Boost Your Creativity: 15 Brainstorming Techniques

Brainstorming is a method of generating ideas and finding solutions to problems through group discussion and collaboration. It involves gathering a group of people together and encouraging them to come up with as many ideas and solutions as possible, without worrying about the feasibility or practicality of the ideas. The goal of brainstorming is to generate a large number of ideas and solutions in a short period of time, in order to stimulate creative thinking and find the best possible solution to a problem.
There are several different techniques and tips that can be used to facilitate brainstorming sessions and encourage the generation of creative ideas. These include:

1. Braindump: This is a simple technique where you write down all your ideas on a piece of paper without worrying about the order or organization. This can help you get all your ideas out of your head and onto the page, allowing you to come back and organize them later.
2. Mind mapping: This technique involves creating a visual representation of your ideas by drawing a central idea and connecting it to related ideas with lines. This can help you see the connections between different ideas and come up with new ones.
3. Word association: This technique involves starting with a central word and then brainstorming ideas by coming up with words that are associated with it. For example, if you start with the word "dog," you might come up with ideas like "bark," "fetch," and "leash."
4. Reverse brainstorming: This technique involves starting with a problem or challenge and then brainstorming ideas for solving it. This can help you come up with creative solutions that you might not have thought of otherwise.
5. SCAMPER: This acronym stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, and Reverse. This technique involves using each of these actions to come up with new ideas based on a central concept.
6. The six hats method: This technique involves using six different colored hats to represent different thinking styles: white (objective), red (emotional), black (critical), yellow (optimistic), green (creative), and blue (planning). By switching between these hats, you can come up with a variety of different ideas.
7. Random word prompt: This technique involves coming up with ideas based on a random word or phrase that you draw from a hat or generate with a random word generator. This can help spark your creativity and come up with ideas that you might not have thought of otherwise.
8. Free writing: This technique involves setting a timer for a certain amount of time and then writing nonstop for that period. This can help you get your ideas out onto the page without worrying about editing or organization.
9. The ruler method: This technique involves coming up with ideas by starting at one end of a ruler and working your way down to the other end, coming up with one idea for each inch. This can help you come up with a variety of different ideas in a structured way.
10. The round robin method: This technique involves a group of people taking turns coming up with ideas and writing them down on a whiteboard or piece of paper. This can help encourage collaboration and come up with a larger number of ideas.
11. Starbursting: This brainstorming strategy involves creating a central idea or concept, and then "bursting" outwards by asking questions about it and coming up with as many related ideas as possible. For example, if the central idea is "vacation," questions might include "Where would I go?" "What activities would I do?" "Who would I go with?" "What would I eat?" "How would I get there?"
12. Brainstorming with a mood board: This involves creating a visual representation of ideas by creating a board with images, colors, and text that represent the desired mood or theme.
13. Brainstorming with random objects: This involves gathering a selection of random objects and using them as a starting point for brainstorming ideas. For example, a toy car, a rubber band, and a pencil could be used to generate ideas for a new product.
14. Brainstorming with a visual representation: This involves using visual aids such as diagrams, charts, or maps to generate ideas.
15. Brainstorming with a problem statement: This involves starting the brainstorming process by clearly defining the problem or challenge that needs to be solved.

Source:
"Brainstorming Techniques." MindTools.com. Accessed December 25, 2021. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_05.html
"Brainstorming Techniques." Brainstorming Techniques for Creativity and Innovation. Accessed December 25, 2021. https://www.brainstorming.co.uk/brainstorming-techniques/
"9 Creative Brainstorming Techniques for Generating Ideas." HubSpot. Accessed December 25, 2021. https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-blog/9-creative-brainstorming-techniques-for-generating-ideas

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