Brainstorming is a popular technique for generating creative solutions to problems, but there is little evidence of its effectiveness. It was popularized in the 1930s by Alex Osborn’s book, Applied Imagination, and is based on four principles: acceptance, quantity, thinking outside the box, and combinatorial thinking. The process involves suspending criticism, producing a large quantity of ideas, encouraging unusual ideas, and combining and improving upon them in a group dynamic. A chairman sets the problem and rules, and the final list of ideas is used for further brainstorming or implementation.
Brainstorming is a technique used to harness the power of a group to come up with creative solutions to a problem. There is actually very little strong evidence that it is an effective technique for generative ideas, either in terms of sheer quantity, or in terms of superior quality. However, it remains very popular with businesses and creative personalities.
This process has probably been around for many years, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that it became popular with the publication of a book written by Alex Osborn, an advertising executive, called Applied Imagination. Since the book, the technique has been incorporated into many business models as a way to get huge quantities of ideas, the hope being that at least one or two exceptionally strong ideas would be born out of that quantity. The technique was particularly popular in the advertising world and from there it made its way to other companies in the group.
There are four basic principles in brainstorming: acceptance, quantity, thinking outside the box, and combinatorial thinking. Each of these is designed to encourage group synergy that will produce ideas that would not have come from individuals thinking for themselves. In recent years, as criticism of the process has increased, a few alternative theories have begun to appear, but for the most part this four-part model remains dominant.
Acceptance of ideas is a cornerstone of this process. The general idea is that the critical process is suspended during the brainstorming process. There are no dumb ideas during a session, allowing people to bring up ideas they might otherwise be embarrassed or hesitant to bring up. Group members are free to add their own thoughts, but it’s important they are entirely positive, with any critiques saved after the session itself.
Sheer quantity is another key thought in this technique. Since one of the primary goals is to invent something innovative, it is thought that the chances of coming across such an extraordinary idea increase by increasing the production of ideas. The adage quantity begets quality is often used to describe this key point.
Thinking outside the box is also highly encouraged during a brainstorming session. Often the most successful ideas, particularly in marketing, are completely innovative and unexpected. Finding these ideas is more difficult with traditional methods, as ideas are very rarely able to be reduced to a simple formula. By encouraging unusual ideas, the potential for arriving at dynamic new concepts is believed to be greater than the other way around.
Finally, brainstorming is based on a group dynamic, where ideas are combined and improved by others in the group. The thought is that by taking a set of strong ideas, one can arrive at a really great idea. The adage 1+1=3 is often used to illustrate this idea.
A session usually has a chairman, who sets the ground rules and presents the problem for which solutions are being sought. Ideas are then generated by the group and set aside, improved, or combined with other ideas. The final list of ideas is then used by a subsequent group, both as a starting point for further brainstorming and as a list from which ideas are selected for final implementation.
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