2.1.3 Brainstorming Ideas
Brainstorming is the process of generating as many ideas as possible. This can and should be a fun process. The ideas do not all need to be good, they just need to be different. The more ideas you generate, the more likely you are to find a good idea among the nonsense. While brainstorming, it is important to not judge the ideas and really encourage free thinking. Ideas can be documented in many ways, but no matter what it should be fun and easy to do. Students should be encouraged to use whatever method they are most comfortable with.
Brainstorming Techniques
There are many different techniques that can be used to generate ideas. The following are some of the most common techniques.
Brainwriting
Brainwriting is a technique where each person writes down their ideas on a piece of paper. The papers are then collected and read aloud by the group. The group then votes on the best idea. The idea with the most votes is then used as the final design.
Brainstorming with a Partner
Brainstorming with a partner is a technique where two people work together to generate ideas. One person is the “idea generator” and the other person is the “idea recorder”. The idea generator is responsible for generating ideas. The idea recorder is responsible for writing down the ideas. The idea generator should not write down the ideas. This will help the idea generator to focus on generating ideas. The idea recorder should not generate ideas. This will help the idea recorder to focus on writing down the ideas. Then the partners switch roles and repeat the process.
Brainstorming with a Group
Brainstorming with a group is a technique where a group of people work together to generate ideas. One person is the “idea generator” and the rest of the group is the “idea recorder” and “feedback group”. The idea generator should present one idea at a time, get feedback from the feedback group, and then rotate roles. This repeats until the group has generated all of the ideas that they can think of.
Brainstorming with Whiteboards or Post-Its
Brainstorming with whiteboards or post-its is a technique where the group writes down their ideas on a whiteboard or post-it notes. The ideas are then collected and read aloud by the group. This can help people add ideas, visualize the ideas, and build on the ideas over a longer period of time. People can add notes, new ideas, and pictures to the ideas. Many people are visual thinkers and this tactile approach can help them to generate ideas too if they are not comfortable speaking in front of the group.
Brainstorming with a Computer
Using CAD, Simulation, photo editing tools and more can help you to generate ideas. You can use these tools to create 3D models, animations, and more. You can also use these tools to create images and videos to help you communicate your ideas. Creating your ideas digitally also helps to preserve your ideas. You can save your ideas and come back to them later. You can also share your ideas with others. Knowledge is the one thing that is free to share while not losing any value.
Brainstorming Tips
The following are some tips to help you brainstorm.
- Don’t judge ideas. Ideas are like children. They are all crazy, smelly and probably a little insane sometimes. But it’s rude to tell them that. So don’t judge your ideas. Just let them be. You never know when one of them will grow up to be a genius.
- Don’t be afraid to be wrong. You are going to be wrong a lot. That’s ok. It’s ok to be wrong. It’s ok to make mistakes. It’s ok to fail. It’s ok to not know. It’s ok to not understand. It’s ok to not be perfect. It’s ok to not be the best. It’s ok to not be the smartest. It’s ok to not be the most experienced. Its okay… Everyone was a beginner. Everyone on your team has been wrong about something before, even your coaches and mentors probably. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and keep trying. By presenting ideas you’ll learn what to improve and be better for the experience!
- Not everyone is going to like your ideas. That’s ok too. Teams are made up of many different people with different ideas. The way a team is successful is to compromise, debate or discuss the ideas and come to a consensus. There are tools out there to make it a formal and data driven process that we will cover in other chapters on the website.
- Take a break and think about something else for a while. Sometimes you need to step away from the problem and think about something else for a while. This will help you to come back to the problem with a fresh perspective. It will also help you to come back to the problem with a new set of ideas. This is called “divergent thinking”. While you can’t just run away from your problem, you can take a break. Your brain is not a computer, it is a muscle and when it’s had a workout it needs time to rest and recover. So take a break and come back to the problem later.
Brainstorming Resources
The following are some resources to help you brainstorm.
Now that you have generated some ideas, it’s time to evaluate them and choose the best one to prototype.