Brainwalking Add/remove

Purpose:

The purpose of brainwriting is to create ideas based on the creativity of an entire group, making sure everyone gets their say in the development.

The method makes use of individual brainstorms but builds on each other’s ideas, making for more detailed solutions made from different points of view.

Tips to include participants who are not able to:

Touch

If participants are unable to touch, make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing. This could be a helper, documenter, facilitator or other group members. The participants should though still explain their own ideas to not feel excluded.

Hold

If participants are unable to hold, make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing. This could be a helper, documenter, facilitator or other group members. The participants should though still explain their own ideas to not feel excluded.

See

If participants are unable to see, make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing. This could be a helper, documenter, facilitator or other group members. The participants should though still explain their own ideas to not feel excluded.

Belong

If the brainstorming is from the perspective of a persona that resembles a participant, don't let them be pointed out as that can make a person uncomfortable. Make sure the group is fairly diverse and representative.

Focus

If the ability to focus is limited because of time crunch, shorten down the time spent on brainstorming. If the ability is limited because of distractions, make sure facilitators keep a calm and attentive attitude, and prolong time for brainstorming.

Think

If participants have a hard time grasping the task, pairing up might be beneficial to let participants help each other understanding and fulfilling the task of brainwalking.

Hear

If participants are unable to hear, a translator can be used for presentation if present, or a written explanation can be read by a fellow participant.

Overview

Input

Base idea, how might we sentence, problem or similar.

Output

More detailed ideas

Complexity

Simple-Moderate

Time

10-30 min

Participants

3-8

Activity

Writing, creative thinking, drawing

Step by step:

  1. Provide a template for each participant and make the participants sit wide apart from each other.

  2. The participants should choose between a problem, idea or ‘how might we’ sentence – these can either be predefined by you or choosen from a previous exercise. Up to you to decide if the participants are working on the same problem or different problems. The problem, idea or HMW sentence should be written on the template.

  3. The participants now have 5 minutes to ideate on the chosen problem, idea or HMW sentence. They should ideate on the template.

  4. After 5 minutes the participants should rotate one seat to the right, which results in them sitting in front of a new template.

  5. The participants are given 3 minutes to further detail/ideate on the problem, idea or HMW sentence that are in front of them.

  6. After 3 minutes make the participants rotate again. Rotate as many times as there are participants. All participants should have worked on all templates at least once.

  7. Let the participants, one by one, present the developed idea on the template to the group.

When doing this method you should consider:

  1. If your participants are all able to walk let them move to the template instead of making the template come to the participants. Getting blood flowing can increase the energy. 
  2. Make sure all participants can write so it is readable by most participants – big, bold, high contrast etc. 
  3. the more information on the template the less people will add to it.

Materials needed:

  • Templates 
  • Post-its
  • Pens