Ideation is the act of coming up with an idea, like when a cartoon light bulb appears above someone’s head. If you imagine a flying car and think of how to make it, that's ideation. It's a creative process.
Ideation might sound new, but the word has been around since the 1800's. It looks like a blend of idea and creation, and it is — a brainstorming session is a type of ideation. In medical speak, ideation is "the forming of mental images." In this sense the word is often paired with suicidal — suicidal ideation refers to someone thinking about killing herself. Sadly, that’s the most common use of ideation.
