In a Nutshell
Brainstorming is a way to stimulate divergent thinking. One of the best general explanations I have found for describing “brainstorming” comes from a book entitled The art of creative thinking by Wilfred A. Peterson.
. . . Brainstorming is an existing process by which individuals strive to stimulate and inspire each other to create ideas. The purpose is to tap the subconscious mind of each member in a group and create a mutual sharing of mental wealth of those participating. Through the mechanism of association, one idea will suggest another and another. . . creating a chain
reaction.. . . It can be used by everyone. . . Brainstorming is thinking-together, harnessing imaginative power. It is mental teamwork, going into a creative-huddle. It can be used by family members to create harmony in the home or by statesman to create a peaceful world. 10-11
*Note to readers – There are a number of books with the title The art of creative thinking. The Peterson book is older (1991) but still worth the trouble to find. Check out reviews on the others by that title.
And BTW – Alex F. Osborn has been designated the “Father of Brainstorming;”
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Intentions for brainstorming
In creative problem solving one weaves in and out of two types of thinking — both divergent (expanding) and convergent (narrowing,) In ideating one is using divergent thinking as the primary intention of the exercise is to generate a large number of very diverse ideas and responses. This technique is meant to get one to think of possibilities. As such it should be one of the primary steps used in creative problem solving. While the volume of different ideas is the primary goal in this exercise, this technique has other benefits as well. Through brainstorming :
1. Students learn to express their ideas freely and without the fear of criticism.
2. Students learn to piggyback ideas and to build on the ideas of others.
As a visual metaphor I like to think of bubbles hitting the air and colliding. Instead of breaking when they bump into one another, they merge and expand, or merge and then divide into more bubbles.
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Rules for brainstorming
There are actual rules for brainstorming and these should be followed for each session. Brainstorming works better if participants know the rules beforehand and have an opportunity to get to know one another as well. It flourishes in an atmosphere where there are levels of mutual trust and acceptance, without fear of ridicule or criticism.
1. All ideas are judgment free and criticism are deferred
2. Participants should feel unrestricted and should feel that they are free to say anything and everything. The farther out the idea, the better.
3. Ideas should be built on the ideas of others. This is the concept of piggybacking.
4. The more ideas, the better. This is an exercise where the quantity of ideas is stressed over the quality of the ideas.
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Follow-up Activities
After the brainstorming session there are follow-up activities that are important.
1. All ideas should be left in their original form.
2. Standards should be developed for evaluating and revising the collected ideas. During this process the ultimate goal(s) of the brainstorming activity should be taken into account.
3. After the ultimate goals have been established and judgment criteria discussed, see how many ideas fit the problem criteria.
4. Discuss methods or ways to develop each of the remaining ideas.
5. Discuss how each idea can best be presented and refined.
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Using visuals to facilitate the brainstorming process
When engaged in brainstorming activities, personally I find visual techniques/activities to be especially helpful in both generating and culling ideas. This is especially true if I am working in groups or with partners.
There are a series of other pages in this site that might help with your brainstorming activities. Explore my links like creativity helpers – Using trigger words.
While it is an extension of a commercial site selling templates and software to facilitate group processes and communication, CreatelyBlog is an Australian site that has an exceptionally useful page on an array of visual tools that help to facilitate brainstorming. Well worth checking out.
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Sample Titles of Books on Brainstorming Techniques:
Gray, D. and Brown, Sunni (2010) Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers. #ad
Michalko, M. (2006) Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques (2nd Edition)#ad
Miller, B. C. (2012)Quick Brainstorming Activities for Busy Managers: 50 Exercises to Spark Your Team’s Creativity and Get Results #ad
Siegel, D. J. (MD) (2015) Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain #ad
** FTC Notice: For readers’ convenience throughout this site I have placed hotlinks to Amazon for a wide variety of books that relate to the topics discussed. Many of these books I have read, while others I not only read but purchased for my own professional collection. Other entries were recommended by folks I respect. In compliance with the United States FTC, I am required to tell readers that if they use the provided hotlinks to purchase linked materials, then I receive a very, very, very small commission from Amazon. These monies I use to help offset my website hosting fees.
Other topics featuring aspects of creativity can be found in the index on this topic.
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