Innovation has several processes one must move through in product development. At the beginning of innovation there is a process referred to as Fuzzy Front End. Fuzzy front end is the messy section to getting started on a new product. The fuzzy front end is where an organization starts the process with ideas. It is also what will decide if the development of the project will go further than the idea stage.
In the fuzzy front end researchers are determining the cost of a proposed project. They are looking to see if the development process will be effective and worth the time spent on the project. There are five elements to fuzzy front end innovation: opportunity ID, opportunity analysis, idea genesis, idea selection, and concept and technology development.