Brainstorming – The Ultimate Idea Generator

Written by 5ivecanons Staff

Brainstorming, that one activity that people either love or hate doing. Either way a good brainstorming session can produce fantastic ideas and problems to solutions.

Here are some key tips to help make your next brainstorming session a winner.

Identify goals

It’s clear that there’s a problem or else you wouldn’t need to meet to solve it. Make a clear lists of all the issues that need solutions. Be as specific as possible about the problems the need to be solved so that the whole team is on the same page.

Identify the problems so you don’t have more issues to fix later.

Come up with a strategy and know what’s required

Ask as many question that you need before coming up with a strategy. Knowing what the requirements are, can make the brainstorming session more effective when coming up with good creative ideas.

A strategy will help you execute a plan and help knock out all of your goals. Without a strategy, you won’t meet your goals or hit touch on the requirements your client laid out. This is also a great way for the team and client to be on the same page of what’s to be expected.

 Figure out your goals

Figuring out what your overall goals are for a project can help point you in the right direction. Goals are important to think about when there are specific tasks that need to be met. Writing down those goals to keep in mind will help you achieve them.

Write all your goals down that you would like to accomplish, that way you can visualize everything you need to do.

Set a time limit

The brainstorming session has to end at some point. Having a clear time limit set at the beginning of the sessions will allow the team to know and agree on when ideas need to be ready and presented.  A time limit also helps with keeping the team on track with the task at hand.

But how long should the brainstorm session even be? The brainstorm session should be long enough time an effort to jot down some killer ideas but short enough that they can work on other important projects that need to get done.

Usually a good solid hour is more than enough time for everyone to come up with some cool ideas.

Think Independently

Once you and your team have a clear background and a time limit on what needs to be accomplished, take some time to think of ideas on your own. Don’t just come up with one idea, jot or sketch every idea down even if it isn’t a good one. Writing or sketching everything down is important so you have a record of the transformation of one idea into another idea.

The more ideas that you think about the more they can be reworked or picked as the winner.

Regroup to present your ideas

Once you had time to think independently about concepts for your project, regroup and go over everyone’s ideas. The group can pick through ideas they like, or if everyone has a common theme think about making that the concept. A good regroup can also be a way to realize that you need to come up with better ideas. You may have to do the whole brainstorm process all over again. Brainstorming can be helpful in picking everyone’s brain and generating some great ideas.

…Then go back to the drawing board. This exercise was literally just a test, now the real assignment begins.

 

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