BrainStorming Techniques and Rules for creative ideas

BrainStorming Definition:

Creative Technique used to generate a long list of ideas in a group to develop a better solution to a given problematic Situation in an organization.
This term was popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in the 1953 book Applied Imagination.
Brainstorming is a tool used by Business teams and Academics researchers. 

BrainStorming Rules:

BrainStorming

-The main rule involved in this process is using the brain to generate new ideas to a given problem/topic in group in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
-Focus on Quantity that has no limit on the number of ideas generated to produce a good and Quality solution to a given Problem by identifying potential risks.

 -Criticism is not allowed and judgement is postponed to a later stage to encourage the participants to generate more list of ideas,further treating each and every person as equal at the same time giving equal importance to their ideas.
-In this rule Even Unusual Ideas are Welcomed and recorded.
-All the generated list of good ideas are combined to form a better one by eliminating duplicate ones.
Generally the Number of Participants( both experts and novice ) invited should be 12 or more in a Group to work on developing a solution with in a Time Limit.

BrainStorming Techniques:

1. Nominal Group Technique:

Delbecq and Vandeven developed this Technique. In this Method Particants are divided into small groups and asked to write their ideas anonymously. The ideas are collected by the facilitator to chose the best idea on voting basis.
BrainStorming Techniques

2.Group Passing Technique:

In this Method of Generating creative ideas, Participants are seated in a circular group and each participant is allowed to write his creative idea in a piece of paper and passes it to the next participant in a clockwise directions, who adds his own ideas by reading to the already presented one, this process continues until everyone gets his chance to add their own in that original piece of paper. The best one is chosen based on votes.

3. Team Idea Mapping Method:

This Method strives for improved collaboration where all participants are given a topic and asked to generate a list of ideas individually which are merged into one large idea map. Additional care should be taken to ensure that no ideas are rejected.

4. Individual BrainStorming: 

This Technique makes use of Free Writing, word association, free speaking, drawing a mind map and proves to be very useful in Creative Writing.

5. Question BrainStorming: 

In This process emphasis on brainstorming the questions to generate the best solution,rather than short term solutions or trying to figure out the immediate answers.

Free Writing: 

Focus will be encouraging the participant to note it down whatever idea that strucks in his mind on a piece of paper; Here no importance is given to the quality of writing,style,spelling,punctation and grammar. Decide the solution once you finished the written task .
Other Techniques Include Electronic BrainStorming, Directed BrainStorming, Guided BrainStorming.
Brainstorming Rules

BrainStorming Quotes:

1. The ideas that come out of most brainstorming sessions are usually superficial, trivial, and not very original. They are rarely useful. The process, however, seems to make uncreative people feel that they are making innovative contributions and that others are listening to them.
                                                                                         -A.Harvey Block.
2. Regular Brainstorming is as critical to an organization as regular exercise is to your health. It creates a responsive innovative culture.
                                           -Tom Kelly.

3. We have been brainstorming a ton of ideas, but won't know for sure the exact details until after spring break.
        -Brynna Vogt
4. Decades of research have consistently shown that brainstorming groups think of far fewer ideas than th same number of people who work alone and later pool their ideas."
                                                                               -Keith Sawyer
Image Source:
1. http://www.novamind.com/images/mind-mapping/brainstorming-full-1.png
2. http://www.1000ventures.com/design_elements/selfmade/creativity_brainstorming_10rules_6x4.png

-This article on BrainStorming written by Veera Ranganath.