Unlocking Your Creative Potential: Generating More and Better Ideas
No matter what capacity you work in, whether for an agency or yourself, at some point, you need to generate ideas for your clients. When it's time to brainstorm, understanding what makes a great idea is crucial so that you can recognize it when you see it. Enjoying the process is essential too, allowing ideas to flow freely and great ones to emerge.
How to Spot a Great Idea
Some years ago, I attended the HOW Design Conference in San Francisco. Presenting there was a Creative Director named Stefan Mumaw. His quick definition of what constitutes a great idea has stuck with me: Relevance and Novelty.
Similar to the D.A.R.E. model, the idea must be both relevant and highly unique or novel. Mumaw explained that many brainstorming sessions often stop at relevant ideas. The hard part is pushing through to novelty. How do you achieve that? Embrace silliness, comedy, and randomness. The combination of relevance and novelty can turn an average idea into a great one.
No Wallflowers
I have a rule: if you are invited to a brainstorming session, you can't be a wallflower. You have to participate, believing your idea might be the one. The more people you have on your team with that mindset, the higher the quality of ideas. However, as a leader, you must set that expectation without creating fear. So, how do you construct that precious time to get the best out of everyone?
Brainstorm Models
Over the years, my team and I have developed four brainstorm models that demand participation in different ways without creating fear.
One: The Brain Dump
An oldie but a goodie - the classic think tank style brainstorm can sometimes give great results.
Kick-Off Meeting: The whole team should gather, and your brainstorm facilitator should provide a summary of the problem you are trying to solve. The most important part of this meeting is ensuring everyone understands the problem. Questions should be answered, and clarity sought. Inform everyone of the process and the decision-making criteria.
Brainstorm: This model involves a think tank discussion where the facilitator hosts a group discussion. The goal is to get as many ideas as possible. The facilitator should ensure full engagement from the group and prevent any single personality from dominating the room. Be mindful of organizational hierarchy, as it can be hard for some to suggest ideas different from their manager's.
Selection: A smaller project team should determine the next steps after this meeting. The decision-maker will decide whether you have enough information or need more to make a final call on the direction.
Two: The Notebook
This model is great for teams of introverts or quiet thinkers. Everyone breaks out for some quality one-on-one time with their thoughts.
Kick-Off Meeting: The team gathers, and the facilitator provides a summary of the problem. Ensure everyone understands what they need to come back with and the expectations. From here, let people think, research, and reflect on their own, providing a timeline and clear deliverables.
Rumination (Brainstorm): Everyone goes off to think independently. Each person should come up with three or more separate ideas or more specific deliverables if desired.
Report and Selection: Reassemble everyone to discuss their thoughts. Identify repetitions, contrasting viewpoints, and build on individual ideas as a group. Work with the decision-maker to determine next steps and direction.
Three: The Pitch
Create a few small teams and pit them against each other to come up with great ideas. They'll pitch only the best.
Kick-Off Meeting: The team gathers, and the facilitator provides a summary of the problem. Break the team into smaller sub-groups (Pitch Teams) that fully understand the problem.
Mini-storms (Brainstorm): Each team schedules and holds their brainstorm sessions, coming up with alternatives, settling on an idea, and fleshing it out for presentation. This could involve creating a preliminary mood board, a product mockup, or acting something out.
The Pitch: Reassemble all teams to present their ideas. This meeting can include a panel of judges who make recommendations based on criteria like presentation, novelty, and relevance. Make this fun to bring out healthy competition.
Four: Seeding
This model is great for quick idea collection when you want as much input as possible.
Kick-Off Meeting: Present your problem to your whole company or an entire department, depending on your ambition. Specify the type of solutions you're looking for.
Brainstorm: Hand out cards to everyone, requesting that they write, draw, or print something that comes to mind regarding your project. If working with a remote team, share this on your intranet or ask people to email their ideas.
Selection: Collect everything from the idea wall and start sorting. Identify your favorite ideas and the ones that best solve the problem. The decision-maker will determine if there's enough to work with before deciding on the next steps.
Being intentional about your time and creating a fun environment will consistently generate more and better ideas.