What you should know about brainstorming
Creating ideas is vital in growing your business and staying relevant in a constantly changing environment. Since the change is affecting across industries, everyone needs to innovate. Brainstorming is an ideation method where group members spontaneously throw ideas to find a solution for a specific problem. Brainstorming is ideal when you want to create many ideas in a short period of time.
Brainstorming is extremely helpful since it forces you to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. What makes brainstorming convenient is that you can use it for really any subject.
Even though brainstorming is widely used, many of us need some tips on how to make brainstorming activities even better. In this post, we’ll provide an all-encompassing rundown of brainstorming. We'll talk about the importance of group brainstorming, how to succeed in it, and what are the different techniques of brainstorming.
Table of contents:
What is Brainstorming and Why Does it Matter?
How to brainstorm? - Step-by-step guide
Tips and Reminders for a brainstorming session
Alternative Brainstorming Techniques
Example of Brainstorming Online
Brainstorming is an ideation method that is widely used in the design thinking process. Brainstorming can be defined as a group problem-solving technique where the members contribute ideas spontaneously. In practice, brainstorming is often synonymous with a creative and imaginative idea-generating process.
Brainstorming is a very common method among businesses. Many people associate brainstorming with things like generating new products or business ideas. However, brainstorming can be used for basically anything. Improving services, processes, customer research, you name it.
Brainstorming is an optimal method when you want a wide range of creative and original ideas. It's also great for involving everyone in a group.
Brainstorming is often used for problem-solving in business since it is a very effective method. The advantage of brainstorming is that it combines problem-solving and creative thinking. It is a quick way to generate and share new ideas.
Commonly, some ideas born in brainstorming might seem crazy, but that’s one benefit of it. Sometimes the wildest idea might turn out to be the greatest. People are often too shy to share crazy ideas and are too caught up in their routines to think outside the box. Brainstorming allows free thinking and openness to new or even wild ideas. To create great ideas, you must have some bad ideas too. Free ideation rarely happens by itself, you have to make time and place for it.
The advantage of group brainstorming is also that it can help your team building. Brainstorming is a team sport and the results stem from strong collaboration. Brainstorming allows a comfortable safe space for team members to bounce up some ideas without the fear of being judged.
Brainstorming was introduced in 1953 by businessman and creativity theorist Alex Osborn. Already in 1938, he had invented the term “thinking up” which meant a creative idea generation process. It was initially created as a solution for the lack of shared creativity which caused subpar results in business meetings in his company BBDO.
Brainstorming was popularized in 1953 in Osborn’s book “Applied Imagination”. It became popular quickly and in five years, eight out of ten of the largest companies in America were using brainstorming.
Brainstorming has evolved a lot since. The subject has been researched a lot, and improvements have been done to address its shortcomings. New brainstorming techniques have been invented and the original technique has improved. It is still a widely used method in problem-solving and ideation.
Brainstorming is probably the first method that comes to your mind when thinking about generating ideas. The term is used quite loosely today, but the original goals and rules are very specific. Even though brainstorming was introduced decades ago, the core of it remains the same.
Brainstorming is a useful tool with many benefits:
Although there are many benefits of group brainstorming, there are also reasons why it isn’t always the best solution. Here are some pitfalls of brainstorming:
Brainstorming has its disadvantages but you can try to tackle those by following the brainstorming rules. You can also try other brainstorming techniques that address the shortcomings of brainstorming. Also, it is noticeable that some of the disadvantages people associate with brainstorming are a result of a misunderstanding. Brainstorming term is used quite loosely, and the core idea is sometimes forgotten.
1. Define the problem or topic you want to brainstorm
Before you start brainstorming, it is important to define the problem or topic you want to brainstorm. This will help you stay focused and generate relevant ideas.
2. Gather your participants
Brainstorming works best when the participants brainstorm together. You can brainstorm in groups of two or more but try not to include too many brainstormers to avoid groupthink. Also, make sure that there is one person leading and facilitating the brainstorming session.
3. Assign a recorder
The recorder is responsible for noting down all the ideas that are brainstormed during the session. People with great organizational skills are always the best choice. Having someone as a recorder helps in staying focused and on time.
4. Set a time limit
This is especially important when brainstorming with a large group. Otherwise, people will tend to go off-topic and the brainstorming session will take too much time.
5. Set ground rules
Brainstorming rules are meant to make brainstorming sessions efficient. Hence, brainstorming rules are not meant to restrict brainstorming. They should inspire brainstormers to think freely while giving the chance for everyone to share their ideas.
6. Start brainstorming
Now it's time to brainstorm! This involves coming up with as many ideas as possible, no matter how crazy or unrealistic they may seem.
Start brainstorming with a warm-up activity that allows participants to get in touch and interact more easily. A good way to start brainstorming is by asking open-ended questions to generate ideas. For example, the first question could be: "What are different ways we could improve our customer service?" This will get the brainstorming process started and people will begin to offer ideas.
Make sure the recorder writes down every idea that is brainstormed, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.
7. Group and build on brainstorming ideas.
Once you have brainstormed a list of ideas, it is important to group them and build on them. This will help you to develop a better understanding of the topic and find patterns in the ideas. Allowing other participants to brainstorm on top of previous ideas will help to develop the ideas further and could lead to some very innovative solutions.
8. Evaluate brainstorming ideas
Evaluating brainstorming ideas is a critical step in the brainstorming process. This is where you determine whether the ideas are feasible
9. Vote for the best brainstorming ideas
Once all the ideas have been brainstormed, it's time to vote on the best ones. Ask everyone to vote for ideas they think are the most effective and viable. The best ideas will then be turned into a plan of action.
10. End brainstorming
Make sure to end brainstorming sessions on time. This will allow participants to reflect on what they’ve brainstormed and prepare for the next session. Brainstorming can be a tiring process so it’s important to also have breaks in between.
11. Document and review brainstorming results
Documenting brainstorming results is a great way to ensure that everyone understands the ideas that were generated, and it can also help to track progress on specific projects.
Reviewing brainstorming results helps to ensure that the best ideas are selected and that an action plan is made on the results of brainstorming.
We have learned the benefits of brainstorming by now, but to utilize the full potential of this tool, you must know the rules. Often brainstorming sessions do not reach their objectives, because brainstorming rules and best practices are not followed.
Osborn defined 4 principles of brainstorming. Their goal is to release free idea creation and add creativity.
The 4 rules of brainstorming are:
1. Quantity produces quality.
Focus first on creating lots of ideas. The more diverse ideas there are, the better the chances are for some game-changing ones. There are also more ideas you can choose from when you’re starting to work with them. The quality will come when the ideas are further developed.
Commonly, the first ideas are the most obvious ones. When you go for quantity, you get beyond those common ideas and broaden your horizons.
2. Separate ideation and evaluation.
Avoid criticism and blocking ideas. In ideation, the focus must be on creating an open atmosphere for bouncing ideas without the fear of being judged. Critique is part of the process, but it should be separated from brainstorming.
Surprisingly, a recent article suggests that in a cooperative atmosphere criticism might boost creativity. However, we suggest you avoid criticism generally.
3. Encourage wild ideas.
Unusual ideas are welcomed in brainstorming. Wild ideas help the participants to start thinking outside the box
Obvious ideas don’t often spark the best results, start thinking bigger!
4. Build on created ideas.
Ideas often trigger other ideas. It is advisable to use others’ ideas in generating new ones. Improve and combine the ideas of others and develop them further.
These 4 basic rules are the core of brainstorming. When the brainstorming method has evolved, new rules have been found to be important.
Read the post: Rules for brainstorming success
To make your brainstorming sessions effective, also follow these brainstorming rules:
Even though brainstorming isn’t very hard, it still is good to be aware of the rules that make brainstorming efficient. There are many brainstorming rules you should note down. The main thing to remember is that brainstorming is a process. Plan it well, have a good structure, pay attention to participation, record all the ideas, and create a comfortable atmosphere.
Running an actual brainstorming session isn’t difficult, but there are some things you should take into consideration.
Well begun is half done also applies to brainstorming. Having an effective brainstorming session is much easier when you have planned it well.
When you’re preparing for a brainstorming session, define your problem carefully. Also, decide who should be attending the session and how and where are you going to run it. Usually, about 2-10 people are in the group. You also need to determine the facilitator of the session.
During the session, ensure the atmosphere is comfortable for sharing ideas. It is also important to make sure everyone is participating. You can set an example and throw some wild ideas yourself to set the tone for the brainstorming session.
Tips for preparing for a brainstorming session:
Tips for running a brainstorming session
Extra tip💡: Brains have a large section for visual thinking, let people draw during the brainstorming session!
Learn more about running successful brainstorming sessions: How to Prepare For and Conduct a Brainstorming Session
Sometimes it is a good idea to change things up and do things differently. Using different brainstorming techniques can enhance your creativity and boost innovation.
There are plenty of alternative brainstorming methods available and each of them has its advantages. Some alternative brainstorming techniques you should consider are:
When traditional brainstorming is about solving problems, reverse brainstorming is about preventing them. In Reverse brainstorming, the process goes backward. The participants try to figure out how they could cause problems or make current problems worse. Finally, they’ll get to think about how they could do the opposite.
In brainwriting, everyone writes down anonymously their ideas on paper. After some time, they change papers and develop the ideas further. In the end, the leader facilitates the discussion of the ideas developed.
Read more about this method in our post How to generate ideas with brainwriting?.
Rapid ideation is a fast version of brainstorming. The leader briefs the group and sets a timer. The participants write down as many ideas as possible. There are no limits to the ideas, they can be as far-fetched as they are. Probably most of the ideas are going to be discarded, but it is okay since the focus of this brainstorming technique is on idea creation.
These are just some of the possible brainstorming techniques you can benefit from, but there are many more available for you to choose from. To find the best alternative brainstorming techniques for you, learn more about them in our post 16 Best Brainstorming Techniques for Boosting Innovation.
In the digital era, more processes are turning online, and remote work is coming more popular. Being in different locations doesn’t mean that brainstorming should be off the table. That’s why you should consider digital brainstorming, also known as brain netting.
The most important part of online brainstorming is selecting the right virtual brainstorming tools. Luckily, there are many options online. They can be used for both having the entire brainstorming session online or just using online brainstorming tools as a part of your face-to-face brainstorming.
Orchidea Workshop is a great online brainstorming tool. You can use it in a remote brainstorming session with a remote meeting program. Or as a helpful tool in in-person brainstorming sessions.
Brainstorming online is more effective than traditional brainstorming. In digital brainstorming, writing down ideas is easy and fast, and the ideas are immediately stored in the brainstorming software. With Orchidea, you can harness the power of AI to boost your ideation.
The pros of brainstorming with Orchidea Workshop:
💡In digital brainstorming, using AI in brainstorming can be a great additional source of creativity.
The set up: Remote team
Need: Effective way to generate ideas and turn them into broader concepts and solutions for a specific problem.
Solution: Orchidea Workshop
Here is an example of how to conduct a brainstorming session with the Orchidea Workshop. If you are conducting the session remotely, you need also a remote meeting program like Zoom or Teams.
1. Choose a challenge you’re about to solve and gather your team in Orchidea Workshop. Start your remote session with Teams, Zoom, or another program of your choice. Make sure everyone is familiar with the challenge and the rules of a brainstorming session.
Tip: Send an email before the session to introduce the challenge.
2. Start collecting ideas. Everyone should bounce some wild ideas and write them down to the app for everyone to see in real time. In a team of 3-8 people, you can collect about 100-250 ideas in 30 minutes. In Orchidea, the timer starts automatically and is visible at each step.
3. Select the best ideas. In the selection phase, all ideas from the previous phase are shown. Everyone reads through the ideas and drags the best ones to the next phase.
4. Collect solutions. The prioritized ideas of each participant are visible to everyone in this step. The participants form solutions out of their top 1–3 ideas. They can also add some depth to the solution by answering a few helpful questions.
5. Develop and vote. Finally, the team develops the solutions. Solutions from the previous phase are presented in this stage. Participants read through all solutions and suggest improvements by commenting on them, asking questions, and finally voting on the best ones.
6. The facilitator sums up the session and tells what happens next with the created solutions.
The whole process is stored in Orchidea and you can export the results with one click into a Microsoft Word file.
If you are interested to learn more about brainstorming, I recommend you check out these articles:
Harvard Business Review (2015) Why Group Brainstorming Is a Waste of Time
Harvard Business Review (2017) Research: for Better Brainstorming, Tell an Embarrassing Story
Harvard Business Review (2017) Your Team Is Brainstorming All Wrong
Mc Kinsey & Company (2011) Seven steps to better brainstorming
MIT Sloan School of Management (2021) Should we allow criticism while brainstorming?
Scott Berkun (2012) In Defense of Brainstorming
All in all, brainstorming is a great method for generating many outside-the-box ideas in a short time. It is a very effective tool to increase creativity and develop new innovations. You just need to pay attention to the plan and rules to make it successful.
Hopefully, this rundown helped your learning. To get better at running effective brainstorming sessions, I recommend you our other blog posts. They include some useful tips and information you should know about brainstorming.
Good luck with your brainstorming process!