The term “brainstorming” originally came from psychiatric terminology, describing the erratic, disordered state of mental patients. Because it was considered similar to the everyday mental state of advertisers, it later came to be widely used in advertising and creative work to inspire new ways of thinking and uncover new ideas.
Brainstorming consists of four stages: preparation, the brainstorming session, organization, and refinement.
In terms of group size, around 10 people is ideal: too few limits inspiration, while too many can lead to confusion. A diverse group is preferable so that ideas are sparked from a wider range of perspectives. The session should last 20 ~ 60 minutes: too short and people may not get into the flow; too long and they may become tired, making the rest of the session unproductive. The arrangements should include one facilitator, who does not participate in the discussion but manages the timing and process and ensures everyone has a fair chance to speak, as well as one or two note-takers to promptly record ideas as they arise. The topic should be announced sometime between one day and 2 hours before the meeting, and there should be only one topic, so participants have time to develop some initial ideas for the brainstorming session. Otherwise, if the topic is announced at the last minute, people may not be able to respond right away, and it may take a long time for them to get into the flow.
There are two ways to contribute ideas during brainstorming: offering ideas and building on ideas.
Offering ideas means taking turns to put forward your own ideas related to the topic, regardless of whether they are good or bad, complete or realistic. As long as an idea is relevant to the topic, it can be expressed without restriction. Others must not evaluate any of the ideas.
Building on ideas means using other people's ideas as inspiration for your own, then offering additions or new ideas of your own. These ideas are also unrestricted, because the ideas you put forward will, in turn, inspire others. Like a game of passing the parcel, ideas accumulate as they go back and forth, creating a storm of ideas.
Organize and categorize all the ideas, both realistic and fanciful. We need to prioritize refining those that are sufficiently realistic. This refinement stage also has two aspects. For realistic ideas, continue pooling the group's insights to develop and improve them into effective, actionable solutions. For unrealistic ideas, if the concept is good enough, consider making it a new topic for another round of brainstorming to turn it into something practical and feasible. Brainstorming has clear benefits. First, it prevents good ideas within a team from being buried out of deference to authority or marginalized because they differ from the majority view. Second, its collaborative approach naturally brings together everyone's promising but underdeveloped ideas and helps them mature. These are ideas that individuals could not come up with simply by working on their own. This method is no longer limited to generating creative ideas at advertising agencies. Many companies that need creative approaches to solve problems and innovate their way past obstacles are now trying brainstorming.
The strength of brainstorming is that it welcomes even bizarre ideas and those from outside the field. Many disruptive innovations come from crossing disciplinary boundaries, breaking free of entrenched ways of thinking within a field. Through the brainstorming process, these ideas can also be refined with specialized knowledge into practical, effective solutions for that field. If you encounter a problem you find difficult to solve on your own, try brainstorming. Although the ideas that emerge may seem incredible or unconventional, some everyday impasses can only be overcome through unconventional thinking.