I have often railed against the use of jargon in as many public forums as possible: Twitter, Facebook, and even comments on blog posts. I think it’s more annoying when someone in the communications field speaks in jargon. Which brings me to one of the biggest offending words, “ideate” (although, honestly “thought leader” takes the cake).
Ideate seems to have a stranglehold in the marketing world, and yet, there are more commonly understood words that can take its place, such as “brainstorm.” Surprisingly, “ideate,” as a word, isn’t that new or inventive. In fact, its history goes back to the 17th Century.
A very brief history of ideate
According to Merriam-Webster, ideate comes from the Greek word idein, which means “to see.” As Google’s Ngram Viewer says, it began gaining popularity in 1857 with the peak in 1897. It’s been in use since then, although popularity had slipped in the early 90s. Now, it seems as if a new generation has discovered and chosen to overuse it.
Is a word that probably should have gone the way of the dodo but is now creeping back into daily communications the sign of the apocalypse? No. However, its safe to say that some words should be left to rot in lexicon graveyard. Ideate is one of those words.
5 alternatives to ideate
So, what should the savvy communicator use? There are so many options, but here are just a few.
- I once had the opportunity to sit through a meeting where the presenter said, “Ideate simply means to brainstorm.” Technically, brainstorm means “a violent transient fit of insanity,” but the definition most people learn in grade school is to come up with ideas. So, as communicators, isn’t it our job to communicate ideas as clearly and simply as possible? Just say brainstorm.
- Or, why not say, “Let’s conceive some new topics for the blog”? Again, its much easier to say and people already understand what it means.
- Feeling a little risqué? Try this one on for size. “Let’s conjure some new blog topics.” This might be a stretch, but it does have a nicer ring to it than ideate.
- Think up. This might be crazy, but why not go super easy? “Let’s think up some new topics for the blog.”
- Don’t think of it as dumbing down as much as making it easier for people to comprehend. “Let’s plan some new blog topics” is easier for the harried brain of the overworked communicator to understand than “Let’s go ideate blog topics.”
A brief lecture
While, yes, communicators will understand what ideate means, our job is to convey ideas to other people. Again, basic communications courses will tell you to avoid jargon, to know your audience, and to use appropriate word choice.
While using the word de rigueur might make you feel smarter, using the right word makes you sound smarter. This goes for when you’re speaking to a group of communicators, too. While everyone may understand ideate, using any of the alternatives shows that you understand the role of a communicator.
Man of Content 