Table of Contents
Table of Contents

Brainstorming Resources

Brainstorming is an ideation technique for coming up with many possible solutions to a given problem. While brainstorming, you’re in divergent thinking mode, which is a generative, open, and creative mindset that can help you get to innovative solutions. Of course, the more diverse the experiences and perspectives of the people around the table, the richer the results of your brainstorming efforts.

Brainstorming is a muscle that you can build through practice. Explore the tips, techniques, and recommendations we’ve gathered from IDEO experts to help take your brainstorming skills to the next level.

If you’re wondering how to set up a brainstorm, think about the meeting in three phases. Get the most out of everyone’s time by planning ahead.

  • PHASE 1—SETUP
    1. Frame a question grounded in an insight to guide the group’s thinking.

    2. Share inspiration and insights from competitive and analogous research.

    3. Embrace a mindset of curiosity, using the rules of brainstorming as a guide.
  • PHASE 2—FACILITATION
    1. Loosen people up with a creative warm-up

    2. Start with heads-down individual brainstorming.

    3. Share ideas as a group and build on each other’s concepts.
  • PHASE 3—FOLLOW UP
    1. Group ideas into buckets or themes.

    2. Vote on your favorite ideas.

    3. Define next steps and action items.

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PRO TIP:
For distributed or remote teams, some of these approaches may work better than others. Your best bet is to plan ahead and adapt the activity to be as inclusive as possible. The key to an effective ideation session is enabling all contributors to have a voice.
DIVE DEEPER:
Find more activities to overcome creative barriers in IDEO U’s Unlocking Creativity online course.
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Here you’ll find everything from design thinking toolkits to articles and podcast episodes on brainstorming and divergent thinking.

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