Photo by Alp Ancel on Unsplash
Think of the stereotypical brainstorm:
You get a bunch of people in a room, put some slinkies, play-dough, and post-its on the table, then expect genius to happen. And every once it a while, maybe it does!
But more often, the group leaves with some great discussion, some general directions… and an unclear path forward.
In reality, a brainstorm is one part of the creative problem solving process that includes three main things:
A robust DISCOVERY session beforehand, including market research, user interviews, and the synthesis of those learnings to develop well-founded insights that inspire.
Careful organization, session design, and facilitation of creative thought occurring during IDEATION. As well specific methods to document the group’s creative thinking. (AKA - the brainstorm)
A REFINEMENT session to converge and evaluate what concepts should move forward into further development and testing.
All three are vital to developing creative solutions based on user and business needs. But—if we look specifically at brainstorming, there are ten things all ideators and facilitators should keep in mind:
Don't kill ideas. In other words, “Defer your judgement.”
When we jump too quickly into thinking about execution of an idea (timeline, technology, legal, budget), we limit the size and creativity of our ideas to what we *know* to be possible. It’s much easier to scale down a big, crazy idea than it is to build a ho-hum one into something ground-breaking.
2. Learn the language.
Ask any improv group and they’ll tell you the manner in which you respond to an idea can either kill it or grow it. By using phrases like “We tried that five years ago” or “Joe Client would never go for that”, we stop the momentum of free-flow thinking. People start to edit themselves in fear they will be judged for saying something dumb. A great tool to avoid this is the phrase “How to...?” instead of “That won’t work because...”. By doing this, the hurdle is acknowledged, but in a way that invites solutions. Example: “How to... make this idea scalable?” vs. “That would cost too much.”
3. Be a funnel.
Stay high-level in the beginning of ideation. Talk about an idea, the need it answers, the benefit it provides, and high-level builds. By staying high-level for the first part of brainstorming, you can gather a large breadth of ideas. Once brainstorming is over, the team will switch to executional thinking to see what is actually possible. Ideation = Divergent. Refinement = Convergent.
4. Build onto others’ concepts.
Constantly be asking yourself what you can add to a concept. A “build” validates the ideator that pitched it and builds creative momentum for future ideas to be sparked. Many brilliant concepts begin with run-of-the-mill thought starters.
5. Go for quantity first.
The first portion of an ideation should be about quantity (divergent, blue sky ideas). The second portion is about quality (convergent, details, execution).
6. Write/Doodle your thoughts.
Don’t lose *anything*. If you have an idea, write it down. If you have a build, write it down. Capture everything—ideas and thoughts are fleeting during ideations with so much going on. Post-it notes are excellent tools for this.
7. Be present.
Eliminate laptops and phones during the ideation session. The only person with a laptop is the recorder who captures all ideas and builds as they are spoken (and can also do on-the-spot research for an idea if needed).
8. Listen to what others are saying instead of simply waiting for them to be done speaking.
Look for ways to build on what they are saying. When the builds subside, you can start down a new path with your own idea.
9. Come with idea fodder. Ask people to come with 3-5 ideas ready to go.
This not only gets them thinking about the project before the brainstorm but it also makes it easier to get the ball rolling.
10. Make it work for everyone.
Introvert and extrovert don’t necessarily mean someone is shy or social. It actually describes how an individual gets their energy. Some people work best on their own and find it draining to be around a large group. Others find it energizing to work with others. The goal of an ideation is to provide working sessions for each kind of person. Small group sessions with individual work time should be sandwiched with larger group exercises.
Use this print-out to keep these tips in mind as you head into your next brainstorm or collaborative conversation. They are easy habits to pick up and will bring focus to your creative problem solving process. Still need help? Get in touch to discuss how a facilitator can keep these conversations productive. Happy Ideating! :)