where time is a valuable resource.
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 4:17 am
The 6-3-5 technique is a structured method of brainstorming designed to encourage a broad spectrum of ideas in a collaborative environment without the inhibitions that sometimes accompany traditional brainstorming sessions. This technique was developed in the 1960s by Bernd Rohrbach, and its name comes from its format: it involves 6 participants, each of whom must generate 3 ideas in 5 minutes.
Process of the 6-3-5 technique:
Preparation: 6 participants gather and each receive a sheet of paper with a table of three columns and six rows.
Brainstorming: The process begins with each participant writing three ideas in the first three columns of the first row of their sheet, focusing on solving the problem or answering the question posed.
Rotation: Once all participants have written down their three ideas, each sheet is passed to the participant on the left. Each participant must read the ideas already written and add three new ideas in the next row, drawing inspiration from the previous ideas if possible.
Repetition: This process of writing and passing out the sheets is repeated until each sheet has been rotated through all participants and returned to its original writer. Ideally, each sheet will end up with 18 ideas (3 ideas per 6 participants).
Advantages of the 6-3-5 technique:
Encourages creativity without pressure: By working in silence and writing down ideas, you avoid the "thought blocking" phenomenon that can occur in verbal brainstorming sessions when a dominant idea takes control of the session.
Incremental development of ideas: Rotating the sheets allows ideas to expand and refine organically, with each participant adding their unique perspective.
Anonymity: By not having to express ideas verbally, social inhibition is reduced and equal participation is encouraged, allowing even the most timid voices to be heard.
The 6-3-5 Technique is particularly useful in environments where diversity of thought and collaboration are key to solving complex problems or generating disruptive innovations. Furthermore, as it is a fast and easy-to-implement method, it is well suited to dynamic business environments
Brainwriting
The brainwriting technique is an effective and collaborative method for generating ideas, used in contexts where high participation of team members and a variety of creative solutions are sought.
Unlike conventional brainstorming, which can be vocal and direct, brainwriting is done more reflectively and quietly, which can be especially valuable in groups where some members might feel intimidated by having to speak in front of others.
Brainwriting process:
Start: Each participant starts with a blank sheet of paper or a pre-designed form that may contain specific categories related to the problem to be solved.
Brainstorming: Each person writes one or more ideas on their sheet within a short set period of time, usually 5 to 10 minutes.
Rotation: Once the time has elapsed, each participant passes his or her sheet to the colleague on his or her right (or left, as decided).
Addition and expansion: Upon receiving another participant's sheet, each participant reads the ideas presented and adds new ideas or expands existing ones. This step is also timed.
Repetition: The process of passing pages and adding or expanding ideas is repeated several times until all participants have contributed to each page or until a predetermined number of rotations is reached.
Advantages of brainwriting:
Promotes equality: All participants have the same opportunity to contribute, kuwait cell phone number which helps democratize the idea generation process.
Reduces creative block: By having to write down ideas, participants may feel less pressured and more able to express thoughts that might not emerge in a verbal brainstorming session.
Increases diversity of ideas: By rotating the sheets, ideas are enriched and diversified with contributions from different people, which can lead to more complete and original solutions.
Automatic documentation: At the end of the session, each sheet contains a written record of the ideas generated, facilitating subsequent review and analysis.
Brainwriting is ideal for interdisciplinary groups and can be particularly useful in environments where you want to ensure that every voice is heard. Furthermore, this method is flexible and can be easily adapted for use in different types of problems and organizational contexts.
Infographic about brainwriting and starburst
Star explosion
The starburst technique, also known as “Starbursting,” is a brainstorming tool that focuses on generating questions rather than direct answers. This approach helps explore all facets of a problem or idea from different angles before seeking solutions. It is especially useful at the beginning of projects or when new ideas or concepts are being evaluated, providing a comprehensive framework that considers multiple aspects of a situation.
Star explosion process:
Preparation: Draw a six-pointed star in the center of a whiteboard or large piece of paper. Place the topic, problem or idea being explored in the center of the star.
Question Generation: Each point of the star represents a different category of questions. These categories typically include: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Participants take turns formulating relevant questions that are written around the corresponding point of the star.
Exploration and expansion: As questions are generated, they are explored in depth. This may lead to the creation of sub-questions or related questions that are added around the original questions.
Review: Once each category of questions has been explored and the star is filled, the group reviews all the questions generated. This step is crucial to identify areas that require further research or development.
Prioritization and action: Finally, questions are prioritized to investigate or answer in later stages of the creative or project development process.
Advantages of star explosion:
Comprehensive view: Encourages a thorough exploration of the topic at hand, ensuring that all important aspects are considered.
Encourages curiosity: By focusing on questions rather than answers, it encourages participants to think more openly and curiously.
Promotes critical thinking: By evaluating the “why” and “how” of situations, this technique develops critical thinking skills among participants.
Documentation of concerns: Create a detailed record of concerns and discussion points that may be useful in later stages of project development.
The starburst technique is particularly effective in the preliminary stages of planning and can be used by teams seeking to ensure complete coverage of all possible implications of a decision or innovation before committing resources or specific directions.
What if questions?
The “What if?” question technique is a method of creativity that seeks to explore the potential and possibilities of an idea, situation, or problem in an open-ended and speculative way. It is an especially valuable tool for breaking through conventional thinking and overcoming self-imposed limitations that often restrict the generation of new ideas.
Process of the 6-3-5 technique:
Preparation: 6 participants gather and each receive a sheet of paper with a table of three columns and six rows.
Brainstorming: The process begins with each participant writing three ideas in the first three columns of the first row of their sheet, focusing on solving the problem or answering the question posed.
Rotation: Once all participants have written down their three ideas, each sheet is passed to the participant on the left. Each participant must read the ideas already written and add three new ideas in the next row, drawing inspiration from the previous ideas if possible.
Repetition: This process of writing and passing out the sheets is repeated until each sheet has been rotated through all participants and returned to its original writer. Ideally, each sheet will end up with 18 ideas (3 ideas per 6 participants).
Advantages of the 6-3-5 technique:
Encourages creativity without pressure: By working in silence and writing down ideas, you avoid the "thought blocking" phenomenon that can occur in verbal brainstorming sessions when a dominant idea takes control of the session.
Incremental development of ideas: Rotating the sheets allows ideas to expand and refine organically, with each participant adding their unique perspective.
Anonymity: By not having to express ideas verbally, social inhibition is reduced and equal participation is encouraged, allowing even the most timid voices to be heard.
The 6-3-5 Technique is particularly useful in environments where diversity of thought and collaboration are key to solving complex problems or generating disruptive innovations. Furthermore, as it is a fast and easy-to-implement method, it is well suited to dynamic business environments
Brainwriting
The brainwriting technique is an effective and collaborative method for generating ideas, used in contexts where high participation of team members and a variety of creative solutions are sought.
Unlike conventional brainstorming, which can be vocal and direct, brainwriting is done more reflectively and quietly, which can be especially valuable in groups where some members might feel intimidated by having to speak in front of others.
Brainwriting process:
Start: Each participant starts with a blank sheet of paper or a pre-designed form that may contain specific categories related to the problem to be solved.
Brainstorming: Each person writes one or more ideas on their sheet within a short set period of time, usually 5 to 10 minutes.
Rotation: Once the time has elapsed, each participant passes his or her sheet to the colleague on his or her right (or left, as decided).
Addition and expansion: Upon receiving another participant's sheet, each participant reads the ideas presented and adds new ideas or expands existing ones. This step is also timed.
Repetition: The process of passing pages and adding or expanding ideas is repeated several times until all participants have contributed to each page or until a predetermined number of rotations is reached.
Advantages of brainwriting:
Promotes equality: All participants have the same opportunity to contribute, kuwait cell phone number which helps democratize the idea generation process.
Reduces creative block: By having to write down ideas, participants may feel less pressured and more able to express thoughts that might not emerge in a verbal brainstorming session.
Increases diversity of ideas: By rotating the sheets, ideas are enriched and diversified with contributions from different people, which can lead to more complete and original solutions.
Automatic documentation: At the end of the session, each sheet contains a written record of the ideas generated, facilitating subsequent review and analysis.
Brainwriting is ideal for interdisciplinary groups and can be particularly useful in environments where you want to ensure that every voice is heard. Furthermore, this method is flexible and can be easily adapted for use in different types of problems and organizational contexts.
Infographic about brainwriting and starburst
Star explosion
The starburst technique, also known as “Starbursting,” is a brainstorming tool that focuses on generating questions rather than direct answers. This approach helps explore all facets of a problem or idea from different angles before seeking solutions. It is especially useful at the beginning of projects or when new ideas or concepts are being evaluated, providing a comprehensive framework that considers multiple aspects of a situation.
Star explosion process:
Preparation: Draw a six-pointed star in the center of a whiteboard or large piece of paper. Place the topic, problem or idea being explored in the center of the star.
Question Generation: Each point of the star represents a different category of questions. These categories typically include: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Participants take turns formulating relevant questions that are written around the corresponding point of the star.
Exploration and expansion: As questions are generated, they are explored in depth. This may lead to the creation of sub-questions or related questions that are added around the original questions.
Review: Once each category of questions has been explored and the star is filled, the group reviews all the questions generated. This step is crucial to identify areas that require further research or development.
Prioritization and action: Finally, questions are prioritized to investigate or answer in later stages of the creative or project development process.
Advantages of star explosion:
Comprehensive view: Encourages a thorough exploration of the topic at hand, ensuring that all important aspects are considered.
Encourages curiosity: By focusing on questions rather than answers, it encourages participants to think more openly and curiously.
Promotes critical thinking: By evaluating the “why” and “how” of situations, this technique develops critical thinking skills among participants.
Documentation of concerns: Create a detailed record of concerns and discussion points that may be useful in later stages of project development.
The starburst technique is particularly effective in the preliminary stages of planning and can be used by teams seeking to ensure complete coverage of all possible implications of a decision or innovation before committing resources or specific directions.
What if questions?
The “What if?” question technique is a method of creativity that seeks to explore the potential and possibilities of an idea, situation, or problem in an open-ended and speculative way. It is an especially valuable tool for breaking through conventional thinking and overcoming self-imposed limitations that often restrict the generation of new ideas.