example: How do you see your idea being implemented?
- Single value: Present a list of answers from which the user selects only one. Example: How much revenue will your idea generate? up to $100,000, $100,000 – $500,000, over $500,000
- Multiple values: Present a list of answers from which the user can select many. Example: Where does this idea impact the customer? On the website, on the mobile app, when using an Android tablet, when using an iPad.
- Name: Label identifying the question. Example: Customer Impact
- Instructions: Text for guidance on the question. Example: Where does this idea impact the customer?
- Default value: Specific answer to be selected by default when the Idea Form loads. This field is only available when using the Single or Multiple Type option.
- Values: Possible answers from which the user will select when the Single Value and Multiple Values type options are selected.
- Completion: Identifies whether this question is required or not. Required fields are labeled with a red asterisk *. A user cannot submit an idea unless the Required questions are answered.
!Click the Submit button to save your choices.