1. Core Definition

Classical Brainstorming is a structured group creativity technique designed to generate a large quantity of ideas by encouraging free-flowing, uninhibited thinking while temporarily suspending judgment and criticism.
It creates a safe space where participants generate unusual and bold ideas to solve problems or spark innovation.
This foundational method utilises collective intelligence through rapid idea generation, where participants build upon each other’s thoughts to reach creative solutions that individuals might never discover on their own.

2. Creator and Development Timeline

The technique was developed by Alex Faickney Osborn, an advertising executive around the years 1939 -1941 while working in advertising at BBDO. His goal was to break free from rigid thinking that stifled creativity in professional settings. Initially introduced in his book How to Think Up (1942) and refined in Applied Imagination (1953), brainstorming quickly became a staple in creative industries.
In time, the method has inspired numerous variations, but its fundamental principles of quantity over quality and suspended judgment remain at the heart of many modern ideation processes.
During the 1950s, this technique gained widespread adoption as industries discovered its effectiveness in addressing complex problems. Today, it’s a cornerstone of creative problem-solving, adapted for virtual teams, classrooms, and personal goal-setting.
In educational practice, this method encourages students to engage in active learning, stimulating them to think independently and discuss collectively.
The use of artificial intelligence and collaborative platforms, such as online idea boards or tools for collective data analysis, expands the potential of the method.

Alex Osborn (May 24, 1888, Bronx, New York – May 5, 1966, Buffalo, New York). American сreativity theorist and advertising executive.
In 1954, Osborn co-founded the Creative Education Foundation’s Creative Problem Solving Institute based in Buffalo (New York). Along with Sidney Parnes, he also developed the creativity technique (CPS) “Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process”.

3. Detailed Description

Classical Brainstorming is one of the oldest, most recognised, and most powerful problem-solving techniques and effective creative tools for divergent idea generation used in small, specifically organized groups. It creates a safe, creative space where the wildest ideas are not just welcome—they’re essential.
Brainstorming involves a well-trained leader–facilitator, a group of different from each other and equal participants (5-12 persons), a secretary, a well-defined problem, and a two-separated stages of the session (idea generation, idea refinement and evolution), which normally lasts for 30 -60 minutes.
For beginners, Classical Brainstorming is a free-flow session where participants share ideas without criticism. A facilitator guides the session, ensuring everyone contributes, while a scribe captures every suggestion.
Advanced users leverage structured prompts, time-boxing, and creative stimuli to push beyond obvious solutions. During the session, facilitators can introduce provocative questions or “idea triggers” to push beyond obvious solutions.
After the session, participants focus on systematically classifying and prioritizing ideas, which often requires the use of techniques such as SCAMPER or Mind Maps.
For both beginners and advanced users, Classical Brainstorming is surprisingly straightforward yet remarkably powerful. In both cases, the energy of collaboration fuels diverse thinking, and ideas are captured for later evaluation.

4. Essence of the Technique

Brainstorming relies on the principles of free, open, and non-judgmental thinking aimed at creating a spontaneous flow of ideas without prior filtering or evaluation.
The heart of Classical Brainstorming lies in its two fundamental tenets: deferring judgment and striving for quantity. Its unique power lies in suspending criticism, allowing even the most unconventional ideas to surface, which often lead to breakthroughs.
The essence of the brainstorming method is based on divergent thinking, namely generating a large number of different ideas and hence a generation of diversity. This method is based on the assumption that the number of ideas generated is directly related to the likelihood of original and valuable solutions emerging.
The most important criterion of brainstorming is the sheer number of generated ideas. Moreover namely generating wrong, stupid and silly ideas could spark off the most useful and pragmatic ideas.
The main psychological purpose of the method is overcoming inherent inner and social barriers, breaking down mental blocks, habitus, stereotypes and inertia thinking and fostering a “yes, and…” mindset.
At its heart, brainstorming is designed to cultivate a psychologically safe environment where participants feel empowered to share unconventional or unpolished ideas without fear of judgment. The technique’s true value lies in fostering an open, dynamic atmosphere that enables creative synergy to flourish.
By leveraging collective intelligence, brainstorming transforms individual contributions into a cascade of innovation—one participant’s initial idea can ignite even more refined or inventive solutions from others. This spontaneous, impartial exchange generates a unique collaborative dynamic, where each suggestion builds upon and enhances the group’s creative output.
Ultimately, brainstorming transcends mere idea generation; it is a structured methodology for optimizing group creativity. Its primary objective is to unlock and amplify the collective intellectual and imaginative potential of the team.
Unlike structured techniques like Six Thinking Hats, which assign specific roles, or SCAMPER, which focuses on modifying existing ideas, brainstorming is a free-for-all, emphasising raw idea generation.

5. Primary functions

1. Rapid idea generation. It produces a high volume of ideas to solve problems or spark innovation.
2. Building team cohesion through collaborative creativity. Brainstorming motivates and develops teams, and emphasizes teamwork and discussion.
3. Overcoming creative blocks and exploring unconventional solutions.
4. It helps participants reframe problems and explore challenges from fresh perspectives by articulating the issue through multiple lenses.

6. Theoretical Framework

The theoretical foundations of Classical Brainstorming are grounded in key philosophical concepts concerning the fundamental laws governing evolution and self-organization.
Creativity as an Evolutionary Process. An analogy can be drawn between creativity and the evolutionary processes observed in nature. In this perspective, creativity operates as a Darwinian mechanism, described by Campbell (1960) as a blind-variation selective-retention (BVSR) process. The richness and diversity of ideas function analogously to biological variation, serving as the basis for the emergence of novel ideas and successful solutions.
Creativity as Self-Organization. Human creativity can also be understood as a process of self-organization, characterized by the spontaneous emergence of order from seemingly chaotic ideas. A conscious acceptance of uncertainty fosters creative freedom and opens pathways to new possibilities. In brainstorming, such intentional organization of divergent ideas fosters the spontaneous emergence of effective solutions.
Brainstorming works because it taps into proven psychological and creative principles. Here are the key theories that power it:
1. Associative Theory of Creativity (Sarnoff Mednick, 1962) This theory thrives on idea chains—each suggestion sparks new connections in others’ minds, weaving a web of possibilities and rapidly expanding the solution space.
2. Divergent Thinking (Joy Paul Guilford, 1950) By suspending judgment, brainstorming forces open the floodgates of thought, generating volume and variety instead of a single “right” answer. This intentionally stimulates the process of generating multiple answers to open-ended problems.
3. Cognitive Flexibility Theory (Rand J. Spiro et al., 1987) The unstructured nature of brainstorming trains minds to pivot swiftly, linking distant concepts and reframing problems on the fly. This cultivates the ability to jump between concepts and domains fluidly, shift perspectives, and reinterpret information.
4. Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono, 1967) This approach rewards leaps over logic—the wilder the idea, the more it disrupts routine thinking and uncovers hidden paths. It supports inviting unconventional and “wild” ideas, which may initially seem impractical but often lead to breakthroughs by encouraging participants to break out of logical, step-by-step patterns.
5. Flow Theory (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) When a brainstorming session clicks, the group’s energy locks into a rhythm of unselfconscious creation, where ideas pour out effortlessly. A well-facilitated session, with its energy, collaboration, and lack of judgment, can immerse participants in a state of complete focus, leading to prolific idea generation.
6. Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Model (Alex F. Osborn, 1953; Sidney J. Parnes, 1967) Brainstorming serves as the explosive first act: a deliberate free-for-all to maximize raw material before the refining begins. It fits as the primary divergent phase of this model, ensuring maximum creative output before filtering and formalizing the balance between idea generation and selection.
7. Group Synergy Theory (Alex F. Osborn, 1957) Ideas collide and combine in brainstorming, transforming individual sparks into something no one could’ve produced alone. This leverages diverse skills and perspectives to multiply creative outcomes, producing results that are greater than the sum of individual contributions.
8. Collective Intelligence Theory (Pierre Lévy, 1994; Thomas W. Malone et al., 2010) Brainstorming harvests the group’s hidden knowledge, blending perspectives into solutions smarter than any solo effort. It provides a structured framework to capture and integrate shared insights, allowing the group to outperform individuals by pooling distributed knowledge and creativity.
9. Social Facilitation Theory (Robert Zajonc, 1965) The group’s presence acts as a catalyst—energy builds, hesitation falls away, and ideas fly faster. The supportive energy of a group encourages bolder thinking and faster idea flow, as the presence of others enhances an individual’s performance.
10. Psychological Safety (Amy Edmondson, 1999) Brainstorming only works when the room feels safe; no fear of judgment means no holding back. This minimizes the fear of criticism, enabling participants to share unconventional or half-formed ideas without hesitation, fostering an environment safe for interpersonal risk-taking.

7. Fundamental principles

1. Quantity breeds quality.
2. Deferred judgment about the ideas’ value.
These Core values create a framework that fosters innovation by blending structure with organic creativity.
• Openness and freedom of expression
• Collaborative synergy
• Diversity of thought strengthens solutions
• Inclusivity and the belief that everyone has creative potential.
• Collaboration over competition, and experimentation over perfection.

8. Rules

General Rules:
1. No criticism or evaluation of ideas during the session.
2. Freewheeling and unusual ideas are welcome.
3. Quantity of ideas is wanted.
4. Combining and improving ideas.
Specific Rules:
1. Appoint a moderator, as this person plays an important role in ensuring compliance with the rules, maintaining discipline during the session, encouraging participation, and objectively recording all ideas.
2. Set a clear problem or question to focus the session. A well-defined problem leads to more focused and relevant ideas.
3. Record all ideas verbatim, without filtering or rephrasing. Ensure every idea is written down clearly and visibly for all participants to see (e.g., on a whiteboard, flip chart, or digital tool).
4. Use “Yes, and…” thinking instead of “No, but…” responses
5. Set specific time boundaries for each phase of the session. Stick to the time limit to keep energy high and prevent fatigue.

9. Procedure

• Duration: A typical brainstorming session ranges from 15 to 45 minutes. Shorter sessions (15-20 min) are excellent for focused idea bursts, while longer ones (30-45 min) allow for deeper exploration, especially if tackling complex problems.
• Space: An open, comfortable, and visually stimulating environment is ideal. A room with whiteboards, large flip charts, or a digital tool for virtual sessions.
Materials: Markers, sticky notes, Large sheets of paper or whiteboards, Flip chart stand or wall space, or digital collaboration tools (e.g., Miro, Zoom).
• Number of Participants: 5–12 is ideal for diverse input without chaos;
Fewer than 5 limits idea diversity, while more than 12 can reduce individual participation and become difficult to manage effectively.
Solo brainstorming is also effective. A facilitator keeps the session on track, while a scribe records every suggestion.

10. Recommendations

For Facilitators:
1. Conduct a warm-up session, generating a creative atmosphere and a criticism-free environment.
2. Encourage creativity and enthusiasm while maintaining high energy through your engagement.
3. Model openness, invite quieter voices, and foster psychological safety.
4. Create a warm, judgment-free environment by demonstrating enthusiasm and acceptance.
5. Use icebreakers to loosen up the group, like a quick “What’s the weirdest solution to this problem?” prompt. “What if we assumed the opposite?” or “What if we had unlimited resources?” to shake things up.
6. Keep energy high with prompts like “Let’s go for 10 more ideas in 2 minutes!”
7. Ensure all ideas are recorded without judgment.
8. Ensure quiet participants have opportunities to contribute while managing dominant voices gently.
Thus, the main goal of a leader is to cultivate a playful, open space and a creative, friendly atmosphere of comfort and confidence, where the participants freely, spontaneously and gladly put forward new ideas.

For Participants:
1. Build energetically on others’ ideas rather than just waiting for your turn to speak. Think freely, and embrace even impractical ideas. Avoid overthinking, let ideas flow without self-censorship.
2. Instead of thinking “No, but…” when you hear an idea, think “Yes, and…”
3. Share every idea, even if it feels silly—those often spark breakthroughs.
4. Write down personal ideas and ideas that occur to you during others’ contributions.
5. Contribute frequently and don’t wait for the “perfect” idea. Quantity is key, and your contribution might be the spark for someone else’s breakthrough.

11. Main steps

1. Define the problem or challenge. Clearly define the problem and the objectives to achieve by writing it on a Flipboard, whiteboard or another system where everyone can see it. Frame a clear, open-ended question. Instead of “Improve sales,” frame it as “How can we increase online sales conversions by 20% in the next quarter?”
2. Explain brainstorming rules and goals. Review the ground rules, instruct the participants to generate ideas and encourage everyone to contribute. (e.g. “Remember, for the next 20 minutes, we’re building a mountain of ideas. No ‘buts,’ just ‘ands.’ The crazier the better!”
3. Conduct a Warm-Up session with a quick creative exercise. (Optional but Recommended).
Conduct a brief practice round with a simple, fun challenge. Break down initial barriers to creative expression.
For beginners, start with a fun, low-stakes topic—like “10 ways to make Mondays better.” , “How might we make commuting joyful?” or “Invent a new ice cream flavour”). It builds confidence and warms up the brain.
For advanced users: “Your mobile phone just gained a superpower (e.g., invisibility, elasticity, or mind-reading). List as many ways to use it as possible!”
4. Idea Generation (The Core Activity):
All participants present their ideas, and the facilitator or idea collector records them. All ideas will be accepted and registered. It is useful for all ideas to remain visible to help trigger further ideas.
Recommendations for facilitator: Ask the group to generate as many ideas as possible, emphasising that wild, seemingly wacky ideas are welcome. Encourage building on previous ideas.
5. Ideas Review and Clarification: After the time limit, the facilitator reads through all the generated ideas. Participants can ask clarifying questions if an idea is unclear, but no criticism or evaluation is allowed.
6. Categorization and Grouping (Optional but Recommended): The group, or the facilitator, can begin to group similar ideas together or identify emerging themes. This helps in organizing the large volume of ideas.
Recommendation for participants: Group similar ideas into clusters or themes. Organize the ideas based on the topic goal and encourage participants to work on other people’s ideas, in order to improve them. Identify potential combinations or hybrid solutions. Prepare ideas for the later evaluation phase.
7. Evaluation and Selection (Separate Phase): This is a distinct phase, occurring after the brainstorming. Participants or a special group of critics evaluate the ideas based on predefined criteria (e.g., feasibility, cost, impact, originality). Techniques like dot-voting, SWOT analysis, or an impact/effort matrix can be used. They evaluate and select one as the solution to the problem proposed to the group.
8. Session Wrap-up. The facilitator clarifies the selected solution and concludes the session. Optionally, refine ideas in a separate session or assign a team to evaluate and implement the best ones.

12. Applications

The invention of the Barbie doll
The Barbie doll was born from a pivotal brainstorming session at Mattel in the late 1950s. At the time, the market was dominated by baby dolls, and co-founder Ruth Handler envisioned an adult-figured doll to shake things up.
In 1958, Mattel’s team gathered to brainstorm, following classic rules: no idea was too silly, and building on suggestions was encouraged. A suggestion of “Barbara,” inspired by Handler’s daughter, was refined to “Barbie.” This simple name sparked a creative explosion, leading to ideas for “Barbie’s dream house,” her friend Ken, and a universe of accessories.
This brainstorming effort not only yielded the iconic name but also defined the doll’s aspirational, fashion-forward image. Barbie, launched in 1959, became an immediate sensation, revolutionizing the toy industry and cementing Mattel’s place as a global leader.

IDEO’s Shopping Cart Redesign (1999)
When ABC’s Nightline challenged IDEO to redesign the shopping cart in five days, they used Classical Brainstorming to generate hundreds of ideas. Diverse experts—engineers, marketers, anthropologists, designers—identified key problems: theft, child safety, manoeuvrability, and storage. Bold concepts, from umbrella-folding carts to theft-proof wheels, evolved into a modular design with removable baskets, improved wheels, and child-safe features.

13. Adaptations & Variants

While Classical Brainstorming is the foundational technique, its principles have given rise to numerous powerful adaptations and variants, each tailored to specific needs or group dynamics.
Brainwriting: This technique addresses the common issue of dominant personalities in verbal brainstorming. Instead of shouting out ideas, participants silently write down their ideas on paper (e.g., for 5-10 minutes). Then, they pass their papers to the person next to them, who reads the ideas and adds new ones, or builds upon existing ones. This continues for several rounds. It ensures equal participation, reduces “groupthink,” and allows quieter individuals to contribute without interruption.
Nominal Group Technique: Combines individual silent brainstorming with group discussion and voting, blending independent thought with collective creativity. It minimizes “groupthink” and ensures all voices are heard by having participants first write down their ideas individually. After this silent phase, ideas are shared one by one, discussed, and then voted on, providing a structured approach to decision-making and idea generation.
Reverse Brainstorming: Focuses on generating ideas about how to cause or worsen a problem, then reversing those ideas to find creative solutions. Instead of asking “How can we solve X?” this variant asks “How can we cause X?” or “How can we make X worse?”. Excellent for identifying potential pitfalls, root causes of problems, or anticipating obstacles. By understanding how to create a problem, solutions to prevent it often become clearer.
Round Robin Brainstorming: When performing this technique, each participant contributes one idea in turn, ensuring equal participation and preventing simultaneous talking. Participants share one idea at a time, going around the circle until ideas run dry or time runs out. The method ensures everyone contributes and prevents a few individuals from dominating the conversation.
Electronic Brainstorming (EBS): Participants use computers or mobile devices to submit ideas anonymously, reducing social inhibition and allowing simultaneous contribution from all members. This uses computer software or online platforms to facilitate idea generation. Participants type their ideas into a shared document or interface, often anonymously. Uses digital tools like MURAL or Google Docs for remote teams.
Question brainstorming (Starbursting Technique): Starbursting is a structured brainstorming variant that employs systematic questioning to comprehensively analyze challenges prior to solution generation. Rather than pursuing immediate answers, participants methodically explore all problem dimensions using interrogative frameworks (typically the 5Ws and H: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How).
Speed Brainstorming (or Rapid Ideation): This involves very short, intense bursts of idea generation, often with strict time limits for each round or idea. Participants might have only 30 – 60 seconds to write down as many ideas as possible before moving to the next trigger. Forces rapid thinking, bypasses self-censorship, and can generate a high volume of raw ideas quickly.

14. Advantages

1. Generates a large volume of ideas in a short time, providing rich raw material for later development and refinement.
2. Encourages team collaboration. Breaks down hierarchical barriers and encourages equal participation, and creates a Spirit of cooperation.
3. Sparks unexpected connections and encourages creative thinking and thinking “out of the box”.
4. Develops the creative abilities and creative thinking of group members. Regularly engaging in brainstorming sessions trains the mind to think more divergently and quickly.
6. It is an inexpensive, simple technique witch requires minimal resources while generating breakthrough solutions. The rules of brainstorming are easy to understand, easy to master and use.
7. Works for any problem, from product design to personal goal-setting. Universality of the method and possibility to combine it with other techniques.

15. Disadvantages

1. Focusing on rapid idea generation may produce many superficial solutions while missing deeper, more thoughtful alternatives.
2. Participants may unconsciously converge on similar ideas or defer to perceived authority figures
3. Dominance of vocal participants. Introverts might find it difficult to express their wild ideas.
5. The evaluation phase is separate—ideas may be lost if not well-documented.
6. Lack of reliable criteria that determine the quality of solutions. While excellent for generation, brainstorming doesn’t provide a mechanism for evaluating or prioritizing ideas.
7. The method’s effectiveness depends on a skilled and experienced facilitator.
8. The spontaneous nature of brainstorming can lead to the generation of ideas that are difficult to implement in practice, requiring a subsequent stage of refinement and evaluation.

References & Sources

1. Guilford, J. P. (1950). Creativity. American Psychologist, 5(9), 444–454.
Early study on divergent thinking, underpinning brainstorming’s focus on idea quantity.
2. Osborn, A. F. (1953). Applied imagination: Principles and procedures of creative problem-solving. Charles Scribner’s Sons.
3. Michalko, M. (2001). Cracking creativity: The secrets of creative genius. Ten Speed Press. (Offers practical insights and contemporary takes on classic creative techniques, including brainstorming).
4. Wilson, C. (2013). Brainstorming and beyond: A user-centered design method. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
5. Sawyer, R. K. (2017). Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration (2nd ed.). Basic Books.
Modern analysis of brainstorming’s role in fostering collective creativity.

 All types of Brainstorming.