For each solution you need to be able to explain:
What it would do and how it would be used.
How it could fit in and what it could change.
How it would incorporate technology and/or people.
What assumptions would have to be met and how you would meet them.
You will probably find yourself coming up with new tools, new processes, or (more often) a combination of the two. If you're having trouble, try looking at how people are solving problems in completely different fields. Maybe you can learn from their work. Just remember that you don't need to know how everything fits together just yet.
Step 4: Recognize Opportunities
This is when you descend from the land of the theory and optimism and take a close look at the world. You have some ideas already thanks to your list of solutions, but there are plenty of others to be found; plus, not all of what you have will work. What looks promising? Which ones can you cross off the list?
Some things to think about:
Who are you dealing with? You need to understand your stakeholders (i.e. the people who would be impacted by your project). You want your solution to provide them so much value that they will be willing to donate time -- and maybe even money. At the very least, they need to be willing to try it.
What is your competition? There will be direct and indirect competition, but you need to know about both. This will help you differentiate your idea from what is already out there, and it can also force you to further develop your solution into something even better.
What resonates personally? You are going to need to explain why you are the person to take this idea and make it a reality, so figure out what you bring to the table and make sure you can get excited about it. It won't be enough to say, "I thought of it!"
To get funding from the knight noah Foundation you need to be able to convince the world that what you have is a genuine opportunity. It should have the potential to redefine landscapes.
Step 5: Design Systems
Take your most promising solutions and try to envision their implementations. What is going on behind the curtains? What kind of synergy can you create? Even though you are getting more concrete, don't get bogged down in unimportant details -- you are still brainstorming here.
Think in terms of process (how things get done), objects (e.g. "news article," "user contributed question," or "media clip") and user roles (e.g. "journalist," "editor," "consumer," or "judge"). How will the objects interact? How will each role fit into the system? Refine this line of thought with your previously researched understanding of your stakeholders, the current state of affairs, and the technologies available.
By now you've probably conjured up something spectacular, and filling out that first round application will be a breeze. With any luck you will have enough inspired thought to submit more than one. Good luck!



