This is a good discussion. While group brainstorming gets a lot of attention, there are a number of related techniques for idea generation that can work in different situations including:
Brainwriting Buzz sessions The Nominal group technique Freelisting The Lotus Blossom Technique Braindrawing for visual ideas Metaphor brainstorming The Crawford Slip Method Some of these methods are useful when: 1. You have a hostile group 2. You want to gather ideas when time is short 3. You want to gather ideas from a very large group (like a conference session) 4. There are cultural issues that affect strongly how people respond. 5. You want to rate the ideas without being influenced by status or loud-talkers 6. You want to examine a specific set of problems and solutions in a structured approach. A topic that isn't always addressed sufficiently is what to do with the data from brainstorming studies. There are a number of techniques including affinity diagramming, a criteria matrix where you apply a set of criteria to prioritize problems. Target diagrams where you group items into categories of interest, and affinity diagrams where you place the items into a 2 x 2 matrix of important dimensions (costs versus customer benefit for example). An interesting issue in the research literature is the appropriate amount of diversity. Too much diversity can actually reduce the quantity of ideas. For example, if you invite people in who most people don't know, people might feel inhibited about expressing wild ideas in front of the strangers. Good discussion. Chauncey On Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 4:33 PM, Gayle Curtis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello Alfonso, > These are all great questions about brainstorming, and it would be very > valuable to have the collective wisdom of this and other lists together in a > single article. > > I have been teaching brainstorming techniques and leading ideation sessions > over a number of years at Stanford and at Yahoo!, and I will second > Chauncey's citation of the Osborn text and add this earlier one, where he > introduces the term 'brainstorming' : > > Your Creative Power, > http://www.amazon.com/Your-Creative-Power-Alex-Osborn/dp/1569460558 > "...It was in 1939 when I first organized such group thinking in our > company. The early participants dubbed our efforts "Brainstorm Sessions;" > and quite aptly so, because in this case, "brainstorm" means using the brain > to storm a creative problem - and do so in commando fashion, with each > stormer attacking the same objective." > > In this book he introduces the four basic principles of brainstorming which > I find are the essential foundation of fluent ideation: > > * Defer judgement > * Push for quantity > * Encourage wild ideas > * Build on others' ideas. > > Here are some other, more contemporary references: > > David Kelley (IDEO) in Fast Company: > Seven Secrets to Good Brainstorming > http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2001/03/kelley.html > Six Surefire Ways to Kill a Brainstorm > http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2001/03/kelley2.html > > Bob Sutton (Stanford GSB) in Business Week: > Eight Tips for Better Brainstorming > http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2006/id20060726_517774.htm?chan=innovation_innovation+++design_innovation+and+design+lead > > The Innovation Catalyst shows that the debate over the value of > brainstorming is not dead > http://opensourceinnovation.wordpress.com/2007/06/28/two-vastly-opposing-views-on-brainstorming-pt-i/#comment-32 > > And some (Ad agency) people don't like it at all. This article illustrates > how poorly run sessions can be really counter productive. > http://www.adliterate.com/archives/2007/05/death_to_the_br.html > > > I look forward to seeing more about this, > > Gayle Curtis > UX Design Strategy - Yahoo! > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> >> >> Message: 6 >> Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:12:19 +0000 >> From: alfonso comitini <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Brainstorming >> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" >> >> >> >> >> Hi everyone, >> >> I?m putting together an article on ?best practice? >> brainstorming practical usage and trying to get some feedback through >> various >> mailing lists. One of these lists is >> IXDA, I already read most of the interesting posts on brainstorming, and >> got >> some ideas but I would like to get some more feedback. Please, refer to >> old >> posts because I might have missed some of them. >> >> I?m referring to brainstorming in agencies and design >> studios but not over the phone or solo brainstorming. Below are some >> questions >> that would really help me get finished with the article. Everyone that >> answers >> will be cited at the end and I?ll also provide a link to the website. Feel >> free >> to answer as many questions as you like and give as much feedback as you >> like. >> >> What is your personal definition of brainstorming? >> When and in what kind of projects do you use it ? (generating >> new products, new ideas, business) >> >> Who should sit in the brainstorming session and why? is it >> just for creative people or does including non-creatives (managers or >> admin) >> help find the balance between creativity and practicality? Or do you >> include >> everyone in the search of a balanced input? >> >> Do you include third parties (client)? Why? >> >> What would you say it?s the optimum balance in number of >> people? 2,4,5,10? Why? >> >> What information do you provide before and/or at the >> beginning of the session (sketches of target audience, summaries of >> researches identifying attitudes and behavior, >> other resources or nothing at all)? >> >> How much time do you give to review the brief and prepare >> for the brainstorming session? >> >> What?s the best time of the day to hold a brainstorming >> session? >> >> Where do you conduct the brainstorming session (out-of-house >> or in-house)? >> >> Who the facilitator should be and what characteristics should >> have? Do you bring someone from the outside? is it a manager? does it need >> to >> be little known to the group? How many facilitators? >> >> What is the role of the facilitator? Does it keep things >> moving, capture notes, identify key ideas? >> >> How long should the session be? Different lights for >> different sessions? >> >> Do brainstorming sessions need to be structured or do you >> brainstorm in an informal place without planning? For example, on a Friday >> with >> colleagues in a pub, or in a plane heading to conferences. >> >> Do you just send out email and ask people to brainstorm? A kind >> of e-mail brainstorm and possibly use these information in the actual >> brainstorming session? >> >> What tools do you use? Paper, whiteboard, software? >> >> *************************************** > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... 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