When we think about creating or inventing something new, our associations most often drift towards wild creators, whose methods resemble more Pollock's work on canvas than the meticulousness of a scientist. However, when we add a business context, we will likely think of a more structured form of creative thinking – brainstorming. Although popular, it is neither the only nor the most effective way to achieve a specific goal or task, especially in design.
Therefore, first, I invite you to familiarize yourself with the limitations that brainstorming is burdened with, and then move on to other methods that brainstorming can be combined with to achieve the best results.
Brainstorming - two heads are better than on
Popular brainstorming - used not only in advertising agencies - can be reduced to a group throwing out various ideas (and modifying them on the fly) and the group selecting the best one - usually by voting. Although, at first glance, the method looks effective because many participants in the brainstorming session bring many perspectives on the same problem, this method is burdened with fundamental threats - the authority and charisma of individual participants.
The authority effect - cognitive biases
There are many cognitive biases. In the text about UX writing, which you will find here, I mentioned, for example, the curse of knowledge. The authority effect is another one. Perceiving someone through the prism of authority causes us not to analyze that person's words so thoroughly, and we are more willing to agree. This results from a certain "brain laziness," which loves shortcuts so much that if it can use ready-made reasoning, e.g., "This person is competent, they are right," without thinking - it will do just that.
Often, this mistake turns into a way of arguing - argumentum ad auctoritatem: a non-substantive way of arguing, which consists of referring to authority, with which, even if the other side disagrees, they will not want to challenge it, to avoid being accused of arrogance or questioning science. An additional layer of this problem is when the aura of the authority of the person we refer to (e.g., a Nobel laureate in chemistry) is extended to fields in which they speak but are not specialists (e.g. when the aforementioned Nobel laureate speaks about the economic situation in Mongolia, and we believe him because he is, after all, a Nobel Prize winner).
Such cognitive error or precisely the use of the "argument from authority" in a business environment during brainstorming can work against the intended creative effects. The group, feeling somewhat obliged to accept the arguments of the authority figure without making an intellectual effort or simply not feeling comfortable opposing such authority, can lead to a situation where brainstorming is reduced to one person and their agreeable followers. Although sometimes it is not the fault of cognitive error but simply the charisma of a particular participant, the effect remains the same - the group's contribution is reduced to a minimum.
So, how do you approach brainstorming?
Fot. Weronika Dyląg
Know your employees
Brainstorming is a great method with the right dynamics of the group, awareness, and emotional intelligence of the participants and the moderator (e.g., it is worth remembering not to judge ideas during a brainstorming session to avoid closing participants), but sometimes it is worth reaching for other methods, such as brain dumping, which is close to brainstorming.
Brain dumping
The method of brain dumping, also known as "mind dumping" or "thought download," is a technique that involves writing down all thoughts, ideas, tasks, and worries from your head on paper or in digital form. This practice aims to clear the mind by transferring all thoughts to an external medium, which helps to organize thoughts, identify priorities, and reduce the feeling of overwhelm. This tool can be particularly beneficial when the mind is overloaded with information and lacks a clear action plan. By writing down thoughts, you can better understand your tasks, priorities, and challenges, leading to greater mental clarity and more efficient task management.
Brain dumping can be used to seek innovation or explore new services. During a brain-dumping session, participants write down everything that comes to mind without considering hierarchy, logical order, who will do it, how much it will cost, or whether it makes sense. Participants jot down their ideas without discussing them until the end of the session. This is an excellent method for activating individuals with difficulty in group settings or whose strength lies in individual work.
Brainwriting
So, how does brain writing differ from brain dumping and brainstorming?
So, how does brain writing differ from brain dumping and brainstorming? Brainstorming is a free, verbal flow of information between participants. "Brain dumping" is an individual session of writing down ideas on paper, and brain writing is something in between. Brainwriting involves both individual works with pen and paper and a broad discussion in the group about previously written ideas. If we want to activate a group with some shy people (or one very charismatic person), for the dynamics of such a group and to achieve the best results, the brain writing method will be the best. However, it is worth knowing a few more.
Fot. Weronika Dyląg
The worst possible idea
Rozpoczynając sesję wymyślania mamy do czynienia z pewnym zablokowaniem grupy. Nic dziwnego, jeszcze przed chwilą byli w zupełnie innym kontekście. Wyrwani z dotychczasowych zadań, kończąc ostatnie maile muszą wejść w zupełnie inny sposób myślenia. To „przełączanie się” mózgu trwa i dotyczy nie tylko samej obecności „tu i teraz” z uwagi na zmieniony kontekst, ale dotyczy również samego sposobu wymyślania. Uczestnicy mają w takim przypadku tendencję do zabijania swoich własnych pomysłów w zalążku rozpatrując ich realizację, kosztowność czy wykonalność. I tu może wejść „metoda najgorszego możliwego pomysłu” – cała na biało 😉
It is more than just great fun or an introduction to a creative session. It is a full-fledged tool. Not only does it help to switch between contexts, but it also opens up entirely and allows free rein to your imagination. Because the assumption is the worst possible idea, participants are not afraid to say things that they feel are not of quality, are funny, or simply unfeasible. It is also much easier to accept feedback like: "This is not such a bad idea after all," which reduces stress and tension in the group.
SCAMPER (Substitude, Combine, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse)
The SCAMPER method is a creative strategy used to stimulate innovative thinking and generate ideas through a set of questions. SCAMPER is an acronym where each letter represents a specific action or question directed at existing ideas, products, or processes. For example, "S" refers to "Substitute" - can something be replaced or exchanged? "C" stands for "Combine" - can different elements be combined? "M" stands for "Modify" - can something be changed or adjusted? "P" is "Put to another use" - can a given element or project serve purposes other than initially intended? "E" - "Eliminate" - can something be simplified, skipped, or omitted? "R" stands for "Reverse" - what will happen if we change the order of elements or actions? These questions help to break cognitive patterns and inspire innovative solutions.
The SCAMPER method is flexible and can be used in various contexts, from product development to business process improvement. It is beneficial in the conceptual phases of projects when there is a need to transform existing ideas or find new directions for development. By using this technique, teams can easily explore diverse perspectives and harness the creative potential of thinking to create innovative solutions. The SCAMPER method stimulates flexible thinking and can be effective in unleashing the creative potential of both individuals and work groups. 3...2...1... Let's start inventing!
3...2...1... Let's start creating!
The mentioned methods only partially exhaust the wide range of various techniques that can be used to stimulate practical creativity in a team. For longer projects, it is important to choose techniques not only for the project and the pending task but – above all – for the team and the way its members operate. It is worth observing how individual people function in specific techniques over a longer period of time and periodically gathering feedback on how a given technique works for individual team members.
Although some techniques may seem artificial at first, and some people may feel that they are "tying their free, creative spirit" – ultimately, all of them allow structuring and stimulating the team's creativity, and combining them in the right way will enable utilizing the creative potential of the team even where good ideas could get lost in classical brainstorming.
