6 Creative Brainstorming Techniques To Find Your Best Ideas

Udn Webber

Content Manager

Looking for some handy brainstorming techniques ?

Everyone’s used brainstorming to solve a problem at least once in their life.

And if you’re not sure if you have, here’s something to jog your memory:

So there’s a new project. But you’re not sure how to go about it.

You and your team sit in a circle, and everyone is encouraged to voice out every wild idea that comes to mind.

No idea is too crazy.

And every unusual idea turns out to be a great idea.

That’s the power of brainstorming!

However, that isn’t the only way to brainstorm.

There are different brainstorming methods and you need to choose the best one for you and your virtual team .

And we’re here to help.

This article covers everything you need to know about brainstorming and the top brainstorming techniques you can use.

Let’s get storming!

Things That Happen During A “Typical” Brainstorming Meeting

Brainstorming meetings, like any meeting, sometimes don’t go according to plan. Let’s take a look at the things that usually happen during a brainstorming meeting.

One of three things usually happens in a “typical” brainstorming meeting:

All that said, we really do believe there is power in brainstorming. But there are rules, and they can be stretched without being broken.

How To Get Into The Creative Mindset?

It’s one thing to sit down and brainstorm; it’s another to do it effectively.

Before you start brainstorming, you need to have an open mind, literally.

The best brainstorming sessions start before anyone enters the room.

For instance, it’s hard to jump from a meeting about budgets into directly thinking about the grandest of possibilities. Your mind will be constrained, and you won’t be free-flowing; you’ll probably be guarded and cautious.

So here’s how you shed some of those inhibitions to let the best ideas float to the top:

1. Go for a walk

Take a quick break to release stress and let yourself and your subconscious take in some fresh air to clear things up and get yourself ready for your brainstorming session.

Besides, a little pre- brainstorming exercise never hurt nobody! 🕺

2. Consume different information

Stuck with The Economist? Pick up Better Homes & Gardens.

Always watching CNN? Flip to the Travel Channel.

Try something else.

If you’re always reading and consuming the same information, you’ll want to make new associations. It may help you to glance through a magazine, an image website, or something completely unrelated to what you’ll be brainstorming about to help you have a fresh state of mind.

3. Break up your routine

I don’t know exactly what this means for you, but find a way to do it before you brainstorm.

This could be going out for lunch, running a quick errand, or using the office ping-pong table for the first time. Breaking your routine will free you from a typical rut and put you in the right frame of mind for effective creative problem solving.  If you’re actively using technology devices, step away from them. These gadgets can lead to problems such as lack of focus and even poor sleep .

What Are The 2 Types Of Brainstorming?

There are two types of brainstorming:

Individual brainstorming and group brainstorming.

The former works better for simple problems that need simple solutions, and the latter can be used to solve complex problems.

Confused?

Let’s take a look:

Individual Brainstorming

Individual brainstorming is like going on a date with your thoughts.

You talk to each other about your random ideas, and suddenly, those unconventional ideas turn into tangible solutions.

We’re sorry if this wasn’t as romantic as The Bachelor. 🌹

However, during individual brainstorming, if you don’t break the rules during your brainstorm session, then no one will. You’ll also fall into the trap of listening to others’ ideas and avoid generating ideas of your own.

Hopefully, your individual brainstorming is successful enough to help you be like this during the next team meeting…

The problem with individual brainstorming is that you might not develop ideas to their fullest as you would in a group brainstorming session.

Group Brainstorming

With group brainstorming, team members can help one another out when they get stuck on an idea; another team member with more knowledge on that idea can throw in suggestions.

After all, two heads are better t han one, right?

Other benefits are that it enhances team building, and it reminds team members that everyone has unique ideas to offer to the team.

What Are The 4 Rules Of Brainstorming?

Brainstorming rules are essential because they help guide discussion and ensure everyone has a fair shot at being heard during the brainstorming session.

Here are the four rules:

These rules ensure that your team will have a successful brainstorming session.

Okay, okay, we’re gonna stop calling them rules because no one likes rules, especially when you’re supposed to be “creative” and let the creative ideas flow, right?

Okay, so no rules. Just think of them as “guidelines.”

The Top 6 Brainstorming Techniques

1. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is one of the best brainstorming techniques because it lets you brainstorm thoughts without worrying about structure and order.

A mind map consists of concepts that are linked to and arranged around a central idea.

Not to mention, mind map tools are fun because you get to turn boring information into colorful and memorable diagrams.

And who doesn’t love colorful diagrams?

So, that one great idea is out there; you just have to find it.

And the mind map will lead you to the promised land (potentially).

And with UDN Task Manager ’s Mind Maps feature, there is no “potentially,” there’s only “definitely.”

UDN Task Manager ’s Mind Maps help you transform your fresh ideas into beautiful, well-organized mind maps.

You can also share them with your team with a click of a button. This way, everyone in your team can visualize the workflow and collaborate on any adjustments.

Whether it’s a regular problem-solving session or you’re trying to get your team’s creative juices flowing, you can use UDN Task Manager ’s Mind Maps feature for the ultimate visual outline.

To create a mind map in UDN Task Manager , you can either choose the Task mode or the Blank mode .

With Task mode, you can visualize the structure of your existing UDN Task Manager tasks. Use task mode to map out a project’s workflow and rearrange tasks into logical paths. You can also create, edit, and delete tasks right from your view.

If you want to get even more creative, then go for UDN Task Manager ’s Blank mode.

In Blank mode , you can create mind maps from scratch . The nodes don’t have to connect to any task structure. Create as many nodes as you like and convert them into tasks in any Task List i n your Workspace when you’re ready!

Check out these great examples of mind maps ! 😍

With UDN Task Manager ’s Mind Maps feature, you can turn every ideation session into something truly your own!

Read more about how to use the Mind Maps feature here .

2. Personal Idea Pad Quadrant

This is what people mean when they say “think outside of the box.”

By associating unrelated concepts together, you’re able to tackle the problem in a different way.

But how does a personal idea pad quadrant work?

What triggers those unrelated concepts?

This is what makes or breaks brainstorming.

My favorite method for doing is this is the Personal Idea Pad from Todd Henry at the Accidental Creative .

Henry breaks down the challenge into four different quadrants and then asks you to combine words and ideas from one quadrant to another.

This a template from the Accidental Creative website:

Here’s how it works:

If you like this quadrant layout, check out this template for SWOT Analysis!

3. Brainwriting

This is one of the most common brainstorming techniques that’s usually best done in teams. After all, teamwork makes the dream work, right?

Here’s how brainwriting works:

Do this for four or five rounds with a group of people (6–10), and you’ll have a ton of ideas.

The facilitator will then review the ideas during a break, select the ones he or she likes best and then return to the group to build and construct a plan on those ideas.

The Brainwriting technique works because:

4. Brainwalking

Cousin to brainwriting , the brainwalking technique is a similar concept, except people move instead of the paper.

Pieces of paper are hung on a wall; people add their idea to solve the problem and then move to the next paper. This is a great way to take ideas public and generate a new type of energy by thinking on your feet.

5. Grids

This is similar to idea #2.

Instead of four quadrants and combining ideas from there, you’re combining ideas from a grid.

Follow these steps to get started:

6. Bubbles

When the ideas are really bubbling up, bubble brainstorm maps are the way to go!

Bubble maps are an easy way to jot down and organize ideas in a visual framework during a brainstorming session.

Use these steps for the bubble brainstorming technique:

This brainstorming technique is an excellent combination of mixing teams with individual contributions. It’s a great brainstorming method for creative problem solving.

Your team members may come up with eight ideas, and then you could assign an idea to each individual and they could work alone. Everyone can rejoin to see the results of your brainstorming bubble.

How To Refine and Prioritize Your Ideas

Your whole team had a great time brainstorming.

And everyone has come up with at least one creative idea.

Yay!

Generating wild, crazy ideas is the easy part.

Now it gets a bit more difficult. You have to figure out which ideas are worth pursuing and which should go in the trash.

Not literally.

If you want to separate the great ideas from the good ideas, you have to refine your ideas.

But how can your team do this?

Try these methods and creative approaches:

Option 1: Dots

Relist all of your top ideas on a board or piece of paper, and give each team member a sticker dot (or use checkmarks). Team members must put their dot next to the idea they like the best.

Option 2: Pros & Cons

For each idea, list out the pros and cons. Because you (hopefully) have a lot of ideas to go through, limit this to only a few pros and a few cons.

List out the reasons why the idea will or won’t work.

This method will help you decide what’s feasible and what can be executed. As we all know, the best idea is sometimes the hardest to do. This is where your team can start to make those value judgments.

Option 3: Face Off

No, it’s not time to watch a cheesy mid-90s Nic Cage film.

Instead, you want your ideas to “face off” against one another to claim the first place. They’re all vying for the top spot.

Here’s how it would work.

Why You Should Consider New Creative Brainstorming Techniques

You’ve probably tried a few if not every technique we discussed when forced to in a group or team building session.

But have you ever tried them unprompted?

Regular brainstorming and ideation will help you come up with new ideas, think of new ways to solve problems and help your team collaborate better in real-time.

If you’re still not convinced, check out this post on why you should re-evaluate your brainstorming strategy .

But, don’t take the whole thing too seriously…

Remember, you’re brainstorming.

You’re coming up with ideas. Just because you write it down doesn’t mean it’s permanent. So feel free to experiment with every technique, and next time someone wants you to think outside the box, you’ll be prepared.

Note: These are not all of the best brainstorming methods available. Here are a few honorable mentions:

Note : Since most of these techniques involve team members adding their ideas to a note or document, try out UDN Task Manager Docs for this. It’s an easy-to-use document collaboration solution that lets your team collaborate in real-time!

Conclusion

While you can always have a brainstorming meeting without using any brainstorming methods, it doesn’t give your team a sense of direction or an organized space for creative thinking.

However, with creative brainstorming techniques, that isn’t an issue.

With techniques that help you with ideation to techniques that let you compare different ideas, brainstorming techniques help teams find solutions for the most complex problems.

And while there are sites that offer decent brainstorming tools, UDN Task Manager ’s Mind Maps feature is the ultimate tool you can use for brainstorming and ideation.

With powerful features for mind mapping, team collaboration , and even task management , UDN Task Manager is the only tool any team needs for effective brainstorming.

Get UDN Task Manager for free today and watch your most innovative ideas come to life!