Visual Brainstorming

When traditional thinking has become stale or dried up, visual brainstorming using graphic ideation may be a useful alternative

Idea Generation Phase, set a high target: e.g. to generate 20-30 basic idea-sketches on a specific problem in 1hr. If in groups you could begin with private sketches which you then pool, perhaps a round robin. Quick, impulsive ideas put into sketch can help to avoid undeveloped ‘lost’ thoughts/ideas. Rapid response to an idea with an immediate sketch creates momentum, preventing any critical thought processes to intervene.

Evaluation Phase, With a collection of sketched ideas, they can now be evaluated.

Present your idea-sketches, trying to observe them with as much imagination as possible
Think of yourself as a critic, so looking at them from another perspective
Rotate the sketches, place images on images, cover top of bottom half, these varying tactics may inspire yet another idea
Comparison. Clustering all the sketches together, place complex ones with simplistic ones, make comparisons, more ideas could be generated at this stage.
Log all the ideas that come to mind throughout the session, using different coloured pens to denote initial ideas, continuing ideas and then final more paramount ideas.

[source: www.mycoted.com]

CLASS	D
PHASE	Idea Generation
DESCRIPTION	When traditional thinking has become stale or dried up, visual brainstorming using graphic ideation may be a useful alternative Idea Generation Phase, set a high target: e.g. to generate 20-30 basic idea-sketches on a specific problem in 1hr. If in groups you could begin with private sketches which you then pool, perhaps a round robin. Quick, impulsive ideas put into sketch can help to avoid undeveloped ‘lost’ thoughts/ideas. Rapid response to an idea with an immediate sketch creates momentum, preventing any critical thought processes to intervene. Evaluation Phase, With a collection of sketched ideas, they can now be evaluated. Present your idea-sketches, trying to observe them with as much imagination as possible Think of yourself as a critic, so looking at them from another perspective Rotate the sketches, place images on images, cover top of bottom half, these varying tactics may inspire yet another idea Comparison. Clustering all the sketches together, place complex ones with simplistic ones, make comparisons, more ideas could be generated at this stage. Log all the ideas that come to mind throughout the session, using different coloured pens to denote initial ideas, continuing ideas and then final more paramount ideas. [source: www.mycoted.com]
REFERENCES	www.mycoted.com

VISUAL BRAINSTORMING