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Brainstorming

What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a group technique for generating a large number of ideas in a short time. The aim is quantity first: defer criticism, welcome wild ideas, and build on others’ suggestions. Evaluation comes after the generation phase.

Use it when: you need many options for solving a problem or exploring a direction (e.g. in the Ideate phase of design thinking or before a design sprint).

Copy/paste template (session rules)

  • Quantity over quality – Generate as many ideas as possible; filter later.
  • No criticism during ideation – No “that won’t work”; save evaluation for after.
  • Welcome unusual ideas – Wild ideas can spark better ones.
  • Combine and build – “Yes, and…” rather than “Yes, but…”.
  • One conversation at a time – So ideas are heard and captured.

Time-box (e.g. 15–20 minutes). One clear question or prompt. Capture everything (sticky notes, board, doc).

Why brainstorming matters

  • Surfaces options you wouldn’t get from individual thinking alone.
  • Creates psychological safety when the rules are followed (no early criticism).
  • Supports design thinking and innovation by separating idea generation from selection.
  • Builds on group diversity so different perspectives combine.

What good brainstorming includes

Checklist

  • [ ] Clear prompt – One specific question or challenge (e.g. “How might we reduce sign-up drop-off?”).
  • [ ] Rules stated – Quantity, no criticism, build on ideas; everyone hears them.
  • [ ] Time-boxed – 15–25 minutes typical; enough to get flow, not so long that energy drops.
  • [ ] All ideas captured – Visible to everyone (board, sticky notes, shared doc).
  • [ ] Follow-up – Evaluation and selection step after; don’t leave ideas on the wall with no next step.

Common formats

  • Sticky-note storm: Everyone writes ideas on stickies; one idea per note; post and group after.
  • Round-robin: Each person in turn offers one idea; repeat until time’s up. Ensures everyone contributes.
  • Silent writing: Everyone writes ideas for 5–10 minutes, then share and build. Reduces groupthink.

Examples

Example (the realistic one)

Prompt: “How might we help new users complete their first project in under 5 minutes?” Rules: Quantity, no criticism, build. Time: 20 minutes. Output: 40+ ideas (templates, wizard, copy tips, video, chatbot, default project, etc.). After: Group into themes (setup, guidance, templates); dot-vote on top 5; pick 2 to prototype in the next design sprint or iteration.

Common pitfalls

  • Criticism during ideation: “That’s too expensive” or “We tried that.” → Do this instead: Enforce “no criticism” until the generation phase is over; then evaluate.
  • Vague prompt: “Ideas for the product.” → Do this instead: Use a specific “How might we…?” or problem statement so ideas are actionable.
  • No follow-up: Ideas are captured but never evaluated or used. → Do this instead: Schedule evaluation (group, vote, criteria) and assign at least one idea to next steps (e.g. prototype, backlog).
  • Dominant voices: A few people do most of the talking. → Do this instead: Use round-robin or silent writing so everyone contributes.
  • Brainstorming vs design thinking: Design thinking is a full process; brainstorming is the ideation technique used in the Ideate phase.
  • Brainstorming vs design sprint: Design sprints include a sketch/ideate day; brainstorming can be one way to run it (often with individual sketching then sharing).
  • Brainstorming vs prioritisation: Brainstorming generates options; feature prioritisation selects what to do. Do both: brainstorm first, then prioritise.

Next step

Run a 20-minute brainstorm on one problem: state the rules, use a clear “How might we…?” prompt, capture all ideas, then run a short evaluation (themes + vote or criteria) and pick 1–2 ideas to prototype or add to the backlog. Read Design thinking to place brainstorming in a full process.

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