Brainstorming Techniques

Brainstorming is a group problem-solving and idea-generation strategy that involves coming up with as many concepts as possible in a short time without filtering or evaluating them. It can be employed in many contexts to solve problems, generate new ideas, or investigate other choices in a free-flowing manner. In short: It is a means of generating ideas. It can be used to identify alternatives, obtain a complete list of items, and to solve problems. The common principle of brainstorming is to set aside restrictive thinking processes so that many ideas can be generated.

Purpose of Brainstorming

The goal is to get people to think creatively and come up with new ways to solve problems. One of the best aspects of brainstorming is that it allows you to generate a large number of ideas quickly. When people are encouraged to come up with as many ideas as they can, even if they seem crazy or impossible, they end up with a wide range of possible solutions to the problem. This is especially useful when traditional problem-solving methods produce the desired results.

It encourages collaboration and teamwork, and it’s possible to tap into a team’s diverse perspectives and expertise by bringing a group of people together to solve a problem or generate new ideas. This can lead to more creative and successful ideas than if one person worked alone.

Brainstorming can be entertaining & exciting, which boosts morale and improves the team environment. In turn, creates a safe, nonjudgmental environment where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas and taking risks. They achieve their goals and increase productivity with the right strategies.

Benefits of Brainstorming

Rapid generation of numerous ideas; it promotes teamwork and collaboration; entertaining and engaging, fosters a strong team dynamic and morale boost; improves workflow and communication as well; inspires people to think creatively and outside the box, and fosters original thought and innovative culture within a company.

Four Principles of Brainstorming

Quantity Over Quality

Quantity over quality is a fundamental tenet of effective brainstorming. It’s proposed that to inspire creative thinking and create original answers to issues, people should be encouraged to generate as many ideas as possible, regardless of how crazy/absurd they may seem. The goal is to come up with as many ideas as possible without judging or screening them.

Withold Criticism

No one must analyze or criticize the ideas of other participants, this endeavor aims to establish a setting where individuals feel comfortable expressing their opinions without concern that they will be ridiculed or criticized.

Welcome the Crazy Ideas

The goal of brainstorming is to promote original thought and push people to think outside the box. People are more likely to share their wildest ideas when they are asked to solve complicated or multifaceted problems. By not filtering/judging ideas as they come up during the session, people can come up with a wide range of possible solutions to problems. This can encourage more original and creative thinking.

Combine, Refine, and Improve Ideas

When a group has finished coming up with a list of ideas, the next step is to merge, develop, and enhance the ideas the members developed. You’ll take the most important ideas that emerged from the brainstorming session and transform them into something more tangible and helpful. This entails putting undeveloped concepts through the process of integrating or enhancing them to provide more comprehensive and applicable answers.

Types of Brainstorming

Analytics Brainstorming

It involves leading a conversation among the group members, getting them to share their thoughts and ideas, and then writing these down in a visual format, like a mind map. It’s especially helpful when dealing with complex data analysis problems because it lets people talk about the think about a wide range of possible solutions. It entails quickly generating as many ideas as possible without critiquing or judging them.

Quiet Brainstorming

It’s also known as ‘solo brainstorming’, is a technique in which individuals develop ideas on their own rather than in groups. The method can be helpful when people in a group work better together to come up with ideas, or when people prefer to work alone. It can also help when you need to come up with ideas quickly or are talking about a sensitive or personal subject.

Role-Playing Brainstorming

It’s a method in which people pretend to be different people or groups of people to come up with ideas & solutions. The method works best when the problem or issue is complicated, and there are many different points of view. By taking on different roles, participants learn more about each issue and come up with ideas that take into account the needs and interests of everyone.

Tips for Running Effective Brainstorming Sessions?

 Allow Time to Prepare

Define the goal & purpose of the brainstorming session; Gather everything you need; Invite the right people; Set the stage for creativity.

Set a Clear Intention

Setting SMART goals with a deadline is one more way to demonstrate what you want to do. This might be useful for planning your project and determining how far along you are in the process of completing it. A specific objective increases your likelihood of achieving that objective because it keeps you focused and motivated. When you have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, it’s much simpler to establish priorities and organize your resources most effectively.

Invite New Teammates & Ideas

Ensure everyone feels welcome and like they can share their thoughts and ideas, by using brainstorming techniques and encouraging open communication, teams can use the creativity and knowledge of all their members to come up with better, more creative solutions.

Promote Inclusivity

It means making a place where everyone feels valued, respected, and able to participate fully. This can mean making sure that different points of view and experiences are heard and taken into account, as well as removing barriers that might keep some groups from fully participating.

Think Out Of The Box

It is a phrase that encourages people to think creatively and come up with new ideas. It means thinking outside the usual limits or boundaries and looking at things from different points of view. Lateral thinking, which means coming at a problem/challenge from a different direction, is one way to ‘think outside the box’. This means looking at the situation from other points of view and thinking of solutions that aren’t the usual ones. SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to Another Use, Eliminate, and Reverse. Asking questions about a problem/challenge is one way to come up with new ideas and solutions. This is another way to ‘think outside the box’.

Amplify Creativity with Music

Set the mood, Encourage collaboration, Break up the monotony, Focus, and Encourage relaxation.

Mix-and-Match Brainstorming Techniques

It’s a creative way to solve problems by combining different brainstorming techniques to develop new and exciting ideas. Here are some ways: Brainwriting, SCAMPER, Starbursting, and Reverse Brainstorming.

When Brainstorming Would Be Useful

Developing a new product or service, Solving a business problem, Planning an event, Content ideas.

Brainstorming Techniques

Storyboarding

It’s a visual representation of a film, video, or graphic design project that breaks down the content into individual frames or scenes. It’s a way to plan out and organize the parts of your project, and it can also be a great way to come up with new ideas and think outside the box. It helps you: Organize your thoughts, Plan your video effectively, Communicate your ideas to other people, and Simplify everything that comes later.

Mind Mapping

It’s a way to use pictures to help you develop ideas, organize them, and talk about them more clearly. It involves making a diagram that shows how subtopics, details, and connections spread out from a central topic. It Boost creativity, Develop ideas, Organize topics, and Create goals and next steps.

Word Banking

It is a creative activity that involves creating a list of words or phrases related to a certain topic or theme. This method is often used in brainstorming sessions to come up with a lot of ideas that can then be improved and built on.

For example: if the theme is “summer vacation”, you might think of words like “beach” “sun” “swimming” “camping”, etc.

How to use: Choose a topic/theme – Gather a list of related words/phrases – Organize the words – Generate ideas – Refine and select the best ideas.

SCAMPER

It is an acronym for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to Another Use, Eliminate, and Reverse.

Substitute: one part of a product/process is switched out for something else; Combine: putting together two or more things differently; Adapt: changing an idea/product that is already out there does not fit a new market or situation; Modify: making minor changes to an existing product/idea; Put to Another Use: finding a new way to use a product or idea that already exists; Eliminate: taking something out of a product or process; Reverse: changing the direction or order of a process.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Things your company does well; Qualities that separate you from your competitors; Internal resources such as skilled/knowledgeable staff; Tangible assets such as IP/capital, proprietary tech, etc.

Weakness: Things your company lacks; Things your competitors do better than you; Resource limitations; Unclear unique selling proposition.

Opportunities: Understand markets for specific products; Few competitors in your area; Emerging need for your products/services; Press/media coverage of your company.

Threats: Emerging competitors; Changing regulatory environment; Negative press/media coverage; Changing customer attitudes toward your company.

PESTEL

Political: policies & laws (tax/labor/trade), stability, corruption.

Economic: growth, inflation, interest rates, employment, HH income.

Social: population, aging, career views, lifestyle, cultural barrier.

Technology: tech incentives, innovation, automation, R&D activity.

Environment: climate change, ethical, recycling & disposal, sustainability.

Legal: antitrust, labor, copyright, data protection, health & safety.

Zero Draft

Zero drafts are a brainstorming technique that allows you to get all your ideas on paper/screen without regard for structure/grammar. It’s a way to free your creativity from the constraints of perfectionism.

Reverse Brainstorming

It identifies methods to cause or worsen an issue rather than providing direct answers. You invert concepts to find new answers. When it’s hard to find straight solutions, consider reverse brainstorming. It might reveal hidden flaws in a process or product.

5 WHYs Analysis

In essence, the method involves asking ‘why’ five times to figure out where a problem really comes from. This could open up fresh avenues of thought, allowing for the development of an original approach to the subject at hand.

Starbursting

It’s a question-focused brainstorming approach, an organized brainstorming method that helps product teams cover all bases. It uses a set of questions to systematically go through product creation, forcing teams to assess ideas.

How to Starbursting: 1. create a six-point star (WHO/WHAT/HOW/WHERE/WHEN/WHY); 2. brainstorm potential questions (who/what/how/where/when/why); 3. Formulate answers.

Rolestorming/Figure Storming

Rolestorming is a brainstorming method in which people share their ideas & thoughts by pretending to be someone else, it’s used to help a group of people who are trying to come up with ideas to get over their fears during a meeting. In theory, when each team member pretends to be someone else, they are more likely to come up with creative ideas.

Gap Filling

Gap filling often called gap analysis, needs you to determine your current state and end goal. It helps issue solvers find workable solutions. Flowcharts or mind maps can aid with gap analysis. Mark the current and ideal states. Then team members will know what they’re working toward and start giving suggestions.

How it works: SWOT – Fishbone Diagram – McKinsey 7S – Nadler Congruence.

Brain-Netting

It’s a materialized, digital collective thinking technique. It has become popular in modern workplaces with virtual collaboration and remote teams. Emails can be effective but time-consuming and formal. The tools can be Group Calls, Chat Apps, or Video Conferencing.

Round-Robin Brainstorming

It’s a way to develop ideas as a group and in small steps, a good way for an organization to develop new ideas. It’s a balanced method that uses a circular, iterative process that builds on what each person has said before.

Rapid Ideation

Everyone writes down as many ideas as possible in a set amount of time before any ideas are talked about, criticized, or developed. For this method of coming up with ideas, you must set a time limit and stick to it. If you don’t, you risk losing the sense of urgency.

Step-Ladder Brainstorming

It’s an innovative & intricate method for making GROUP decisions. In certain circumstances, it’s deployed to urge every group member to contribute to the conversation. It prevents situations in which only the loudest ideas are heard, not the finest ones. It works best in groups with less extroverted individuals.

How to do: Building your stepladder – After sufficient time for each person to have thought about the issue/problem – Ask 2 people to come & discuss their ideas – Ask the next person to present his/her ideas before joining the discussion – Repeat fill the whole group have presented own ideas & discussed all ideas together

Drivers Analysis

The brainstorming technique is an approach that analyzes the causes of a problem. The technique is beneficial because it works on two levels: the individual level and the group level. It’s aimed at adequately vetting ideas and opinions. It raises the critical question “What Causes __?” When you know the cause of a problem, you’re one step closer to finding a solution.

Brainwriting

It’s an excellent alternative to traditional brainstorming techniques, as it caters to a group with mixed personality types – introverts, ambiverts, and extroverts. It is especially recommended for groups with introverted personalities. It is a non-verbal approach to problem-solving, the group members are asked to write down their ideas, opinions, solutions, etc. It ensures the production of unadulterated thoughts, the principle of this technique is to separate idea generation from discussions. It’s particularly effective because it removes all the pressure of interruption while speaking or raising one’s hand to get their point across.

Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ)

LDJ is a brainstorming technique that takes 40-60 minutes to complete, which is a valuable tool for collaborative problem-solving. It’s a structured process that gives a team 30-60 minutes to find, map out, and come up with solutions to open-ended problems that don’t have clear answers or ready-made solutions.

The Idea Napkin

It is one of the quiet brainstorming, the group is instructed to write down their ideas and an elevator pitch on a brainstorming template. They are also expected to write down who they are solving the problem for and what problem they are solving in two columns each. Everyone is to share their ideas on napkins at the end of the session once everything has been written down. An effort and impact matrix is used to prioritize these ideas.

Figure-Storming

It’s also known as role-storming, which is incredibly imaginative. The group selects a well-known figure, either fictional or non-fictional, who is not present during figure-storming. They make an effort to adopt that character’s perspective and way of thinking.

Eidetic Image Method

This approach makes us think more creatively and visually. It’s typically used when the session’s goal is to expand on previously developed concepts or resolutions. It’s popular in the phone & watch industries.

The Charette Procedure

This tech is typically used with large groups and carried out by dividing the large groups into smaller groups. After the facilitator announces the topic, the small group disperse. The group discusses the issue and generates ideas, which the facilitator passes on from one group to the next. The transmission of these ideas from one group to another lays the groundwork for the next group to build on the initial ideas. The cycle continues until the ideas have reached all the groups. Procedure: Choose Topic – Choose Groups – Assign Topics – Brainstorm – Move Topic – Collate – Prioritize.

Group Sketching

It involves the use of a pen and paper or a whiteboard. A group of people with a shared interest are brought together to sketch ideas. Members can correct each other’s sketches, and when new ideas are brought up, it becomes easier and faster to come up with a better idea.

Questioning Assumptions

It involves gathering team members to come together and ask one another about their presumptions about a given subject. It’s advised that 20-30 ideas be collected, as more assumptions will increase the likelihood that stronger ideas will be generated. These assumptions don’t have to be accurate, they could even be founded on orthodox beliefs.

Wishing

It is a technique in which participants are encouraged to wish for what the company could be or have; they have to imagine wild things even beyond reality. Wishing works by making team members imagine wild wishes, the imagined wishes are used to bring up good ideas.

Alter-Egos/Heros

It involves imagining a company being led by a famous person, either real or made-up. For example, how would Elon Musk lead us if he were in charge? This way gives inspiration for new and better ideas, as problems are looked into through others’ perspectives.

Six Thinking Hats (White/Red/Black/Yellow/Green/Blue)

It involves having different members play the role of each of the six hats to arrive at a better idea. For example: the member wearing the Devil’s Advocate hat is responsible for always bringing up the Bad Side and Limits of the plans.

Logic is the details and facts regarding the plan; Optimism is the worth and advantages of the plan. Devil’s Advocate is the risks, obstacles, and limits of the plan; Emotion is the feeling, intuition, and gut instincts; Creativity is the opportunities, possibilities, and fresh concepts/ideas; Management is to ensure that rules and regulations are followed.

Forced Connections

It works by deriving ideas from random objects unrelated to the problem or plan. It works by generating ideas from unrelated events/things; Thoughts are hard to come up with, yet productivity is great.

Appreciative Inquiry

It’s a reform process that is solely based on strengths and not weaknesses; also known as the 5-D cycle. To do this, stakeholders must come together and discuss ideas built on the company’s strengths and track record of success. 5D: Define, Discover, Dream, Design, and Destiny.

Constructive Controversy

It’s a purposeful conversation used to address issues, rather than an argument where one side favors its own views over those of its opponents. It’s a theory that claims arguing debates provide a solid foundation for understanding complex issues.

6 steps: State your case – Hear different conclusions – Feel uncertain – Search for better understanding – Draw a conclusion.

Affinity Grouping

It’s a collaborative method of prioritization & brainstorming. On post-it notes, the group’s participants will brainstorm opportunities and ideas. The group can vote on and rank each “affinity group” of ideas after forming many of them. Then, there will be a list of fresh ideas that have been prioritized after the exercise. It is used to help the product team build new concepts and features, and the gatherings are great opportunities for cross-functional networking.

The Fishbone Diagram

It’s also known as a cause-and-effect diagram or an Ishikawa diagram, which is a graphical tool that is used to identify and evaluate the probable causes of a particular issue or problem. It is utilized in the “analyze” phase of the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) method for the purpose of problem-solving. The diagram is regarded as one of the seven fundamental quality tools.

Lotus Diagram

It’s a useful tool for brainstorming and idea generation. The graphic makes it easy to look at and organize priorities by putting the most important topics of the large subject matter in the spotlight. It’s also known as a radial diagram or a spider diagram is a graphical representation of data that uses concentric circles to show the relationships between different pieces of information. It’s often used in businesses and organizations to visualize and analyze data, find patterns and trends, and share information clearly and concisely.

Futures Wheel

It’s a visual tool used to explore and analyze possible future scenarios for a particular topic or issue. It is particularly useful to think about and plan for the future and to identify potential risks and opportunities that may arise. Also can be a useful communication tool, visualizing different possible futures can help to engage stakeholders and facilitate discussion and decision-making.