Understanding Brainstorming
Brainstorming is the most fundamental and widely-used ideation technique. It's a collaborative approach where participants generate a large quantity of ideas in a free-flowing, non-judgmental environment. The goal is to encourage creative thinking and build upon each other's ideas. Unlike structured methods, brainstorming emphasizes quantity over quality during the idea generation phase. All ideas are welcome, no matter how wild or unconventional they may seem. This creates a safe space where participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of criticism. The method was popularized by advertising executive Alex Osborn in the 1930s and has since become the foundation for many other ideation techniques. It works particularly well when you need rapid idea generation and want to leverage the collective creativity of a team.
The Brainstorming Process
Follow these steps to run an effective brainstorming session:
- 1
Define the Challenge: Clearly state the problem or question you want to explore. Be specific enough to provide focus, but open enough to allow creativity.
- 2
Set the Rules: Establish that all ideas are welcome, no criticism during generation, build on others' ideas, and aim for quantity over quality initially.
- 3
Idea Generation: Participants share ideas freely. Ideas can be written, spoken, or drawn. The focus is on generating as many ideas as possible.
- 4
Building on Ideas: Participants use others' ideas as springboards for new concepts. The "yes, and..." mentality encourages creative combinations.
- 5
Capture Everything: All ideas are recorded and made visible to all participants in real-time.
- 6
Evaluation (Separate Phase): After idea generation, ideas are organized, evaluated, and refined in a separate session.
Simple Brainstorming Examples
Here are examples of how brainstorming generates ideas across different contexts:
Challenge: "How can we improve customer onboarding?"
Generated 30+ ideas including: interactive tutorials, video walkthroughs, gamified onboarding, personalized welcome sequences, chatbot guides, peer mentorship programs, and more
A product team brainstormed ways to improve onboarding. By focusing on quantity first, they discovered unexpected approaches like peer mentorship and gamification that wouldn't have emerged from structured analysis alone.
Challenge: "What features should our new app have?"
Generated 50+ feature ideas including: AI-powered recommendations, social sharing, offline mode, dark theme, voice commands, widget support, and many more
A startup team used brainstorming to explore app features. The free-flowing approach helped them think beyond obvious features and discover innovative combinations.
Challenge: "How can we market our new product launch?"
Generated 40+ campaign ideas including: influencer partnerships, viral challenges, community events, content series, PR stunts, and more
A marketing team brainstormed campaign ideas. The collaborative nature helped build on each other's concepts, leading to more creative and comprehensive campaigns.
Brainstorming vs Other Creativity Methods
Understanding when to use Brainstorming versus other ideation methods:
Brainstorming vs SCAMPER
Use Brainstorming when:
- ✓You're starting from scratch with no existing concept
- ✓You want rapid, free-flowing idea generation
- ✓You need to generate many ideas quickly without structure
- ✓You're exploring completely new problem spaces
Use SCAMPER when:
- ✓You have an existing product or concept to improve
- ✓You need systematic exploration of transformation possibilities
- ✓You want structured prompts to avoid getting stuck
- ✓You're working on product innovation or enhancement
Brainstorming vs Brainwriting
Use Brainstorming when:
- ✓You want verbal, interactive idea sharing
- ✓You need immediate feedback and building on ideas
- ✓You have an extroverted team that thrives on discussion
- ✓You want to build energy and momentum quickly
Use Brainwriting when:
- ✓You want silent, individual idea generation first
- ✓You need to avoid groupthink or dominant voices
- ✓You have introverted team members who prefer writing
- ✓You want structured rounds with building phases
Brainstorming vs Round Robin
Use Brainstorming when:
- ✓You want free-flowing, spontaneous idea generation
- ✓You need rapid idea generation without waiting turns
- ✓You have a small, collaborative team
Use Round Robin when:
- ✓You need to ensure everyone contributes equally
- ✓You want structured, turn-based participation
- ✓You have a larger team where some voices might dominate
Quick Brainstorming Exercise: 10-Minute Idea Generation
Try this quick exercise to practice brainstorming:
10 minutes
- • Paper and pen or digital notes
- • A challenge statement
Instructions
- 1
Choose a challenge: Write down a specific problem or question (e.g., "How can we improve our morning routine?" or "What features should our app have?")
- 2
Set a timer for 10 minutes
- 3
Generate as many ideas as possible—aim for at least 20-30 ideas
- 4
Don't judge ideas—write down everything, even if it seems silly or impossible
- 5
Build on ideas—if one idea sparks another, write that down too
- 6
After 10 minutes, review your ideas and identify the 3-5 most promising ones
- 7
Consider combining multiple ideas to create even better solutions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming is a collaborative ideation technique where participants generate a large quantity of ideas in a free-flowing, non-judgmental environment. It emphasizes quantity over quality during the idea generation phase, with evaluation happening separately.
When should I use brainstorming?
Brainstorming works best for open-ended problems with multiple possible solutions, creative challenges requiring innovative thinking, initial exploration of a problem space, and when you need rapid idea generation.
How does brainstorming work in Ideadrive?
In Ideadrive, brainstorming sessions feature real-time collaboration where all participants can submit ideas. During active brainstorming, other participants' ideas appear blurred to prevent bias. All ideas are visible in the review stage for voting, commenting, and AI-powered analysis. Sessions default to 10 minutes with synchronized timers.
What are the core rules of brainstorming?
The core rules are: (1) All ideas are welcome—no criticism during generation, (2) Focus on quantity over quality initially, (3) Build on others' ideas using a "yes, and..." approach, (4) Encourage wild and unconventional ideas, (5) Defer evaluation until after idea generation.
How many ideas should we generate?
Aim for at least 20-50 ideas in a typical session, though more is better. The goal is to explore the solution space thoroughly before evaluating. Quality often emerges from quantity.
Can brainstorming be done solo?
Yes, solo brainstorming is effective for individual ideation. However, collaborative brainstorming typically generates more diverse ideas by leveraging different perspectives and building on each other's concepts.