ideation

/ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən/
noun
  1. The process of forming ideas or concepts; the act of thinking of new ideas.
    • The company encourages ideation by giving employees time each week to work on their own projects.
    • The team spent the morning in a brainstorming session focused on ideation for the new product.
    • Good ideation is essential for any creative project, from writing a novel to designing a building.