Creative Brainstorming

There are lots of different brainstorming methods out there, but which one is best for you and your team? Whether you're a solopreneur or part of a team, one of these methods will help you come up with great ideas!

Coming up with good ideas is one of the hardest and most creative tasks you can face. However, you don't have to be “creative” to do this. Motivation is key – without it, even the best-organized brainstorming session won't generate good ideas. Create a relaxed atmosphere and give enough time and space for the session.

Techniques for your next session

Since hardly any people succeed in brainstorming or finding ideas without a setting, techniques have been developed that aim to guide this creative process in an organized pattern using defined procedures and rules. The success of these techniques proves them right.

So let's take a look at a few techniques that you can try out yourself or with your team.

Mind mapping

A popular brainstorming technique that can be used by individuals or groups is mind mapping. To create a mind map, you start with a central idea in the middle of a sheet of paper and then draw branches from the center. Each branch represents a different aspect of the central idea, and you can add as many details as you like. This technique is especially helpful when relationships are important and details need to be worked out. There are also plenty of digital tools for creating mind maps.

Mind maps are easy to understand, they organize your ideas and thoughts and are a good way to document them.

Example: We start with a concrete product idea and note down significant features that are essential for the customer acceptance. We now take a closer look at each feature and note down the individual functions that a feature must or should consist of. In a further step, we can even add further information to each feature, e.g., attributes, behavior, images, diagrams, etc.

In a group, it is essential that discussions be given enough space and that everyone is asked for his or her opinion or idea. It easily happens that primarily the “loudest” person brings in his or her ideas, and other opinions are lost.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map

Brainwriting

This technique can also be used solo or in a group. Unlike in mind mapping, each person is forced to write down their ideas. So, everyone impacts the outcome.

You start by having each person write down a new idea on a piece of paper. Then all the pieces of paper are collected and shuffled. Each person takes a piece of paper and expands the idea written on it. This process is continued until each person has complemented all the ideas of the other participants. This technique is excellent for quickly generating and developing many ideas.

More information on the 6-3-5 variant: https://www.toolshero.com/creativity/brainwriting/

SCAMPER

SCAMPER stands for

• Substitute,
• Combine,
• Adapt,
• Modify,
• Put to other uses,
• Eliminate and
• Reverse/Rearrange.

In this method, you take an existing product or service and think about how you could improve it using the SCAMPER framework. First, get a good picture of the product because you should be familiar with its features, functions and unique aspects before you start thinking about possible improvements.

Then go through the following checklist and write down at least one sentence or keyword for each bullet point.

• Substitute: Can you exchange components, e.g., parts, modules, materials, people, applications, and steps in the process?
• Combine: Are there features or services that you can merge/combine?
• Adapt: Are there similar features and solutions in a different context? Can they be used and adapted?
• Modify: Can a feature, function, haptic, taste or similar be changed? Can the value of the product or service be increased?
• Put to other uses: Can the product be used in other ways? How would people use the product who are not part of the current target group? Can the target group be expanded?
• Eliminate: Is there potential for simplification? Can functions or features be removed, downsized, split up without reducing the value? What might even be unnecessary?
• Reverse: Can the product be used for something contrary without losing value?

This technique is especially useful for developing new product ideas from existing products or to improve them. As you can see, the list forces you to answer fundamental questions.

The technique is also suitable for groups to get more ideas and inspiration from different points of view. Furthermore, it is certainly interesting to have these questions answered by direct customers of the product you are looking at.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCAMPER

Rapid Ideation

Rapid Ideation is a brainstorming technique that can be used by individuals or groups and promises many ideas generated in a short time. There are various forms of this technique, which we will not discuss here. In the most simple variant, all participants write their ideas individually on Post-its within 3 to 5 minutes and then stick them on a wall or another surface for working. Each idea is introduced shortly by the author, and short questions are answered directly.

It is important to note that this is not a direct evaluation of ideas. Quantity is more essential than quality in this technique. So collect as many ideas on different aspects as possible.

Afterwards, an evaluation can take place. In the simplest case, this is done by “dot voting”, in which each participant gives his or her vote or one point to the ideas. Now would also be the time for a discussion on different ideas. This technique is excellent for overcoming creative blockades.

More information: https://www.thinkfwd.co/toolkit/rapid-ideation

Reverse Brainstorming

There are always situations in which an idea simply does not want to succeed with the techniques described here. Then Reverse Brainstorming is a helpful tool to overcome this blockade! Instead of finding ideas to improve products, we think about how we can make known or non-existent problems of a product worse or cause them. This may sound counterproductive, but this approach actually brings aspects to light on closer inspection that are otherwise rarely considered. If we reverse the ideas about making things worse, we often get measures that can improve the product.

Examples of questions we can ask ourselves:

• Identify risks: How or why might the product or a feature fail for the customer?
• For known issues: How might we worsen and foster the issue? What underlying conditions could make the issue worse?
• Product strategy: What negative aspects might the market bring to our product? Why might sales of our product drop off?
• Identify potentials: How might processes become slower and more expensive? How can we prevent our product from becoming more popular?

It is irrelevant, whether you first write down answers on Post-its and then stick them on the wall, or whether you discuss questions together and agree on an answer. Important is, that the answers are then reversed – in other words, we look at the opposite statement and evaluate whether it could be useful as an idea for improvement. This means if we have identified the stopping of all marketing activities as worsening the current situation, strengthening these activities is very likely to bring about an improvement.

More information: https://online.visual-paradigm.com/knowledge/brainstorming/what-is-reverse-brainstorming/

Round Robin

This technique is slightly similar to the Brainwriting technique, but in contrast, it does not rely on the continued development of an idea. Rather, ideas are used as triggers for new ideas.

Ideally, a group of people sits in a circle or around a table. Each person now writes down an idea, e.g., on how to solve a known problem. Once each person has done this, the ideas just noted down are passed on to the person sitting next to them. This person can now use them as inspiration and in turn develop a new idea from them. This is again passed on to the next person.

This is repeated until you feel you have collected enough ideas. Duplicates are then sorted out, and the remaining ideas are discussed and explained in more detail.

More information: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/round-robin-brainstorming.htm

Stepladder

Stepladder brainstorming is a good technique to prevent the problem of the “loudest” or to better engage introverted people into discussion. After the topic of the brainstorming session is explained, all but two people leave the room.

The people who are now no longer in the room use the time to come up with one or more ideas for the topic. To involve many perspectives on the topic, each person should do this on their own.

The two people present in the room now discuss their ideas and then call one person back into the room, who in turn presents and explains his or her ideas. Afterwards, the people who were already in the room present their ideas and, in the best case, a discussion with new views follows.

This is repeated until all the people of the group are back in the room and have presented their ideas. A group discussion is then encouraged, which should have the goal of developing these ideas.

More information: https://online.visual-paradigm.com/knowledge/brainstorming/what-is-stepladder-technique/

Five Why's

Constantly asking “why” is strongly reminiscent of the childlike tactic of trying to understand the world. At the same time, it is one of the simplest and most effective techniques on how to understand problems.

One person expresses a problem and another person asks the simple question, “Why or for what reason is this the case?” The person who expressed the problem then answers the question, thereby concretizing the actual problem. This is repeated until the core of the issue is identified. “Five” is considered to be a benchmark here. Sometimes problems are explored after only two questions, or they require more than five rounds of concretization.

This technique can happen in groups of 2 and is very effective. However, more people can be involved on the Q&A if it helps to solve the problem.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_whys

Crazy Eight

Another technique aimed at finding ideas quickly are the “Crazy Eight”.

All participants grab a sheet of paper and a pen and divide the sheet into eight areas, which are then worked on one after the other. Now a timer is set and participants have one (1) minute to visualize an initial idea on a previously presented topic. “Visualize” here means just that: draw your idea and use words if you can't visualize them (but only then). This process is repeated until all eight fields are filled.

The time restriction forces participants to not get lost in thought streams too much and encourages them to be spontaneous. It may take some practice to get comfortable with this format. However, very unconventional ideas often come up for discussion this way!

The most important rule here: There are no bad ideas!

Finally, each participant presents his or her ideas and answers feedback questions. You should make sure that ideas are not discussed down to the smallest detail. Afterwards, a dot-voting can be used, for example, in which each participant votes for his or her favorite(s) with a sticky dot or similar.

More information: https://conceptboard.com/blog/crazy-8s-brainstorming-template/

Six Thinking Hats

Even if you can use this technique alone, it's really fun in a group. Brainstorming and problem-solving become more efficient if you consider different perspectives and aspects.

Start by explaining the topic, problem, etc. that you want to brainstorm about. Now assign the roles. Of course, they do not have to be hats, which have to serve as a symbol for different roles. Alternatively, you can use place cards, badges, stickers, etc. You yourself should take the blue role at the beginning. The roles will be taken by the individuals in further explanation. However, there is nothing wrong with groups of 2 or more people taking on the roles.

• White hat: This person represents the objective analyst in the round, who always takes a neutral standpoint and trusts data, figures, and facts
• Red hat: Good ideas are often based on emotions – therefore this person brings in fears, hopes, opinions, and feelings into the discussion
• Black hat: Doomsayers are exceptionally welcome – they focus on risks, problems, express concerns and fears and thus personify the critical skeptic
• Yellow hat: Of course, the optimist cannot be missing, who is always focused on the positive aspects and brings into play opportunities, advantages, and benefits
• Green hat: In a creative process, the creative person cannot be absent, who with his thought-provoking ideas, alternatives, and impulses perhaps also takes unconventional directions
• Blue hat: This organizational talent brings structure to the table and safeguards the actual creative process, keeping it and the big picture in view

Now start the discussion in turn and explain your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc. according to your role. Record this information on a flip chart, wall, or paper.

Once each participant has expressed their thoughts according to their role, the roles change and so do the perspectives of each person. So pass the “hat” and accept the new role you are given. The discussion round now starts again. Once the roles have been changed all the way through, a group discussion can be initiated or the collected aspects can be reviewed.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats

Try it out!

These techniques are excellent methods for brainstorming and problem-solving – but not the only ones. A search on the web will give you insight into plenty of other techniques and possibilities. Use them to overcome creative blockades, involve all members of your team, and come up with a variety of ideas in a short amount of time. Try them out! Have fun with it!

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Frank Schillinger is writing for the devlix Blog at https://www.devlix.de/blog
This article was published first here (german): https://www.devlix.de/kreatives-brainstorming/

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Feature image: Photo by Brands&People on Unsplash