Brainstorming Techniques That Work: 6 Methods With Examples

Brainstorming techniques that work give you a clear method for finding ideas. Each method has a set of questions or rules, so you do not wait for ideas to arrive by chance. This guide explains six techniques: mind mapping, 5 whys, SCAMPER, reverse brainstorming, starbursting and crazy eights. Each one has a short example.

Why a method beats open-ended brainstorming

A blank page and the words "come up with ideas" often produce the same three ideas, repeated. A method forces you to look at the problem from a new angle. Questions and rules push your thinking past the first answer.

Use one technique at a time. Set a time limit, write every idea without judging it, and sort the ideas only after the timer ends. Judging too early stops the flow.

1. Mind mapping

A mind map starts with one central idea. You add main branches, then smaller branches for details. The shape shows how ideas relate.

Use this method when the topic is wide and you do not know its parts yet.

Example: the topic is "a community garden." Main branches are people, space, water, tools and events. Under "water", you write "rain barrel", "hose timer" and "shared schedule". The map shows a gap: no one owns the tools branch yet.

For a full method, read Mind Mapping for Beginners.

2. The 5 whys

The 5 whys method asks "why" five times. Each answer becomes the subject of the next question. The goal is to move from the symptom to the cause. A cause gives you better ideas than a symptom does.

Example: a team's newsletter is always late.

1. Why is it late? The writers send drafts on the last day.
2. Why do they send drafts late? They do not know the deadline until the week before.
3. Why do they not know the deadline? It is not in the shared calendar.
4. Why is it not in the calendar? No one owns the calendar.
5. Why does no one own it? The team never assigned the task.

The fifth answer gives an idea you can act on: assign one person to own the calendar. You may not need five questions. Stop when the answer points to something you can change.

3. SCAMPER

SCAMPER is a checklist of seven prompts. Each letter stands for one way to change an existing idea:

Example: a café wants a new menu item. Substitute the milk with oat milk in a classic drink. Combine a pastry with a local fruit. Eliminate the sugar syrup and sell an unsweetened version. Each prompt gives one idea, and the list is quick to run in twenty minutes.

4. Reverse brainstorming

Reverse brainstorming asks how to make the problem worse. You list all the ways to fail. Then you turn each item into a rule that prevents it.

Example: a holiday party is planned for a Saturday.

• Ways to make it fail: no one knows the address, the food runs out, the music is too loud for the neighbors.
• Reverse each one: put the address in the invitation, plan food for twice the expected guests, set a volume limit.

This method is useful when you are too close to the idea to see its weak points. Negative thinking is the tool here, and the output is positive.

5. Starbursting

Starbursting uses six question words: who, what, when, where, why and how. You write one question for each word about the idea. You do not answer them yet. The questions show what you have not yet decided.

Example: the idea is "a weekend book swap."

• Who will come? Neighbors, students, or both?
• What books will we accept?
• When will it run? Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon?
• Where will it happen? A library room, a park or a café?
• Why should people come? What do they gain?
• How will we keep track of the books?

Each question can become a new branch in a mind map or a line on a task list. Starbursting works well before you start planning.

6. Crazy eights

Crazy eights is a fast method for visual or product ideas. Fold a sheet of paper into eight panels. Set a timer for eight minutes. In each panel, sketch one idea. You must draw eight ideas, even if some are weak.

The rule of eight forces you past your first two or three ideas. The best idea often appears in panel five or six.

Example: a new shelf for a small kitchen. Panel one is a wall rack. Panel two is a hanging shelf on a rail. Panel six is a fold-out shelf that sits behind a door. The sixth idea is the one you test first.

Choosing a technique

Use this table to pick a method quickly.

The times are starting points. Stop when the ideas slow down, and move to the next step.

Common mistakes

• Judging ideas while you write them. Sort after the timer ends.
• Using one technique for every problem. Match the method to the problem.
• Stopping at the first good idea. Run the method to the end, then choose.
• Skipping the next step. An idea list becomes useful only when you pick one idea and plan it.

Keep the ideas in one place

Paper works well for a short session. For longer projects, a mind map app keeps the branches in one place and lets you move them later. MindBloom is a mind mapping app for iPhone and iPad. Each idea is a node, and nodes can be ideas, steps, tasks, resources or milestones. The Grow Branch feature suggests new sub-ideas from any node, and Organize Outline restructures a map that has grown too wide. Maps stay on your device, and the app does not need an account to start.

To turn the best idea into a plan, read How to Turn Ideas Into an Action Plan. If you need to choose between the ideas you found, Decision Making Techniques That Work shows several ways to compare options. You can also browse all our apps.

Try MindBloom on your next idea, and grow the first branches from a single question.

Frequently asked questions

How many ideas should a brainstorming session produce?

There is no fixed number. Set a time limit and aim for quantity first. A session of twenty minutes often produces more useful ideas than a session of two hours with no structure.

Which brainstorming technique is best for beginners?

Start with mind mapping or starbursting. Both use simple prompts and give a clear result after a short session.

Can I combine two techniques?

Yes. A common order is starbursting to list questions, then mind mapping to group the answers. Use the output of one method as the input for the next.

Should a group brainstorm together or alone?

Try both. Start alone for five minutes, so each person writes their own ideas. Then share and build on the list together. This stops the loudest person from setting the direction.