Brainstorming
This is adapted from an article that I’ve read, “The Perfect Brainstorm.”
- Sharpen the focus. Start with a clear problem statement at is at the right level of specificity. Take extra care to not already do part of the brainstorming by creating a solution in the problem statement. An example would be to have an open ended topic such as “ways to help drinks cold in the living room” as opposed to “insulating sleeves for cups.”
- Playful rules. Try to get as many ideas in as possible, without being overburdened by the seriousness of critiques.
- Number your ideas. This is good both as a motivational tool (let’s try to get a hundred) and also allows for easy reference to ideas that have been mentioned.
- Build and jump. Know when to let certain ideas “build” and when to “jump” completely. Build when there is momentum behind ideas, jump when you notice the momentum is dying off.
- The Space Remembers. Write down the flow of ideas so that your entire group can see them. Although there are a bunch of emerging technologies available, one of the simplest things is just to use a whiteboard and marker. Utilize people’s spatial memory. When you write things in a certain area of the room, you can physically jump back to different areas and that will cue the group’s memory.
- Stretch your mental muscles. If you feel like your group may be a little rusty, it’s worth spending time warming up. For example, in researching how new technology can be applied to toys, it was found that the people who actually went to a toy store far outperformed people who listened to talks, did readings, and obviously people who did nothing to prepare.
- Get physical. Sketching, bringing physical models, and even using your body to act things out can be found to be pretty helpful towards brainstorming.
