Brainstorming: Everything You Need To Know (and More)
You create a calendar invite, select your team members, add a quick note (‘coming up with ways to tackle our Q3 goals!’), and hit send. Easy peasy, you’ll all be swimming in creative solutions and armed with action items by the time the 45 minutes are up! Or will you?
No disrespect, but the best ideas don’t typically come from a vague ‘let’s figure it out together’ half-baked initiative. Effective brainstorming is both a science and an art. There are techniques, best practices, potential challenges, and do’s and don’ts to follow.
But don’t stress—we’ve outlined (literally) everything there is to know about brainstorming in this complete guide for product managers. So jump ahead to the section that calls out to you, or take a scroll and see where you land. Each section is packed with action-oriented tips, tricks, and tactics that will help you absolutely nail your next brainstorm, and lead your product team to success!
What Is Brainstorming?
Brainstorming is a structured creative process used for generating ideas from a group of people or an individual. Product teams engage in brainstorming sessions to share different perspectives and explore potential solutions to user problems and expand on their products and services. Brainstorming usually happens early on in the idea management process, when teams are coming up with a long list of ideas to then evaluate, prioritize, and act on.
Why Do Product Teams Need Brainstorming?
Successful product teams require a consistent influx of ideas to improve and build upon their product or service’s value to users—this is the idea generation stage of idea management. But not every idea will be a winning one, so it’s important to have a large number of ideas to work with. Your team can then parse through, combine, and evaluate ideas to identify the ones with the most potential.
But the value of brainstorming extends beyond idea generation. Carving out dedicated time and space for your team members to think creatively, share their own ideas, have group discussions, and problem-solve collaboratively is invaluable to your team’s success. Why? Because:
- It aligns your team around a shared starting point, objective, or problem to solve
- People will have a sense of ownership because they’ve contributed their own ideas
- Team members will build stronger relationships, leading to improved collaboration
- Taking people out of their day-to-day stimulates creative thinking
- Using structured brainstorming methods helps build out ideas to be even stronger
All this to say, the output of your brainstorms is much more than just the output of your brainstorms! Your team will have the ideas they need to get the ball rolling, but they’ll also build the skills and strengths they need to better assess, select, and act on those ideas.
Backstory: How Brainstorming Began
The concept of brainstorming was first formalized in the 1940’s by Alex Osborn, an advertising executive. Essentially, he brainstormed the idea of brainstorming. His foundational idea was to create a group setting free from criticism where participants could generate ideas and share them without reservation. This essentially remains an accurate description of how brainstorming sessions work today.
Through the 1960’s to 1980’s, brainstorming was adopted across industries to help spur innovation. Brainstorming techniques like group brainstorming sessions and mind mapping gained popularity. Since the 1990’s, brainstorming practices have been infused with technology and new brainstorming methods have emerged such as brain-netting and rapid ideation.
Brainstorming IRL: 3 Fascinating Examples
So clearly brainstorming ideas has a time, place, and tangible value. But what are some examples of the power of brainstorming? Here are a few you can draw inspiration from.
1. Embracing Creative Ideation at Pixar
Brainstorming sessions are notoriously integral to the creative process at Pixar, and the development of its beloved animated films. Known for its innovative culture, Pixar conducts regular group brainstorming sessions where team members use techniques like round-robin and rapid ideation to build on each other's ideas without criticism. This approach has led to the development of unique storylines and characters that resonate with audiences worldwide.
For example, the concept for the movie "Up" evolved from a myriad of ideas pitched during intense brainstorming sessions, showcasing how diverse thoughts can coalesce into a cohesive and successful narrative.
2. IDEO's Design Thinking Workshops
IDEO, a global design company, uses brainstorming extensively in their design thinking workshops. These sessions often involve mind mapping and brainwriting with sticky notes, allowing participants to visually organize their thoughts and spur creative thinking.
One notable success was their redesign of shopping carts, where IDEO facilitated a brainstorming session that led to innovative features like modular compartments and improved ergonomics. This example demonstrates how effective brainstorming can directly impact functionality and user experience in product design.
3. Google's Innovation Time Off
Google encourages its employees to spend 20% of their time on any projects that will directly benefit the company. This policy has spawned several of Google's core services, including Gmail and AdSense. This innovation time involves a combination of individual brainstorming and group brainstorming techniques, and leveraging cloud-based tools to collaborate and manage ideas. This example underscores how fostering an environment of continuous brainstorming can drive significant technological advancements and business growth.
The Benefits Of Brainstorming
The tangible outputs of brainstorming are clear: you’ll end up with a few great ideas to work into your product, lots of half-baked ones that might one day be relevant, and some ideas that will be best left on the shelf. But what are some of the benefits of hosting brainstorming sessions with your team? Let’s take a look:
- Enhanced creativity: Brainstorming sessions bring out creative ideas, encouraging participants to think beyond conventional solutions.
- Improved problem solving: Teams can tackle complex problems from multiple angles, leading to innovative solutions.
- Increased team collaboration: A well-facilitated brainstorming exercise is just as (if not more) effective as a team building exercise—plus, you get a tangible output!
- Diverse perspectives: Brainstorming brings together different points of view, taking into account the varied perspectives and experiences of all group members.
- Rapid idea generation: Techniques like rapid ideation and brainwriting facilitate the quick generation of ideas, which is crucial in fast-paced environments where time is of the essence.
- A robust backlog: The more your team brainstorms, the more ideas you’ll have to pull from. Brainstorming fills up your product backlog so you’re never searching for what to work on next.
Potential Drawbacks Of Brainstorming (and How to Address Them)
Brainstorming is core to the ideation process, and for many teams, it’s at the heart of their product development. Yet, it’s not always innovative solutions and blue-sky potential. There are, in fact, certain drawbacks when it comes to brainstorming. Here are a few to keep in mind and tips on how to counterbalance them:
| Issue | Description | How to Address It |
| Dominance of louder voices | In group settings, the loudest voice is often the one that gets heard | Use techniques like round-robin that give everyone dedicated time to share |
| Groupthink | Team members may tend to agree with the most popular perspective | Have time for individual brainstorming before people share their ideas |
| Misalignment with objectives | Creative thinking can sometimes take the team away from key goals | Align the team around the shared goal at the start of the session |
| Inefficiency or lack of organization | People get carried away and you lose track of time in your session | People get carried away, and you lose track of time in your session |
| Handling idea overload | A large number of ideas can cause overwhelm and analysis paralysis | Use a prioritization framework like an impact x effort matrix |
5 Brainstorming Principles to Know
As you can tell from the drawbacks outlined above, great brainstorming takes a bit of finessing. It’s worth the effort because this ultimately maximizes the potential for generating valuable, actionable ideas. Here are some key principles to follow for an effective brainstorm:
1. Focus on Quantity
Yes, you will ultimately need high-quality ideas to move forward with. However, the more ideas one chooses from, the higher the chance of producing a truly innovative solution. Brainstorming sessions should generally aim to maximize the number of ideas generated.
2. Create a Criticism-Free Space
People need to feel comfortable to speak up and share their ideas, even (and especially) if they’re unconventional. So, make it clear from the start that this isn’t the time or place to pick apart or critique ideas, but an opportunity to think outside the box and share freely and without judgment.
3. Encourage Wild Ideas
Get your team members out of their day-to-day context and encourage out-there ideas, even if they seem unattainable. You might lead a creative thinking exercise to get people thinking differently. For example, place an everyday object at the center of the table and give everyone 2 minutes to come up with a minimum of 10 ways to use it outside of its intended purpose.
4. Build on Others' Ideas
While outright criticism is usually counter-productive, that doesn’t mean people should avoid engaging in critical discussions around ideas. Include time for group discussions in your brainstorming session where people can build upon each others’ ideas.
5. Use Time Limits
Setting time limits for the different parts of your brainstorming sessions helps maintain focus and momentum. Time constraints can also spur creativity, as they force participants to quickly articulate and share their thoughts without overthinking.
How To Get Started With Brainstorming
Organizing your first brainstorming initiative can be as exciting as it is daunting. Follow these best practices (and key do’s and don’ts) to make it a success!
| Best Practice | Don't | Do |
| Choose the right facilitator | Opt for someone based solely on their role or position in the company | Select a facilitator who can guide discussions, manage time, and encourage participation |
| Define the problem clearly | Allow the session to begin with vague or overly broad problem definitions | Start with a clear and well-defined problem statement to keep the session focused |
| Set ground rules | Permit criticism or negative feedback during the ideation phase | Promote a safe and open environment with guidelines like “no bad ideas” |
| Use a technique | Keep things freeform and let group members jump around too much | Employ a defined brainstorming structure to keep things focused and on track |
| Encourage participation | Let dominant personalities control the conversation | Make sure everyone, including quieter team members, has opportunities to contribute |
| Manage the time | Allow discussions to meander without direction or divert from the task at hand | Set time limits for each part of the brainstorm to maintain focus and momentum |
| Follow up | Leave the session without establishing clear next steps | Plan for a follow-up session or steps to refine and implement the best ideas |
Making The Most Of Idea Management Tools
Effective brainstorming is a key part of the broader idea management process, and both are significantly enhanced by the right tools and software. Idea management software can help you document the ideas your team generates in brainstorms. But it also supports you in organizing, evaluating, implementing, and iterating on those ideas.
Here are a few key features these tools might have to help your team’s idea management process:
- Real-time collaboration: Cloud-based collaborative design platforms enable team members to brainstorm together virtually. Users can contribute ideas and feedback in real time, regardless of their physical location.
- Idea capture and organization: Digital whiteboards and sticky notes allow for the dynamic organization of thoughts and ideas. Tools like mind mapping help with visually structuring ideas, making complex relationships easier to understand.
- Templates and frameworks: Many tools come with built-in templates for popular brainstorming techniques such as SWOT analysis, starbursting, and reverse brainstorming. This provides a structured approach to idea generation.
- Voting and prioritization: Features like voting help teams prioritize ideas based on collective input. This ensures that the most valuable concepts are moved forward in the development process.
- Tracking and reporting: Advanced tracking capabilities allow teams to monitor the progress of ideas from conception through to idea development, offering valuable insights into the effectiveness of the brainstorming process.
5 Key Brainstorming Techniques (and When to Use Them)
Last but certainly not least, it’s important for product managers to have a good grasp of popular brainstorming techniques. These frameworks help you facilitate more focused and valuable brainstorming sessions and get the best ideas out of people. There are a ton of brainstorming techniques out there, but here are five key methods you should know and when to use them:
1. Brainwriting
Brainwriting is an alternative to traditional verbal brainstorming, where participants write down their ideas on a piece of paper (or in a Google doc). Once everyone’s done their individual brainstorming, they read their ideas aloud to the group. This technique is particularly effective in reducing groupthink and allowing for ideas to be formulated differently.
2. Round-Robin
In round-robin brainstorming, the group is given a prompt, and then each person takes a turn sharing an idea within an allotted time limit. Since each team member is given the same amount of time to speak, it ensures everyone has a chance to share their ideas and that everyone is heard.
3. Mind Mapping
Mind mapping involves creating a visual diagram that represents ideas branching out from a central concept. It’s particularly useful for outlining complex problems where ideas are interconnected. Teams might make a mind map to illustrate a user flow, customer journey, or internal process or workflow.
4. Starbursting
Starbursting is a brainstorming technique where the group focuses on generating questions rather than answers. Starting with a central idea, participants brainstorm as many questions as possible about the idea, covering who, what, where, when, why, and how. This method is ideal for thoroughly exploring a new product feature or service before the actual problem-solving begins.
5. Reverse Brainstorming
Reverse brainstorming flips thinking on its head so participants come up with ideas about what could cause a project or idea to fail rather than how to make it succeed. This technique is best applied in situations where conventional brainstorming hasn’t yielded effective solutions or where critical risks need to be identified and mitigated.
More Brainstorming Resources
Check out these additional resources to support your product team in better brainstorming and idea management:
- Creating More Intuitive Experiences With UX Design Research
- Best Design Feedback Tools Reviewed For 2024
- Product Design 101: How To Build Stickier Experiences
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