Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with brainstorming

Dry erase/whiteboards walls and me?

alexherder — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:27:55 -0800

My animation company is moving into our first real office and we want to make a very large "brainstorming wall" with a dry erase surface so that we can collaborate and share ideas more intuitively. We are an animation company moving from a bunch of people working at home into our first office. I'm really excited about this because we'll be able brainstorm together without the intermediary of Skype. I want to make our new space as collaborative and creativity-nurturing as possible. To that end, I want to cover an entire wall of our office (~100 sq. ft.) in dry erase surface so that we can sketch out ideas together for sequences, characters, etc. Ideally I'd like this wall to also be magnetic so we could put up paper sketches or other multimedia materials and not break the brainstorming flow.

I have seen this question but it was posted in 2005 and asserts that there is no one selling dry erase paint anymore, which I'm pretty sure is not true. Lifehacker posted this in 2008 about Markee which sells gallons for about $100 and I have also discovered IdeaPaint who appear to be about twice the cost. My question is whether any one out there has used these products (or similar) and how successful they were? Was it helpful? Is this a good idea? Bonus answers as to how to involve the magnetic part.

Drowning in the Sea of Possibilities!

woodblock100 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:38:05 -0800

I'm looking for advice on systems of organizing data to support a decision making process (either software, or manually (index cards, etc.)) We get lots of posts here on AskMe from people asking for advice on making a decision, sometimes quite major life decisions. In this case, I'm not asking the internet to make my decision for me, but am interesting in learning what tools/techniques people have found useful for helping to make such decisions themselves.

Let's suppose - just hypothetically :-) that you were approaching one of those times in your life when you will find yourself at a major 'fork in the road'. Maybe it's even a multiple fork ... a number of possible futures.

It's not a simple binary decision; there are just too many things to consider. You want to try and cover a great many 'data points', including such things as the various pros and cons of each of those possible futures (income potentials, location, companionship, communication, satisfaction, climate, etc. etc.), how those all factors mesh with your personal needs (health factors, exercise, diet, etc.), as well as considerations of how these 'futures' will play out as you age ... There are potentially hundreds and hundreds of data points, each with their own 'pros and cons'.

Lay it out with spreadsheets? Seems just too limiting.
Use scribbled 'post notes' stuck up in groups on a (huge) wall? Seems kind of chaotic.

I'm not looking for a system that will make the decisions, just searching for a way to organize my thoughts, really. A few suggestions were tossed out on a thread a couple of years back, but how do you go about organizing data to support complex decision making?

(And as an aside, it seems to me that none of the current AskMe categories fit this question. Maybe there should be a category for 'tools'?)

How do I silence my inner critic and simply get things done?

miasma — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:04:32 -0800

I have trouble just buckling down and getting started on projects at work. What tips, tricks, or resources are out there for stopping my analysis paralysis, silencing my inner critic, and just getting things done? I am what some would call a knowledge worker, as many of us are. I have a difficult time in approaching new projects and getting things done. I tend to spend alot of time analyzing a problem, going down a path for awhile, scratching it, and then ending up not further along in my task.

Essentially I have a difficult time choosing a direction and just going with it. Most of it probably stems from a fear of failure, but I'd really like to be alot better at what I do, because what happens is I dance around an issue until a deadline hits and then I do a half-assed job just to meet the deadline. In a nutshell, I'm never satisfied with what I end up with and feel like I am never accomplishing the task or fulfilling my potential. As you can imagine, this is frustrating. Furthermore, it makes me nervous to be faced with big problems that seem insurmountable, making the issue feed itself.

For example, I'll read alot of papers on a subject, but come away without a path to go down. Alternatively, I'll brainstorm about many different ways to do something, and never be satisfied with any of ideas I come up with, always finding fault with them.

What tips and tricks do you recommend for getting into the right mindset and simply getting things done?

Turn the my brain from Spock-like robot into artist.

lottie — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:21:47 -0800

Brain shift: How do I transition out of a heavily academic/theoretical mode, and into a creative one? My PhD work involves writing about my research, and creating visual media. The writing, needless to say, is very dense and theoretical. The creative work is just that - creative, free, fun, beautiful, without constraint.

I enjoy both of these pursuits enormously, and for different reasons - the theory for the problem solving, mental knot untying and wordsmithery, and the creative because it's what I love to do.

I don't need help with either of them, but what I do need are ideas for transitioning from one mindset to the next. I become pretty much entrenched in one mode or the other, and find switching pretty hard. To be honest, I find conducting a conversation or making dinner hard sometimes after I've been focussing on this stuff, but no one can really help me with that.

I'm looking for ways, small creative ways, to start moving out of the theory and into the making. Out of head and into hands. Ways to brainstorm visually. Visualisation, meditation techniques, anything goes. What do you suggest? Silly, fun, irrelevant, relevant to get me out of my head, and focussed on art-making.

Three conditions, if I may:

1. Ideally I would prefer the ideas not be "Go take a nice walk outside" - what I'm looking for are time effective tools or ideas which can get me focussed on making creative work in an industrious way.

2. I should mention that I don't need to make this transition daily, more like every few months. So if you can imagine what I would like to do is focus on the writing for three months, spend a week or two in fun transitional exercises, then move onto creative work for three months. Rinse and repeat.

3. I have already read The Artist's Way, and don't much care for its spiritual angle. What I would love are ideas, practical things I can do which won't add another book to my already long reading list.

I have been writing for months now, and have become the human equivalent of a test pattern. This Ms. Dullsville automaton thing isn't working with the creativity at all.

I really appreciate your help...

I LOVE Brainstorming. How can I do more of it?

k7lim — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:04:54 -0800

I LOVE Brainstorming. How can I do more of it?
I find brainstorming stimulating, satisfying, socially gratifying and just really fun. I think I'm pretty good at it too. I always have these mini eureka ideas and I constantly jot things down in my notebook and on jott.com

What activities and career paths can I pursue, such that I get to brainstorm more? And such that I am rewarded for doing more brainstorming in broader and more diverse idea-spaces?

Right now, I'm a founder of a startup and I have started an "open gym"brainstorming group in my local area, but I'm thinking down the road.

How can I make the most of this affinity/ability that I have?

I've heard smart people go on about the need for innovation, and I want to do my part to increase innovation in the universe.

What would happen if a state (RI, purely for the sake of argument) were to secede from the US?

chrisinseoul — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:39:49 -0800

What would happen if a state (RI, purely for the sake of argument) were to secede from the US? Brainstorming for an alternate-future-history book and more after the jump. What would happen if a state (I'll use Rhode Island for the sake of argument) actually were to secede? A thousand questions stem from this one - please forgive me in advance if it's been answered elsewhere. Also, please forgive me if someone else out there might have a better idea - just steer me to the resources / people with thanks in advance.

The 'crazy idea' for a book would use an 'alternate-future-history' perspective - set in the world of today, tomorrow, next year, etc. Something (I'm not sure what) would happen in Rhode Island (or Texas or any other state for the sake of argument), and literally overnight the state government would lose control. Maybe it's a complete state government shutdown over a lack of money - whatever the case, it's as if people's eyes were suddenly opened, hastily remember the Declaration of Independence, rise up by the tens of thousands and take control of their own state.

Going forward from there - I could see a protracted legal battle, but in the meantime a number of other matters become increasingly crucial. Getting recognized as sovereign by other countries, having dealings with the U.S. whilst breaking free from their bounds (business transactions, etc. - the world we live in today is far more connected than any in previous civilization), creating a stable form of currency / money, creating a form of government that balances state / individual power, allows for productive members of society to be.... well, productive members of society :) And so on and so forth. Conceivably speaking, I could see the end of this fictional (but highly plausible) book to see our new nation-state being recognized as a sovereign nation all its own, beginning to assist other states in their own quests.

I've read enough legal talk about secession and the various legal arguments as to why if they could get in power they could potentially win... But then what? Presuming the US military doesn't get too enthralled with a second civil war or an invasion force of it's own people, how does a seceded state in this day and age co-exist peacefully with the union it once belonged to? Brainstorm with me!

Web Marketing/Usability Think Tank Exercises

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:12:07 -0800

What are some good “think tank” exercises for my team to get them to brainstorm a bit on some new initiatives for our major retail website? Hi everyone,

I was tasked today to come up with a “think tank” exercise for my small team of 5 front-end facing project managers to help come up with some ideas for new projects and initiatives for the next few years for our retail website. These initiatives can range from a complete site overhaul to a simple feature enhancement that improves the experience of our users.

At past jobs, for similar exercises, I’ve asked people to submit to me any URLs that they currently visit that they think are “cool” or that they couldn’t live without. I’d then facilitate a meeting where as a group we would view the sites and discuss why we liked them, etc. I plan on asking this same question to this new team just to get people started, but I’d also like some ideas for additional exercises to get the ‘creative juices flowing’. It would be great to get them to articulate what it is that makes a website something they check every day. For example, is it the features, the content, the interactivity, the design? I plan on asking these as direct questions, as well.

Essentially, our website, while clean and relatively user friendly, has historically been a slow adopter of web usability trends. In the future, however, we’d like to be more current with our site in regards to these trends, as long as they benefit our users and enhance profitability. For example, we’re just now adopting user interface functionality that has been common on other sites for years. We’d like to be more of a driver or at least an earlier adopter of trends in our marketplace.

So my questions are as follows:
1.What are some good “think tank” exercises for my team to get them to brainstorm a bit on some new initiatives for our major retail website?

2. What are ways that you use to inspire people to brainstorm, particularly around web usability and driving conversion rates?

The caveat here is that my team is not the marketing department. We already have a great marketing department that drives a lot of the strategy for our site. The leadership at my company, however, would like everyone in the pipeline of our projects to take a more active role in our strategic direction and planning, rather than just being purely executional. My direct management has requested that I spearhead this initiative for my direct peers.

Thanks, and I look forward to your responses!

Smokin' and Thinkin'.

TryTheTilapia — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:58:50 -0800

What to do while noodling? When I'm thinking something through, I smoke. I hate that I smoke, I want to quit, and I realize that part of my thinking ritual, particularly when I'm working on a writing project, is to smoke my way through to completion. I also pace and google things, two habits that I'd like to replace with something more productive, or, really, just something new.

I'm curious what others around these parts do when you're noodling over a project, a problem, a puzzle of any sort - do you go for a walk? Do you make pasta from scratch? Do you occupy your hands with knitting or some such? What are your healthier habits? Ideas and experiences would be appreciated. My lungs, my wallet and my brain thank you in advance.

Long-Distance Brainstorming

Rykey — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:53:58 -0800

Help me orchestrate long-distance brainstorming sessions for writing a TV series, at little or no cost. I've been saying for years, "Man, if only I could get my buddies A, B, C, D, and E together in the same room to bounce around ideas for this comedy show I want to write." We're all experienced with writing scripts, and these guys are truly hilarious and talented (some already work in TV and film), so this is something I'm really serious about.

In an ideal world, we'd all meet at an agreed-upon time, I'd throw out the script outline, and we'd crack each other up in an organized fashion, developing the details and punching up the jokes. Then I'd cull the best ideas and do re-writes, repeating the whole process as necessary.

Trouble is, we're all over the country, have jobs, and half of us don't know the other half (although everyone knows me). We all have cell phones and web access, but not all of us have land lines, and I believe I am the only owner of a webcam.

For some projects, it would be OK to have a chatroom or a blog for everyone to post to with ideas as they are able to. But the real value of the meetings for this particular script is in my pals' ability to think fast and play off of other people's ideas improv-style. So I'm thinking the best we can shoot for is some kind of conference call, with participation by people as we are able to make it, and me recording the sessions and listening later.

So here's my question finally: is there a more productive way to do this? If not, how can I make the most of my situation, technologically, procedurally, and creatively?

I have a half-baked idea

wolfsleepy — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:46:08 -0800

Are there any websites or online communities in which people submit their 'ideas' for public use? I understand how vague this sounds, and will do my best to explain.

I have a lot of half-baked ideas. These may include websites, plots for short films, fast food restaurants and so on. While I lack the motivation and knowhow to implement most of these things, I'd still get a kick out of seeing them brought into existence.

I thought it would be interesting if a website existed in which people were able to submit their ideas, plans and designs for public review, with the expectation that more resourceful people may actually choose to implement them.

Basically it would be a community based 'think tank', a forum for 'open-source imagining' (cough). The website would involve registered members submitting their ideas while others provide feedback and criticism. There would be some degree of moderation and perhaps some sort of voting or upmodding system which would make particularly outstanding entries more visible to everyone.

Understandably, people may be reluctant to divulge a good idea without receiving credit or compensation, but participants would understand that this is the nature of the experiment (and one would hope that a good natured community would look after these elements anyhow).

After all, why let a good idea lie dormant?

My ultimate question is whether or not something like this already exists, or whether or not it would even be feasible?

Brainstorm with me about brainstorming

redarmycomrade — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 14:09:14 -0800

How do you boost the effectiveness and productivity of a graphics-heavy brainstorming session? I'm facilitating a brainstorming session on the user interface of a web site. I've led brainstorming sessions before and I'm familiar with managing the "criticism-free environment" and recording ideas.

How do I translate that exercise to a design-oriented session?

I plan to start by listing attributes the participants like and dislike about web sites, but I imagine we'll soon get beyond text descriptions and have to start drawing.

Any suggestions or experiences in capturing and categorizing the design concepts and ideas - good or bad - will be helpful as I think this through.

For what it's worth, we will have at least one graphic designer and one web architect/specifications expert present.

Ideas for theming an event

BigCreekBill — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:47:21 -0800

How do you theme an event around the idea of a "home"? We are planning a vision night for the church, and our vision uses the metaphor of a home. I need ideas of how to theme the night using that image of a house (i.e. staging; place settings; published materials etc..). Creativity is a must.

Teambuilding industry statistics?

yoga — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:35:07 -0800

Team building industry statistics: how would I go about finding these? I'm looking for typicals like how much is spent, who spends it, what types of activities (lasertag, brainstorming) and how the numbers may have changed since 1990 - in the US, mainly, but elsewhere is also appreciated, as well as any other search terminology. I did find this outdated article from 2001, along with about a brazillion returns on Google for 'teambuilding' and 'team building'. 'Offsites" also yields several returns.

The perfect magazine?

LongDrive — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 15:33:20 -0800

[MagazineFilter] Say, oh, you were to start your dream magazine, what would you fill it with? (more inside) More specifically, I am launching a very different type of magazine in Mid 2005, and I am very interested in hearing from fellow MeFi'ers. I am very curious as to any departments or features that you feel take a unique approach to delivering information and engaging readers, or are able to successfully communicate a distinct other reality across the medium of print. Thinking along the lines of the NYtimes Ethicist, Vice's Do's and Dont's, the Harpers Index, or whole magazines such as Readymade or Wallpaper navigator, what makes you go out of your way to read these things, and doing it consistently?

Going one step further, what would you like to see in magazines that you feel is currently lacking? Any burning ideas that you would love to see implemented? Anything that you have wished would be published?

Full disclosure that responses may be discussed in future editorial meetings. Sorry for the rant! Really look forward to hearing from some of you.