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Brainstorming

Posts under Brainstorming focus on helping create the ideal situation for brainstorming, including warm-ups and ice-breakers, creating the right atmosphere, and inviting and stimulating the creative mind. Check out Games & Exercises for specific tools. Also, feel free to use the Search bar to scan for relevant tags.

make an idea

How To Make an Idea: The Master Recipe

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a recipe to make an idea? A recipe is valuable to a cook when preparing a meal. Its preciseness and instructions help prevent
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Being Empathetic (It’s Not About You)

A bumper sticker for Design Thinking might read “It’s not about you” to unscore the point that no one cares what you think. Too bad lots of people don’t think
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Best Brainstorming Tips in a Flash

Don’t have time to read a long post on creating ideas? If so, here are my best brainstorming tips, quick-snap. Stand up. No time for a proper brief? Gather as
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How to Generate Names for Companies, Brands and Products

Arguably the most important corporate decision made about an organisation, its brands, products or services is its name. Built upon a strategic direction or a unique selling proposition, a good
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Introduction to Metaphors

Almost five years ago, I started this blog with the question “Which of these two coat hangers is more creative?” By comparing the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the wire coat
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Mood Boards

Long a favourite of professional designers, mood boards are a curated collection of random images, words and textures brought into focus by a single reference point. They allow designers, creative
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Is The Brainstorm Over?

A great article by Mike Brown from Brainzooming in the USA, this post outlines the 10 signs to look for to know if your brainstorm is finished.  Here’s the link
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Can Creativity Be Taught?

An interesting article about an evergreen question: Can creativity be taught? Here’s the rub. The question isn’t answered in this article from FastCompany, but all the same, author Evie Nagy
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Brainstorm Supplies

“Be prepared” is a mantra that stretches from Plato to Madame Curie to the Boy Scouts. It’s also relevant for brainstorm supplies. There’s nothing worse when your participants are ready
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What is a big idea?

What Is A Big Idea?

It’s one of the most common questions in creativity. What is a Big Idea? More so, what makes a Big Idea … well, a Big Idea? I often got the
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The 90-10 Rule

At your last brainstorm, did you notice that 90% of the ideas were completely useless, but 10% were worthy of more discussion? If so, you’re seeing the intractable rule of
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Lotus Blossom

Created by Yasuo Matsumura, a management consultant working in Japan, the Lotus Blossom may look elaborate, but it’s a simple creative exercise which uses free association to create ideas. This
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