All admins on the Idea Drop platform can utilise a completely new feature called Idea Template that can be created from Custom Fields and appears as a list of questions that should be answered by idea authors when submitting an idea. Idea Template allows admins to receive the information that matters to them in order to review each idea and make a well-informed decision.
How to create a new Idea Template
Navigate to your Settings dashboard, then choose Idea Templates from the submenu below and click on ‘Create a new template’ in the top-right corner of the page. You will also be able to find all previously created templates here.
On a new screen, ‘Create an idea template’, put in the name for your new template, E.G. New product idea. Add a description, so your colleagues know what this template is for.
When you are happy with your title and the description start building your idea template by adding custom fields.
Click on the 'create new field' button and submit all the information required:
Field title - this will be displayed for users above the text input field. Imagine it as a name or a question that you are asking. For example, the Field title might be ‘Problem Statement’ or could be something like: ‘What problem does your idea solve?’
Enter Data type. You can choose between single-line and multi-line field type.
Placeholder text - this will be displayed for users in the text input box as guidance. For example: “Right now, messages tend to get lost or cluttered through multiple email strings. This results not only in lost productivity, but also multiple problems in miscommunication.” Or you can input something like “Describe the problem your idea is solving in less than 200 words”.
Answer required - You have the option to make it mandatory or optional for users to enter submissions to the field by selecting either "yes" or "no".
You can change the order of your fields by clicking the three dots next to the Custom Field on the right-hand side. Or you can Edit and/or Delete fields.
When you are happy with your idea template, simply click SAVE TEMPLATE.
Next, navigate to the main screen where all Idea Templates are stored. Click on the three dots next to the template and you can either:
Turn it off: that means going back to the original basic idea capture template (Title and Description)
Live: If you make it live, this template will appear every time someone submits a new idea.
Delete: You can delete the template if it’s no longer needed.
Need inspiration on Idea Templates? Click here to find out how other organisations are using Idea Templates for their idea capture process.
P.S. Coming Soon:
Idea Templates are currently not available on mobile devices but they will be soon. In the meantime, users will see the original idea submission form when submitting an idea on the Idea Drop app.
More data types are coming soon, such as checkboxes, dropdown menus, calendar and currency.
Ability to use different Idea Templates for different challenges.