Mash-ups is an ideation technique that generates new design concepts by forcibly combining two or more existing products, services, or concepts that would not normally be associated. By asking 'What if we combined the experience of A with the model of B?' the method produces hybrids that inherit strengths from multiple domains and sometimes reveal entirely new value propositions. It is a structured form of analogous thinking that produces ideas with a clear conceptual lineage rather than ideas that feel arbitrary.
Mash-Ups
Combining products and services from different domains to find new ideas
A
Designers Academy
9 December 2025 · 4 min read
DesignMethods
In brief
Mash-ups is an ideation technique that generates new design concepts by forcibly combining existing products or services, creating hybrids that reveal new value propositions.
