Brainstorming: Encyclopedia II - Brainstorming - Overview

Brainstorming - Overview

Brainstorming can be done either individually or in a group; in group brainstorming sessions, the participants are encouraged, and often expected, to share their ideas with one another as soon as they are generated. The key to brainstorming is not to interrupt the thought process. As ideas come to the mind, they are captured and stimulate the development of better ideas. Brainstorming is used for enhancing creativity in order to generate a broad selection of ideas in leading to a unique and improved concept.

It is a means of enhancing divergent production, aiming to facilitate problem solving through the maxim quantity breeds quality. The greater the number of ideas generated, the greater the chance of producing a radical and effective solution.

When done individually brainstorming can be an effective measure of change through time. An individual may revisit a brainstorm, done alone, and approach it with a slightly new perspective. This process can be repeated without limit. The result is collaboration with your past, present and future selves.

In a group, it is often emphasized in brainstorming sessions that you should put criticism 'on hold'. Instead of immediately stating what might be wrong with an idea, the participants focus on extending or adding to it, reserving criticism for a later 'critical stage' of the process. The assertion is that when suspending judgment, you create a supportive atmosphere where participants feel free to generate unusual ideas. However, persistent respectful criticism of ideas by a minority dissenter can reduce groupthink, leading to more and better quality ideas.

Brainstorming has many applications but it is most frequently used in:

• New product development - obtaining ideas for new products and making improvements to existing products
• Advertising - developing ideas for advertising campaigns
• Joint Application design - speeds every step of JAD
• Problem Solving - issues, root causes, alternative solutions, impact analysis, evaluation
• Process management - finding ways of improving business and production processes
• Project Management - identifying client objectives, risks, deliverables, work packages, resources, roles and responsibilities, tasks, issues
• Team building - generates sharing and discussion of ideas while stimulating participants to think

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Overview", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki