Brainstorming is a method design teams use to generate ideas to solve clearly defined design problems. In controlled conditions and a free-thinking environment, teams approach a problem by such means as “How Might We” questions. They produce a vast array of ideas and draw links between them to find potential solutions.
Brainstorming is part of design thinking. You use it in the ideation phase. It’s extremely popular for design teams because they can expand in all directions. Although teams have rules and a facilitator to keep them on track, they are free to use out-of-the-box and lateral thinking to seek the most effective solutions to any design problem. By brainstorming, they can take a vast number of approaches—the more, the better—instead of just exploring conventional means and running into the associated obstacles. When teams work in a judgment-free atmosphere to find the real dimensions of a problem, they’re more likely to produce rough answers which they’ll refine into possible solutions later. Marketing CEO Alex Osborn, brainstorming’s “inventor”, captured the refined elements of creative problem-solving in his 1953 book, Applied Imagination. In brainstorming, we aim squarely at a design problem and produce an arsenal of potential solutions. By not only harvesting our own ideas but also considering and building on colleagues’, we cover the problem from every angle imaginable.
“It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.”
— Alex Osborn
Everyone in a design team should have a clear definition of the target problem. They typically gather for a brainstorming session in a room with a large board/wall for pictures/Post-Its. A good mix of participants will expand the experience pool and therefore broaden the idea space.
Brainstorming may seem to lack constraints, but everyone must observe eight house rules and have someone acting as facilitator.
Set a time limit – Depending on the problem’s complexity, 15–60 minutes is normal.
Begin with a target problem/brief – Members should approach this sharply defined question, plan or goal and stay on topic.
Refrain from judgment/criticism – No-one should be negative (including via body language) about any idea.
Encourage weird and wacky ideas – Further to the ban on killer phrases like “too expensive”, keep the floodgates open so everyone feels free to blurt out ideas (provided they’re on topic).
Aim for quantity – Remember, “quantity breeds quality”. The sifting-and-sorting process comes later.
Build on others’ ideas – It’s a process of association where members expand on others’ notions and reach new insights, allowing these ideas to trigger their own. Say “and”—rather than discourage with “but”—to get ideas closer to the problem.
Stay visual – Diagrams and Post-Its help bring ideas to life and help others see things in different ways.
Allow one conversation at a time – To arrive at concrete results, it’s essential to keep on track this way and show respect for everyone’s ideas.
To capture everyone’s ideas in a brainstorming session, someone must play “scribe” and mark every idea on the board. Alternatively, write down your own ideas as they come, and share these with the group. Often, design problems demand mixed tactics: brainstorming and its sibling approaches – braindumping (for individuals), and brainwriting and brainwalking (for group-and-individual mixes).
Brainstorming involves harnessing synergy – we leverage our collective thinking towards a variety of potential solutions. However, it’s challenging to have boundless freedom. In groups, introverts may stay quiet while extroverts dominate. Whoever’s leading the session must “police” the team to ensure a healthy, solution-focused atmosphere where even the shiest participants will speak up. A warm-up activity can cure brainstorming “constipation” – e.g., ask participants to list ways the world would be different if metal were like rubber.
Another risk is to let the team stray off topic and/or address other problems. As we may use brainstorming in any part of our design process—including areas related to a project’s main scope—it’s vital that participants stick to the problem relevant to that part (what Osborn called the “Point of View”). Similarly, by framing problems with “How Might We” questions, we remember brainstorming is organic and free of boundaries. Overall, your team should stay fluid in the search for ways you might resolve an issue – not chase a “holy grail” solution someone has developed elsewhere. The idea is to mine idea “ore” and refine “golden” solutions from it later.
The Interaction Design Foundation’s course on Design Thinking discusses Brainstorming in depth.
This blog offers incisive insights into Brainstorming workshops.
Jonathan Courtney’s article for Smashing Magazine shows Brainstorming’s versatility.
Brainstorming stands out from other ideation techniques because it focuses on speed, quantity, and free-flowing creativity, without criticism. Classic brainstorming asks participants to rapidly share any and all ideas, regardless of how wild they might be. The objective isn’t depth or analysis at first; it’s momentum and spontaneity.
This open style helps teams bypass fear of failure or judgment, which often blocks creativity. Other techniques may use step-by-step prompts or visual structures to guide thinking. Instead, brainstorming thrives on collaboration and builds ideas by bouncing thoughts around the room. When participants feel psychologically safe, the number of ideas they generate increases.
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To run a successful brainstorming session, here are four key rules:
Defer judgment: Don’t criticize or evaluate ideas during the session. This keeps the environment safe and encourages wild thinking. Analysis comes later.
Encourage wild ideas: Even seemingly crazy ideas can spark brilliant solutions or lead to practical breakthroughs; sometimes the “badder,” the better.
Go for quantity: A large pool increases the chances of finding gold.
Build on others’ ideas: Use others’ thoughts as springboards. Collaboration fuels creativity.
Watch our video about brainstorming.
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To prepare for a brainstorming session, define a clear goal or problem to solve. Ensure everyone understands the challenge before the session begins. Next, choose a diverse group of participants; different perspectives spark better ideas. Set a time limit and create a relaxed, judgment-free space where creativity can flow and everyone feels safe to contribute.
Before the session, gather inspiration: research the topic, review user feedback, or explore competitor solutions. Bring prompts or thought-starters to help break mental blocks. Also, prepare tools like sticky notes, whiteboards, or digital collaboration platforms to capture ideas fast. It might be a good idea, especially if team members don’t know each other, to warm up with creative games to loosen up thinking and get everyone in the right mindset.
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The ideal size for a brainstorming session is between four and seven people. This range balances diversity of thought with the ability to stay focused and collaborative. Fewer than four may limit idea variety. More than seven can make it harder to manage the conversation and ensure everyone contributes.
Smaller groups foster trust, encourage participation, and allow ideas to build more naturally. Larger sessions, if needed, work best when the main group splits into smaller breakout groups. Each group can brainstorm independently and then share highlights with the larger team. Size matters, but quality and chemistry matter more.
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A good brainstorming session typically lasts 30 to 60 minutes. This window keeps energy high and minds sharp without leading to fatigue or distractions. Shorter sessions help participants stay focused. However, they shouldn’t be so short that perceived time pressure creates performance anxiety and creative blocks. On the other hand, if a session runs too long, there’s a risk of repetition or loss of momentum.
Start with a brief warm-up or description of the challenge, and then dive straight into idea generation. Time-box each activity—like silent brainstorming or group sharing—to maintain a fast pace. If the team hits a creative flow, you can extend slightly and explore what may be valuable insights. However, avoid dragging it out. The purpose is to discover insights and angles of a problem you wouldn’t find otherwise; make the most of the opportunity.
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To choose the right problem or topic to brainstorm, start with one that’s specific, relevant, and challenging—but not too broad. A focused question sparks better ideas than a vague or general one. Ask yourself: What’s the exact outcome you want? Who are you designing for? What roadblocks are you facing?
Effective brainstorming topics usually aim to solve user pain points, improve existing products, or explore new opportunities. Make sure the problem matters to your team or users, and that it’s something you can take action on. If it feels too big, break it down.
A helpful tip is to frame the challenge as a “How might we…” question. For example, “How might we help new users feel confident during onboarding?”
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Designers often use a mix of brainstorming techniques to spark creativity and solve tough problems. Some of the most popular ones include:
Classic brainstorming: A fast-paced idea dump where team members come up with as many ideas as possible without judgment.
Crazy 8s: Each person sketches 8 ideas in 8 minutes, forcing rapid, visual thinking.
Brainwalking: Participants move around the room, adding ideas to posters or sheets placed at different stations. This technique energizes the group and encourages fresh thinking through movement and collaboration.
Brainwriting: Everyone writes ideas silently, then passes them along for others to build on—great for introverts or remote teams.
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To make sure everyone gets a chance to speak during brainstorming, set clear ground rules before you start. Let the group know that all voices matter and you want to hear from everyone. Use structured techniques like round-robin sharing, where each person takes a turn, or brainwriting, which lets people write down ideas silently before discussing.
The facilitator should actively invite quieter team members to share if needed. Ask open questions like, “What do you think?” or “Any thoughts from your side?” Avoid letting louder voices dominate—gently redirect if needed. Also, create a safe space where people feel respected and not judged. Judgment is the enemy of creativity. When people feel heard, they’re more likely to contribute and build on others’ thoughts.
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After a brainstorming session ends, don’t let the ideas sit—organize and act on them. Start by reviewing all the input. Group similar ideas into themes, then prioritize based on feasibility, impact, and alignment with your goal. Use methods like dot voting or an impact-effort matrix to identify the top concepts.
Next, document everything. Share a summary with your team so nothing gets lost. Be clear about next steps: who will explore what, and when you’ll regroup. If any ideas need research or prototyping, assign those tasks straight away.
Overall, without follow-up, great ideas often go nowhere. So, turn momentum into action quickly—while the energy is still fresh.
Watch our video about brainstorming.
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Bonnardel, N., & Didier, J. (2020). Brainstorming variants to favor creative design. Applied Ergonomics, 83, 102987.
In this paper, Nathalie Bonnardel and John Didier examine how two modified forms of brainstorming can enhance creativity in ergonomic design contexts. One variant emphasizes idea evocation (like traditional brainstorming), while the other focuses on constraint evocation—encouraging participants to reflect on limitations inherent in design problems. Through three empirical studies involving future designers and educators, they assess how these variants influence ideation quality based on the participants' backgrounds and task complexity. The findings identify conditions that best support creativity depending on user profiles. This study is especially valuable for UX and design professionals aiming to tailor ideation techniques to user characteristics and improve creative outputs.
Knight, J., Fitton, D., Phillips, C., & Price, D. (2019). Design thinking for innovation: Stress testing human factors in ideation sessions. The Design Journal, 22(sup1), 1929–1939.
In this paper, Knight and colleagues explore how various human factors influence ideation success during design thinking workshops. Through a series of structured experiments, they manipulate four key variables: participant stimulation prior to sessions, the presence or absence of facilitators, the application of design thinking methods, and the participants' professional backgrounds (designers vs. non-designers). Surprisingly, the findings suggest that participant background and pre-session stimulation had greater effects on the quality and quantity of ideas generated than the structured methods themselves. This study is critical for UX professionals and facilitators aiming to refine collaborative ideation processes, emphasizing the nuanced roles of motivation, facilitation, and participant diversity.
Osborn, A. F. (1953). Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem Solving. Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Alex F. Osborn’s Applied Imagination is a seminal work that introduced the concept of “brainstorming” to the world. Drawing from his experience as an advertising executive and co-founder of BBDO, Osborn presents a structured approach to creative problem-solving. The book outlines techniques to foster creativity, emphasizing the importance of deferring judgment and encouraging idea generation in group settings. Osborn’s methodologies have profoundly influenced fields such as design thinking, UX design, and organizational innovation. Despite its publication year (1953), the principles laid out in this book remain relevant, offering valuable insights into harnessing collective creativity to tackle complex challenges.
Wilson, C. (2013). Brainstorming and Beyond: A User-Centered Design Method. Morgan Kaufmann.
Chauncey Wilson's Brainstorming and Beyond is a practical guide tailored for UX professionals exploring creative ideation techniques. It introduces and contrasts three core methods: traditional brainstorming, brainwriting, and braindrawing. Each method is explored through a user-centered design lens, offering actionable advice on when and how to apply them effectively. Wilson explains the psychological and social dynamics that influence group ideation and provides strategies for overcoming common pitfalls. The book is essential for UX designers looking to refine their brainstorming practices and generate innovative, user-focused ideas, especially in environments with time constraints or cultural limitations on vocal participation. It stands out for its clarity and focus on usability outcomes.
The main goal of a brainstorming session is to generate a wide range of ideas quickly and without judgment or evaluation. It helps individuals or teams break out of fixed thinking patterns and explore creative solutions to a specific challenge or question. Alex Osborn, who coined the term “brainstorming” in the 1940s, believed people could double their creative output with the right group setting, hence why selecting the right people to ideate with is critical.
In design, brainstorming unlocks innovation. Designers often use it to uncover user needs, improve user flows, or invent entirely new products. A great session fuels collaboration, builds on each team member's ideas, and taps into diverse perspectives. By encouraging quantity over quality in the early stages, brainstorming opens up unexpected possibilities that designers and design teams can refine later.
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Here's the entire UX literature on Brainstorming by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:
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