- Author:
- Chauncey Wilson
Brainstorming and Beyond describes the techniques for generating ideas verbally, in writing, or through sketches. The first chapter focuses on brainstorming, the foundation method for ideation, which is a complex social process building off of social psychology principles, motivational constructs, and corporate culture. Brainstorming is commonly portrayed as an easy way to generate ideas, but in reality, it is a complex social process that is often flawed in ways that are not self-evident. Chapter 2 discusses Brainwriting, which is a variation on brainstorming in which each person writes ideas down on paper and then passes the paper to a new person who reads the first set of ideas and adds new ones. Since there is no group shouting out of ideas, strong facilitation skills are not required, and more often than not, Brainwriting results greatly exceed those of group brainstorming in a shorter time because ideas are generated in a parallel, rather than serial, fashion. Brainwriting is useful when time is limited, groups are hostile, or you are dealing with a culture where shouting out wild or divergent ideas might be difficult. Finally, in Chapter 3, readers learn about Braindrawing, a method of visual brainstorming that helps practitioners generate ideas for icons, other graphics, user interface layouts, or Web page designs. Each of these methods provides readers with ways to generate, present, and evaluate ideas so they can begin building a strong foundation for product success. Learn the proper techniques for generating ideas with limited time, hostile audiences, and limited facilitation support Explores efficient processes for analyzing the value of ideas Examines ways to generate visual as well as textual ideas Table of Contents Chapter 1. Brainstorming Overview of Brainstorming When Should You Use Brainstorming Procedures and Practical Advice on Brainstorming Variations and Extensions to Brainstorming Reverse (Negative) Brainstorming Data Analysis for Brainstorming What Do You Need for Brainstorming Recommended Readings References Chapter 2. Brainwriting Overview of Brainwriting When Should You Use Brainwriting Procedures and Practical Advice on Interactive Brainwriting After the Brainwriting Session Variations and Extensions to Brainwriting Major Issues in the Use of Brainwriting Data Analysis What Do You Need to Use The Brainwriting Method Recommended Readings References Chapter 3. Braindrawing Overview of Braindrawing When Should You Use Braindrawing Procedures and Practical Advice on the Braindrawing Method Variations and Extensions to Braindrawing Major Issues in the Use of Braindrawing Data Analysis What Do You Need to Use Braindrawing Recommended Readings References
Index Terms
- Brainstorming and Beyond: A User-Centered Design Method
Reviews
Andrea F Paramithiotti
Brainstorming may be a fun and helpful way to weed out crazy ideas from viable ones, or to bring discipline into a rowdy bunch of debating people. At first, brainstorming may seem like one of the most unstructured, creative, and wild disciplines around. While it may not have as deep of theoretical foundations as many other management fields, as in most artistic disciplines, better results are achieved when a set of rules is followed. This book does precisely that: it offers guidance in a field that can easily stray into the wild. The book covers all aspects of brainstorming, from analysis of its strengths and weaknesses to practical advice on the best practices to conduct a brainstorming session. It also details the dangers that may lurk hidden in a seemingly easygoing activity, and the all-important task of summarizing contributions and turning ideas into data. In addition, the author presents different, lesser-known forms of brainstorming: brainwriting, where people put down ideas in writing and then collect them in a final document, and braindrawing, where the visual arts are used to get to the same results. Each of these techniques is explained in a separate chapter, and each chapter is organized in the same way so as to highlight the similarities between these techniques. Each chapter offers an introduction; situations where the technique is most appropriate; a section on best procedures and practical advice; variations and extensions to the basic technique; issues and caveats; and a final section on how to gather and summarize collected data. Each chapter ends with its own set of references and recommended reading. A quick and effortless read, this book can be enjoyed by anyone interested in the topic. No particular background is required: readers with technical, managerial, or even literary backgrounds can equally appreciate it. It may even help in situations not connected with a corporate or professional environment such as, for example, in planning a vacation. The only caveat I might suggest is not taking brainstorming as a comprehensive, self-enclosed method. It is useful for first phases of decision-making, but it must be followed by other, more formal tools of analysis. More reviews about this item: Amazon , Goodreads Online Computing Reviews Service
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Recommendations
Value-Focused Brainstorming
Brainstorming can be a useful technique to create alternatives for complex decisions. To enhance the quality and innovativeness of the created alternatives, value-focused brainstorming incorporates two features of value-focused thinking into the ...