Ideation & Brainstorming Techniques / - 4/15/06 p 1

Kit Laybourne / www.MediaChops.com > Producer Chops

Ideation & Brainstorming Techniques

The very first step on any project is locking on the basic idea. This is a critical phase and it
requires a process of investigation, not just a flash of inspiration. I call the process "ideation".

There are four essential steps in the ideation (or the generation) of any project: finding the idea;
vetting the idea; scripting; and pitching. These notes cover the first step through a look at four
different techniques for ideation .
A. self-generated techniques
(1) work in threes.
It is always best to develop multiple ideas, even when only one is needed. Why? Well, thinking
trough three ideas is better than going with one idea because.
- they cross fertilize each other
- they let you gain critical perspective
- they remind you how many great projects are out there (which is best for current
circumstances?)
(2) notebook/diary
Creative Wordplay
keep a notebook
review the due diligence data
be careful that words dont ossify
think in opposites
color words
animate the inanimate
identify categories
grow metaphors
double the meaning (puns and double entendres)

(3) sleeping on it - Mental Back Burner
(4) free association
(5) listing what you know / what you don't know
(6) talking to people
(7) searching for parallel forms / adaptations / metaphors
(8) multi-media sketching
Multi Media Sketching
be careful words dont dominate
clip art/bulletin boards
photography
video production
audio
illustration
typography, borders, color
doodle & sketch
Ideation & Brainstorming Techniques / - 4/15/06 p 2
Kit Laybourne / www.MediaChops.com > Producer Chops
notebooks & computer
B. Brainstorming Technique

Kit's Best Ever, Brain Tornado Technique features an Exclusive, Patent Pending Five Torque
Manifold Process. It is based on the beliefs (a) that many minds are better than one mind: (b)
there is important creative value of probing the subconscious and for non-linear synapses and ;(c)
that true invention is "1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" - according to Thomas Edison, who is
a Special Consultant for the product line.

(1) stating the problem. You must be careful in giving yourself just the right amount of detail and
the right amount of openness as you craft the problem to be brainstormed. Be careful as you
articulate what you want to solve.

(2) spontaneous generation. (the "brainstorm"). The heart of brainstorming is the process of
spontaneous generation. This happens by having the group yell out as many responses as they
can within a set period of time. Remember, the emphasis is on quantity , not quality. Do not make
any judgments on ideas, just collect them.

(3) Culling the raw data to find the valuable leads. What's in and what's out. This activity and
can be accomplished in a group or by one person. In it you quickly review all the suggestions and
make equally quick decisions about whether an idea "Is In" (meaning it represents values of wit,
boldness, authenticity or optimism. This is a gut response/) or whether the idea "Is Out"
(meaning it is doesn't fit. Maybe its too familiar, has no originality, carries not enough wit and fun).
There should be a third category: "Can't Tell" (meaning this might warrant further discussion).

(4) mining categories. This brainstorming step asks you to distinguish meta approaches or
groupings of solutions. What "buckets" of ideas remain in the ideas you are considering? Try to
see what other kinds of categorizations one might want to try.

(5) choosing best ideas for detailed development, scrutiny, synthesis.
An example

Brainstorming is a specific idea generation technique. The heart of brainstorming is when a
group works to quickly generate many solutions in response to a given problem. I good way to
get the idea is by examining a specific example of brainstorming --- or, better, for assembling a
group and trying the technique.

Before I give you a sample problem to brainstorm, review carefully to the rules for proper
brainstorming:

- the goal is to generate as many ideas as possible in a given time. Emphasis on quality
and not quality.
- important that everyone participates. No sitting back to judge if ones suggestion is good
enough. Instead.
- shout out solutions as fast as they come to you, then move on to a new one.
- there should be no discussion or response to any idea. No clarification.
- there should be no censure of anyones contribution: no saying thats stupid or thats
too obvious. No shaking of heads either.
- but you should listen to other peoples suggestions to see if they generate trigger
parallel and new solutions in your mind.

Ideation & Brainstorming Techniques / - 4/15/06 p 3
Kit Laybourne / www.MediaChops.com > Producer Chops
A farmer owns a field near a super highway. Late one night a tractor trailer overturns
(no one is hurt) and its cargo of 50,000 ping pong balls tumbles into the Farmers
adjacent field.

The company doesnt want to repackage the cargo and dispatches an underling who
tells the farmer that the balls are his, so long as the company doesnt have to pay for
picking them up.

What can the farmer do with all these ping pong balls?


The question is the first torque. It should be followed by followed by .

- The Brainstorm (Spontaneous Generation) -- allow 3 minutes
- Gut Editing : whats in, whats out: -- allow 15 minutes
- Mining Categories -- allow 10 minutes)
- Evaluation and Development the pay off. What emerged that is worth further
development. Hopefully this will require hours of creative ideation. There needs
to be focus and rigor for analyzing each solution of merit.

Here are two useful steps in evaluation: (a) measure each solution against the
original problem (often you will gain insights into the problem itself) (b) force
yourself to choose best three solutions that you will be developing further.
C. charette technique
From the world of architects and industrial designers has come the ideation technique known as
"the charette". It is simple enough. A group (usually with eclectic skills) gives themselves a
specific period of time (usually in hours, sometimes in days) to solve a specific problem. The
clock is important. The group must organize itself, specify outcomes and then work towards the
outcomes, yielding the required decisions (and documentation).
D. visualization techniques
(1) taking Inventory (building a bulletin board) of visual elements (clichs, photos, images); of
audio elements; or of similar shows/products
(2) mental mapping (bubble drawing & idea clusters)
(3) key frames
(4) storyboarding

end notes