How To Get The Most Out of a Brainstorming Session
Article written by Kristina Drury – founder of TYTHEdesign
In early January I was invited to teach an interactive design thinking workshop for ‘The Center for Leadership Innovation‘ (TCLI) 2012 National Summit in New Orleans. TCLI is an organization that serves communities through leadership training. During the event, I learned a lot about the frustrations a lot of executives share when leading their team through these kinds of exercises so I came up with sometips I that can help everyone looking for a productive brainstorming session. Here they are:
1. Pick a person to be the facilitator. This person will lead the group through the activity. Remember that the role of the facilitator is to keep the ideas flowing, not stir the conversation. The facilitator doesn’t have to be the project lead; it could be a team member, which is a great way to empower your team.
2. Before starting, briefly introduce the challenge you are working on. Providing handouts with the needs and the overall goal for the session. If possible, post the handout so everyone can see it. This way the team will stay focused.
3. If it’s a large group, divide them up into smaller sub groups. This gives everyone the opportunity to be heard and it might allow for more ideas to be building simultaneously.
4. Start the activity by asking your team to take a few minutes and write down their first ideas before starting as a group. This makes sure that everyone gets heard right away.
5. Set ground rules with your team. Ask everyone to defer judgments; there are no bad ideas at this point. There will be plenty of time to narrow ideas down later. As a facilitator if you notice a team discussing the ideas or talking through the details, encourage them to put the idea out there and move on.
6. Ask that there be only one conversation at a time. This allows each participant to be heard. As a facilitator, if you notice one person putting out most of the ideas, ask them to allow others space to share.
7. This should be fun, make sure to encourage wild ideas. Even if an idea doesn’t seem realistic, it may spark a great idea for someone else.
8. Draw your ideas; don’t just have them write them down. Sometimes stick figures and simple sketches can say more than words.
8.Be realistic. Your team can only come up with ideas for a short amount of time. Limit the whole process to 10-20minutes. This keeps your team engaged and will end on a high note.
Also check out how to create an empathy map and how to ask the right questions, other tips I’ve shared with What Women Make readers.
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KRISTINA DRURY is an expert in design thinking and the Executive Director of TYTHEdesign, a consultancy serving the social sector based in New York City. TYTHEdesign uses design-based approaches to support the goals and needs of agencies in the social sector, drawing on communication and organizational design to increase the impact of their work. Feel free to contact her if you have questions at all! She’s here to help.
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PHOTOS Goodbye Whitney – you were an angel, a badass, and a SUPERstar. We will miss you.
For all the teen-girls-singing-into-their-hairbrushes-turned-adults-with-husbands… Whitney almost makes you miss having a broken heart. She always made you feel beautiful and righteous in your sadness and confusion — when a man disappointed you or confused you, or you needed a reason to feel confident again after a fall.
She was a pure superstar - and we just do not have those anymore. She was also one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen. Unadulterated, sweet, powerful, feminine, warm, fiesty, fierce, and her voice was like no other. Even those who imagined they were too cool for Whitney listened to her in secret.
When I first heard that she did drugs at all, years before Bobby Brown’s reality show, I just couldn’t believe it. The woman who told us about the Greatest Love of All? The woman who was every woman? The young woman who wanted to dance with someone who loved her had to end up at the heartbreak hotel. I am so sorry that she got pulled under. I’m sure she fought hard to stay sober.
Whitney, you helped so many young women love themselves in the worst of times. This is a real loss for the girl in all of us. You will be missed.
xo
now here are some pictures of Whitney being a bad-ass..
Before the Thaw – Women Bursting Into Spring – The Artist Designed Accessory
A lovely merino scarf on greyarea.com by an artist named Taiana Giefer. I wish I could say more about the processes that goes into a scarf that is so fluffy, dense yet somehow diaphanous at the same time – but it doesn’t say anything about it on the site. Check out her work with beading, feathers, even horsehair. It’s definitely unique and beautiful, very urban but with a nod to the southwestern style.
Links
Grey Area (New York)
Taiana Giefer (California)
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Before the Thaw – Women Bursting Into Spring – House of Hackney
House of Hackney makes fashion look short-sighted; Why stop at your body, when you can just swathe your whole bedroom in unadulterated loveliness? Frieda Gormley and partner Javvy M Royle create the world I want to live in.
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Before the Thaw – Women Bursting Into Spring 1
What do these incredible critically acclaimed major visual artists or our time have in common? It’s (in order of appearance followed by image of their work) Phyllida Barlow, Nathalie Djurberg, Tacita Dean, Klara Lidén, and they make up the spring line-up at New York’s New Museum, an all-female line-up. Most importantly, it has not been overtly publicized as such.
- Tipped off by Art Info and my friend Amy Mendizabal.
Links – New Museum Upcoming Exhibits (New York)
0 CommentsBefore the Thaw – Women Bursting Into Spring – Maison Objet
The new Donna Wilson “Bertha” chair which debuted at Maison Objet last week from SCP. You can see a lot of Donna Wilson’s work at Future Perfect in the Noho store (NYC).
The maker of the drink-klip, a metal clip that attaches to a surface to hold a drink which I first discovered when I met her at LDF 09, debuted a new series of wallpaper, a commanding (if not entirely comfortable looking ) chair and tableware made from Hanji (traditional Korean handmade paper) at Maison Objet this past week as well. Her name is Been Kim and she was selected as a Next Generation Design Leader of the year by the Korea Industrial Design Promotion in 2006 and in 2009. The collection is called Meeet.
And according to Maison Objet, one of the biggest best design shows on the calendar, and definitively Parisian for better or worse, this is the season of the Sweet Freak. Out with the serious and stressed vibe of the past, in with the nutso crazy. (When did the nutso crazy ever leave France?)
In other news, Moss, that old institution of design retail in New York, is closing. It may be the end of an era in design in New York but hopefully it’s a chance to usher in something new – a city where design environments with a sense of whimsy and warmth can thrive. Moss was a bit too musn’t-touch-it for the immersive hybrid retail of the future.
& let me leave you with Clouds rug by Elise Fouin of Chevelier Edition
Links:
Chevalier Edition (Paris)
Designers Block (London)
Future Perfect (New York)
SCP (London)
Beeen (Korea)
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What Women Make Sustainable Gift Guide 2011
For all price ranges and passions (the full post on Tythe.com)
1. COOKING
Epicurean Designer Cutting Boards Though this Duluth, Minnesota run company …
2. HELPING
Nomi Bags Nomi network produces recycled bags that fight human trafficking.
3. INDEPENDENT DESIGNERS
I’ve always loved the spunk of Junk Prints owner / designer Chanel Kennebrew.
4. GLOBAL DESIGN CULTURE
Yoshii Shirt Stripe Towels – Towels have a strong significance in Japan.
5. CRAFTSMANSHIP
Stacking Vessels by Pia Wustenberg – As I see it, design is art and worth the price to celebrate the human ability to transform materials for use in our everyday lives.
-Chauncey Zalkin
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A Gift Guide for Your Intellect
Design Thinking Book Guide
by Kristina Drury – founder of TYTHEdesign
As the holidays are fast approaching, I thought I would have a bit of fun and put together a ‘design thinking’ book list. These could be a great options to buy for your team members, your boss (maybe as a way to kindly suggest some changes) or even as a list for yourself. I thought these books could be inspiring, make beautiful coffee table books or even just a good read.
Without further ado, the ‘design thinking’ book guide (presented in no specific order):
1.
CAD Monkeys, Dinosaur Babies, and T-Shaped People: Inside the World of Design Thinking and How It Can Spark Creativity and Innovation by Warren Berger ($12)
This is a great book to introduce yourself to the concept of design thinking and the concept of social design. Berger argues that design isn’t just about the aesthetics but about changing the world. I believe the book was written as an introduction to the value of design to the non-design community. That being said, as a designer myself, I very much I enjoyed the read. An easy read with a lot of real-world examples and good practices.
2.
Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo($19)
The book is chock-full of copious brainstorming activities and methods for overcoming that group creative block that can sometimes plague idea generation meetings. In addition to covering many of the techniques we use at TYTHEdesign, this book offers almost 100 methods for drawing out creativity, increasing meeting productivity, and inspiring engagement and cooperation among groups. A worthy book for anyone looking to get new ideas out of your team while bringing the team together.
3.
Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder ($20)
This is a must have for any one thinking of starting a business, it will help identify the basics of your business model in tangible steps. We at TYTHEdesign use techniques from this book on a daily basis and share them with our community. It’s remarkably useful, helpful and easy to follow. We would recommend this for creative thinkers planning on going out on their own in the business world.
4.
Visual Meetings: How Graphics, Sticky Notes and Idea Mapping Can Transform Group Productivity by David Sibbet ($20)
If you have ever reached for a pen to explain your idea, then you will love this book. It’s not about drawing but how to use visuals (text, simple drawn images, photographs…..) as a part of engaging your team, explaining an idea to a client, analyzing and innovating. Even though we at TYTHEdesign come from a design background, we love using this book to keep us inspired. The book has a ton of useful information that can be easily implemented. We recommend this to anyone looking to add some fun to your regular meetings.
5.
Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation By Tim Brown ($19)
As the CEO of famed design consultancy IDEO, TIm Brown makes the argument for the relevance of design thinking in all global business. He believes that for a company to survive in this era, design thinking is a must. The book dives head first into practical design thinking providing a blueprint for its use across all categories.
Good luck with your holiday shopping and see you all in the new year!
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KRISTINA DRURY is an expert in design thinking and the Executive Director of TYTHEdesign, a consultancy serving the social sector based in New York City. TYTHEdesign uses design-based approaches to support the goals and needs of agencies in the social sector, drawing on communication and organizational design to increase the impact of their work. Feel free to contact her if you have questions at all! She’s here to help.
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