Templates for brainstorming and innovation. Free
Free to download and use in your workshops right away (pdf)
The PROBLEM
Ideation and brainstorming sessions usually suffer from a lack of alignment regarding the problem being solved: ideators tend to jump ahead to solutions without having a sufficient understanding of the root cause of the problem, its dynamics, the impacted users, and the key stakeholders.
By organizing the problem description into a single page, brainstorming participants can better ideate and also evaluate their ideas as potential solutions to the clearly stated problem. A problem statement can bring alignment, accelerate the brainstorming process, and increase the quality and relevance of the ideas generated.
Use this template to define the problem and share it with your brainstorming participants upfront. This will help them understand:
The Environment in which the business problem exists - the ecosystem, the market forces, the key ‘players’, the impacted users, and the entities that have an associated vested interest.
The ‘Dynamics’ of the problem - its past, present, and future, e.g. when it first appeared and how fast it has grown in terms of impacted entities. Or, the expected growth, known attempts to address it, etc.
The ‘Current state’ of the problem - its symptoms and impact, and how the involved parties experience it. This can also cover the identified or plausible root cause of the problem and the conditions or events that explain or trigger it.
The ‘Ideal state’, that is, how success would look like if the problem was ‘magically’ solved and how the involved parties would benefit.
Click & download the problem template (pdf) or buy the complete innovation toolkit (also contains the editable file of this problem statement)
The BUSINESS IDEA
Standardize the way you communicate ideas using this compact, consistent format. Make it easier and faster to share, discover, and consume ideas.
When in brainstorming or ideation sessions, ideators often have a hard time describing their ideas with clarity. This simple form helps innovators to describe their draft ideas quickly, in a consistent format, which also simplifies sharing, discovering, and consuming ideas within and between teams.
The 'Idea form' can be used independently by ideators or as part of structured ideation and brainstorming events. It sets the basis for an 'innovation language' for the company - the means of exchanging ideas in a more effective way. It helps ideators to think deeply about the following aspects:
The problem to be solved - the situation and context in which the idea could provide value.
The users or customers impacted by the problem being solved; the ways users will get value from the idea; the ways the company would get value; the ‘Form Factors’ - the shape that the idea could take if implemented - e.g. a mobile app or a website.
The ‘Logic’ of the idea - how it solves the problem.
The ‘Big Unknowns’ regarding the idea - the identified sources of uncertainty and the big questions that need to be answered.
Click below to download the idea template (pdf) or buy the complete innovation toolkit (includes the editable file of this idea template)
The WORKSHOP setup
To run a productive brainstorming session you need to inspire your team but also provide the resources, tools, and guidance.
You might have the best talent in the room - the dream team of ideators, domain experts, scientists, and creatives - but if they don’t have the right context and level of preparation you will probably end up getting noise instead of great ideas. Use this template to:
Reference the problem statement (see template #1 above) using simple language.
Explain the motivation and the desired outcome of the brainstorming session. Use concise language with no buzzwords or technical terms.
Identify the right participants - those experts in relevant domains and people who are renowned as profound ideators. But it is equally important to include a fresh view— members who are not directly involved in the problem being solved: those who can look at the problem from a distance—a different angle can bring the element of surprise and act as a catalyst for the outcome of the brainstorming. Keep the size of the team small—ideally 4-8 people.
Provide a collection of content and resources - as a source of inspiration for the participants of the brainstorming.
Set clear rules and guidelines - e.g., no devices, communication rules, idea evaluation criteria, etc.
Capture all the above into a single page and share it with the invitees to help them understand the objective, and get prepared.
Click to download the workshop template (.docx) - check also the complete innovation toolkit with seven innovation templates