Brainstorming: Definition & Techniques

You’re staring at a blank page, and nothing useful comes to mind. Or you’ve got one idea and can’t tell if it’s going anywhere. Brainstorming gives you a way past that: it makes room for ideas to surface, however messy or half-formed, before you start judging them.

With that in mind, we’ll break down how brainstorming works, what can get in the way, and a few techniques worth knowing.

What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a way to generate lots of ideas around a question, problem, or goal, then group, develop, and evaluate them to find the ones worth pursuing.

You can brainstorm alone or with a group. Either way, the key is to keep idea generation separate from evaluation: get the ideas out first, and worry about whether they’re good (meaning feasible, useful, etc.) later.

Why is brainstorming important?

Brainstorming gives you space to explore possibilities before settling on one idea. Instead of committing to the first solution that comes to mind, the goal is to generate as many ideas as possible and look at the problem from different angles.

This works because idea generation and evaluation happen separately. You’re less likely to dismiss something just because it isn’t fully formed, and one idea can spark another you wouldn’t have reached otherwise. After generating a range of ideas, you can step back and decide which ones have the most potential.

In groups, brainstorming brings different perspectives into the mix. When you brainstorm alone, it gives you a structured way to work through a problem when you’re not sure where to start.

How does brainstorming work?

A brainstorming session usually breaks down into three stages: deciding what you want to solve or explore, generating ideas, and then reviewing those ideas to figure out what to do with them.

1. Define the problem or goal

Start by deciding what you actually want to brainstorm about. A clear question or goal gives the session direction and makes it easier to tell whether an idea is relevant.

For example, rather than brainstorming broadly about a new website, you might ask, “How could we make the website easier for first-time visitors to navigate?”

2. Generate and record ideas

Next, generate as many ideas as you can without evaluating them yet. Write down everything, even ideas that seem incomplete or unrealistic. One idea can lead to another, so don’t stop at the first answer that could work.

You can do this alone or with a group. In a group session, make sure everyone gets a chance to contribute, rather than letting it turn into a conversation between a few people.

3. Group and evaluate the ideas

Once you’ve got a collection of ideas, look for patterns and connections. Group similar ones together, combine related ideas, and set aside anything that clearly doesn’t fit the goal.

From there, you can evaluate what’s left and decide where to focus your efforts—whether that means picking one idea, prioritizing a few, or turning the strongest ones into concrete next steps.

Common mistakes when brainstorming

There are a few common pitfalls to watch out for when running a brainstorming session:

• Judging ideas too early. Evaluating as you go makes people less willing to share half-formed or unconventional ideas.
• Losing sight of the original goal. Without a clear question to anchor it, the session can drift into a general discussion instead of producing usable ideas.
• Groupthink. In group settings, people may rally around an early idea instead of continuing to generate new ones.
• No follow-through. Finishing a session without deciding what happens next means good ideas often go nowhere.

Brainstorming examples

Here are a few examples of what brainstorming can look like in practice.

Brainstorming techniques

There are many ways to brainstorm, but you don’t need a long list of techniques to get started. Here are four that work well in different situations.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping starts with a central idea and branches out into related words, questions, or concepts, with each branch leading to further ideas. The result is a visual map of the topic—useful when you’re exploring something broad or trying to see how ideas connect, like planning an essay, article, project, or presentation.

Brainwriting

Instead of sharing ideas aloud, participants write them down first, often within a set time limit, before sharing or discussing them. It works well in groups where some people are reluctant to speak up or where a few voices tend to dominate the discussion.

SCAMPER

SCAMPER is a set of prompts for developing or changing an idea you already have: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, or Reverse. It’s the one to reach for when you’re not starting from scratch but want to improve or rethink something that already exists.

Rapid ideation

This one is simple: generate as many ideas as possible within a short, fixed time limit, without stopping to evaluate them. It’s useful when you need a lot of ideas fast, or when people are stuck chasing the “right” answer instead of just getting ideas out.

How to use AI for brainstorming

AI can be useful for brainstorming when you use it to push your thinking rather than let it do the thinking for you. You can ask a tool like Quillbot’s AI Chat to challenge your ideas, suggest angles you hadn’t considered, or help you work through a problem. The more context you give it, the more useful its suggestions are likely to be.

Frequently asked questions about brainstorming

What are the rules of brainstorming?

The main rules of brainstorming are:

• Go for quantity. Generate lots of ideas before deciding which ones are good.
• Defer judgment. Don’t evaluate or dismiss ideas while you’re still generating them.
• Welcome unusual ideas. An idea that seems unrealistic at first can lead to a more useful one.
• Build on other ideas. Use existing ideas as starting points for new ones, rather than treating each idea as a final answer.

These rules are meant to keep the focus on idea generation first and evaluation later.

Need more ideas? Quillbot’s AI Chat can suggest alternatives while you decide which ones are worth exploring.

What are the 7 steps of brainstorming?

There isn’t one universal seven-step process for brainstorming. Different approaches break it down in different ways, but a practical session could follow these steps:

1. Define the problem or goal. Be clear about what you want to solve or explore.
2. Set some ground rules. Agree to hold off on judgment and give everyone a chance to contribute.
3. Generate ideas. Choose a technique that suits the task, such as mind mapping, brainwriting, SCAMPER, or rapid ideation, and come up with as many possibilities as you can.
4. Record everything. Write down ideas as they come, including ones that seem incomplete or unusual.
5. Group similar ideas. Look for patterns, connections, and ideas that could be combined.
6. Evaluate the options. Consider which ideas are useful, feasible, or relevant to your original goal.
7. Decide what happens next. Choose an idea, prioritize several, or turn the strongest ones into concrete next steps.

You can also use Quillbot’s AI Chat during the idea-generation stage to explore options or approach the problem from a different angle.

What are the three types of brainstorming?

There isn’t one universally accepted classification, but brainstorming is often described in terms of three broad formats:

• Individual brainstorming: One person generates and develops ideas independently. This can include techniques such as freewriting or mind mapping.
• Group brainstorming: Several people generate and share ideas around the same problem or goal, bringing different perspectives into the process.
• Structured brainstorming: A defined format or technique guides how ideas are generated and shared. Examples include brainwriting, nominal group techniques, and digital brainstorming.

These formats can overlap. For example, you can use mind mapping on your own, or use brainwriting as part of a group session.

Quillbot’s AI Chat can help you generate alternatives, explore different angles, or build on what you already have.

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