Brainstorming is something most of us were taught very early on in school. Take an idea and write down everything thing comes to mind when you think on that idea. Pretty simple concept, really. But it’s been my experience that, when brainstorming (or engaging in just about any other form of focused concentration, really), we tend to do so in less-than-optimal circumstances.
For example, say I’m trying to come up with all of the different functions a piece of software should perform. Let us further assume that this piece of software will be for my employer who happens to sell custom-built computer keyboards. The application must allow the user to choose all customizable attributes for the keyboard (shape, color, locale, etc.), as well as give the user an accurate price for the product they’re designing. Now, it’s time to sit down and figure out just what this thing is supposed to do. What can I do to help ensure my brainstorming session is successful?
- Go Someplace Quiet – If your cubicle is right in the middle of a huge, bustling IT department where you’re surrounded by noisy co-workers and the incessant tapping of keys, then you’re going to have a hell of a time focusing on what you’re trying to do. Ideally, you’d want to find an empty office, or even go outside. The goal is to limit the audible interferences as much as possible in order to keep a clear head.
- Choose Simple Tools – While there are a myriad of computer programs designed to help you take notes and get your mind clear, none of them can touch a good old-fashioned pen and paper when it comes to flexibility. What if, while I’m typing notes and ideas about my custom keyboard application into some text editor, I realize I have a great idea for a logo? Then I’m grabbing for a writing utensil while the idea is mockingly fading back into my psyche. Paper obviously presents no such obstacle (other than maybe turning the page or grabbing a new sheet).
- Find a Clean, Empty Area to Work – Removing visually distracting elements from your environment is just as important as removing the noise. If you’re constantly looking up at your monitor to see if Betsy from Accounting emailed you back, you’re not thinking about pretty, flowered keyboards. Same deal for your collection of Simpsons figurines that line the area near your coffee mug. Before you know it, you’ll be chuckling to yourself about that one episode where Homer drinks BBQ sauce from a bowl.
The point is, when you look up from your paper, you’re going to be focusing on whatever it is you’re now seeing. Try your best to make sure that you’re looking at nothing, something uninteresting, or perhaps something related to your brainstorming (man, what a segue…)
- Have Relevant Items Nearby – When a poet is writing about a sunset, it’s highly unlikely he’s sitting in the middle of the Astrodome watching the game. No, he’s probably looking at a sunset. If you’re brainstorming about keyboards with Hello Kitty crap all over them, chances are you’ll want to have a keyboard and some Hello Kitty crap.
Having inspirational material nearby can bring out ideas and concepts you never would’ve thought of while sitting at your cubicle, looking at Homer.
- Quantity, Not Quality – One of the worst things you can do while trying to dump your brain onto some paper is to start judging the ideas as they come. If you start thinking of a Star Wars keyboard, then think to yourself “who would want a Star Wars keyboard?!” and ignore the idea, you’ve accomplished two very meaningful things:
- You’ve taken a gouge out of your concentration
- You’ve introduced a sort of ad hoc censorship into your mental stream
This can’t be stressed enough. Just get everything out of your head and worry about deciding if it’s good later on.
At some point, everybody decides they want to brainstorm about something – be it for work or pleasure, you clearly want to be as thorough and complete in your capturing as you can. These little tidbits will help you do just that!
Technorati Tags: brainstorming, productivity, tips
Written by Brett Kelly
Practical, Productivity