Top 7 Ways To Effective Brainstorming

Swastik Sinha
4 min readFeb 10, 2023

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Source: Mural

Brainstorming is a creative process that involves generating ideas to solve a problem. Whether you are a student, a business owner, or an artist, you have probably participated in a brainstorming session at some point in your life.

However

Not all brainstorming sessions are created equal, and it can be challenging to come up with new and innovative ideas on the spot.

Source: Unsplash

To help you out, here are the top seven ways to effectively brainstorm.

1.MIND MAPPING: Mind Mapping is a visual way to organize your thoughts and ideas. Start by writing down your main problem or question in the centre of a piece of paper and then draw lines to create branches that represent different ideas or solutions.

This method can help you visually organize your thoughts and see connections between ideas that you may not have noticed otherwise.

Source: Unsplash

2.Reverse Brainstorming: Instead of focusing on finding solutions to a problem, reverse brainstorming involves thinking about the problem itself and how it could be made worse.

This might sound counterintuitive, but it can often lead to new and unique ideas.

Thomas Edison once said,

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

3.ROLE PLAYING: Role-playing involves imagining that you are someone else and looking at the problem from their perspective.

This can be a great way to see the problem from a different angle and come up with new ideas that you may not have considered otherwise.

Source: Unsplash

4.ROUND-ROBIN BRAINSTORMING: Round-robin brainstorming is a group activity where each person takes turns suggesting ideas.

This method is especially useful for group brainstorming sessions as it allows everyone to contribute and ensures that no one person dominates the conversation.

Source: Stormboard

5.Random Input: Sometimes, the best ideas come from unexpected places. To encourage this, try incorporating random elements into your brainstorming session, such as using a random word generator or drawing inspiration from an unrelated object.

This can lead to creative and unexpected solutions.

Source: Unsplash

6.FREE WRITING: Free writing involves writing down anything and everything that comes to mind for a set amount of time, without worrying about grammar, punctuation, or even if what you are writing makes sense.

This method can help you tap into your subconscious and generate ideas that you may not have otherwise thought of.

Source: Unsplash

7.SCAMPER: SCAMPER is a creative problem-solving technique that involves looking at a product or service and asking “What if?” questions. For example, “What if this product was made larger?” or “What if this service was offered for free?”

This method can help you look at a problem from a new angle and come up with unique and innovative solutions.

Source: SlideSalad

Conclusion

Brainstorming can be a powerful tool for generating new ideas and solving problems. By using a combination of these methods, you can come up with fresh and creative solutions that you may have yet to think of.

Statistics show that group brainstorming sessions are more effective than individual brainstorming sessions, with groups generating an average of 30% more ideas than individuals.

So, next time you find yourself in a brainstorming session, remember to be creative, have fun, and embrace the power of the “What if?

As the famous writer, Mark Twain, once said,

Source: YouTube

And when it comes to brainstorming, the only limit is your imagination.

Let your mind run wild and see where it takes you! Beware as this may surprise you!

Thank You For Reading!

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Swastik Sinha
Swastik Sinha

Written by Swastik Sinha

A warm hello to all! I am Swastik (Sway) Sinha, a student at KU Lueven (BBA'2026), and have joined ‘medium’ to communicate my ideas and knowledge..