Bad Idea Brainstorm
This method encourages participants to freely share bad ideas to break mental blocks and encourage creativity. By listing poor solutions, the group can shift their thinking and find unexpected good ideas through remixing or refining these 'bad' suggestions.
How to run it
- 1
Gather 3-6 participants for the session.
- 2
Define the challenge or problem on a visible surface, like a post-it.
- 3
Set a five-minute timer for brainstorming the worst possible ideas related to the challenge.
- 4
Encourage wild thinking using prompts, such as identifying unethical options or terrible slogans.
- 5
Review the brainstormed ideas together and discuss any that might spark a good solution.
- 6
Challenge the group to take at least one bad idea and develop it into a better one.
Tips
Create a safe space where participants feel comfortable sharing silly or outrageous ideas.
Encourage participants to embrace absurdity – there's no wrong answer in this phase.
Remind the group that the goal is to unlock creativity, not to find the perfect solution immediately.
Variations
Adapt the duration or group size based on the needs of your team. You can also use specific themes for brainstorming bad ideas.
Where it fits
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from SessionLab. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.