Feb 212009
Brainstorming is an integral part of the design process, but sometimes it can be difficult to come up with decent or diverse design concepts. During my first semester of study in the Human-Computer Interaction Design Master’s program at Indiana University, I learned several brainstorming tips to add to my bag of tricks. Wolf these down and see how they treat you:
- The core of the design come first. By the core I mean the essence, or the smallest important part of the design. You need to know what the core is before you start coming up with concepts to give it life. A well-defined core gives the team a common starting point to build around.
- Pretend that magic exists. Today, technology can do things that were thought to be impossible not too long ago. If you envision how the problem could be solved with magic, it may be possible to either metaphorically or literally make it happen with technology. I like to ask myself how Arthur Weasley (from Harry Potter) might solve the problem. As a wizard, Arthur Weasley is fascinated by non-magic items and likes to experiment by giving mundane items magical powers. This is exactly what we do with technology, and thinking of it in these terms can help you to come up with ideas.
- Use objects in the room as triggers. Just look around and point at objects and ask how they could be incorporated in the design. You can even prepare the room with a bunch of random objects, gadgets, toys, etc. to help diversify the potential for great ideas.
- Change location. It seems that sometimes your physical space can become a brainstorming straight-jacket. Sometimes all you need to do to come up with a fresh idea is move the meeting to the other side of the room, to a new room, outside, etc. Tell yourself that all of your previous ideas belong to that previous space, and your new space is ripe for harvesting some new killer concepts.
- Take a walk outside. Just getting your body moving and being outside can revitalize your creative juices. You can also use objects outside to help trigger ideas just the same as using objects in the room.
Just a quick list that I will add to as I go.
