Individual Brainstorming: Its Main
Steps and Types

1. Core Definition

Individual brainstorming is a powerful solo creative technique where a person generates as many ideas, solutions, or alternatives as possible around a specific problem or topic, free from external judgment or constraints. This self-driven process enhances both originality and depth, often uncovering solutions that group settings might overlook.

2. Creators and Development Timeline

Individual brainstorming emerged as an evolution from Alex Osborn’s original group brainstorming concept, first introduced in his 1953 book “Applied Imagination.” Osborn originally developed brainstorming as a group activity but soon recognised the power of individual ideation and emphasised that “solitary thinking precedes collective genius.”
Researchers such as Edward de Bono, Arthur VanGundy and Tony Buzan recognised and used the unique advantages of solo creative work in the 1970s and 1980s. The technique gained scientific credibility through the work of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, whose studies on flow states demonstrated how individuals could achieve peak creative performance in solitary environments.

3. Primary Functions

• Generating a large volume of diverse ideas for problem-solving.
• Overcoming creative blocks and habitual thinking.
• Enhancing individual confidence in one’s creative abilities through independent exploration.
• Laying the groundwork for innovation in business, communication, and personal projects.
• Used as creative training because it builds neural plasticity over time.

4. Detailed Description

Individual brainstorming is a flexible, self-directed process that encourages a free flow of thoughts without the immediate constraints, critique or filtering.
For beginners, it’s an accessible way to unlock creativity by jotting down thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness style, using only pen and paper or digital tools.
Advanced users may employ structured techniques—like mind mapping, trigger words or random stimuli (like opening a book to a random page), the “Six Thinking Hats” or role-storming (imagining how others would solve the problem). This approach emphasises quantity over quality in the initial phase, ensuring a broad pool of ideas for later refinement.
By the 21st century, individual brainstorming became a cornerstone of personal productivity and creative self-expression, enhanced by digital tools, apps for idea capture and mindfulness practices. Presently, this technique is integrated with AI and neurofeedback devices.

5. Essence of the Technique

At its heart, individual brainstorming is about freeing the mind from internal and external criticism, allowing even bold, unconventional and wildest ideas. This uninhibited environment is uniquely effective for tackling complex challenges, as it enables the brain to make unexpected connections and leap beyond conventional solutions.
What makes this technique uniquely effective is its ability to harness the full spectrum of an individual’s knowledge, experience, and intuition without external pressure or interruption or time pressures common in group settings.
Unlike more structured problem-solving methodologies, individual brainstorming is inherently flexible and allows for a more organic and free-flowing exploration of the problem space tailored to the individual’s cognitive style.

It differs from methods like mind mapping by its unstructured, rapid-fire approach,  from freewriting –  by its focus on generating solutions rather than narrative flow and from “Brainwriting” that also involves individual idea generation, but suggests that these ideas would later subsequently shared and built upon by a group. This technique is often more productive than group brainstorming, especially for introverts or when tackling sensitive topics.

6. Theoretical Framework

Individual brainstorming draws on principles from cognitive psychology and creative problem-solving theory.  It is grounded in theories of divergent thinking, which emphasize generating multiple solutions to open-ended problems (J.P. Guilford, 1950).
In addition to this, the technique is rooted in A. F. Osborn’s (1953) core rules: deferring judgment, encouraging wild ideas, and striving for quantity.
It also aligns with M. Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow, where immersion in a task fosters optimal creativity (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996).
Individual brainstorming also incorporates associative thinking models that demonstrate how the mind naturally connects disparate concepts to create novel combinations and tap into an individual’s semantic networks and associative pathways in a unique and personalized way.
The application of this technique is also associated with the activation of the brain’s default mode network (DMN)—critical for self-generated thought and imagination.

7. Rules for Effective Use

General:

• Maintain focus on the specific problem or opportunity
• Suspend self-criticism; all ideas are valid during the session.
• Aim for quantity over quality to maximise creative output.
• Allow ideas to flow naturally without overthinking their feasibility.
• Welcome, wild, unconventional, and seemingly impossible ideas
• Capture every idea, even those that seem absurd or impractical.

Specific:

• Establish a minimum time commitment (typically 15-30 minutes).
• Avoid editing or refining ideas during the initial ideation phase.
• Record all ideas without editing or censoring in a format that suits your style.
• Allow for natural pauses and reflection periods.
• Review the ideas only after a short break, to allow subconscious processing.

8. Procedure

• Duration: 15–60 minutes per session, depending on problem complexity, available time and personal preferences.
• Space: Private, comfortable environment with minimal distractions (office, home workspace, or outdoor setting). The setup requires careful attention to environmental factors that support creative thinking, including adequate lighting, comfortable seating, and the availability of visual aids or reference materials that might inspire connections.
• Materials: Chosen medium for recording ideas (pen and paper, notebook, whiteboard, computer, voice recorder, etc.), timer (optional).
• Participants: One individual working independently.

9. Recommendations

For Facilitators (if guiding others in individual brainstorming):
• Provide clear instructions and examples.
• Suggest diverse prompts or questions.
• Encourage participants to experiment with different formats (e.g., writing, sketching).

For Participants:
• Choose a time when you feel energized and focused.
• Minimize distractions by silencing devices or finding a quiet space.
• Establish personal rituals to help shift into a creative mindset  (specific music, lighting,   inspiring images or physical movements).
• Use a variety of techniques (writing, drawing, listing).
• Embrace absurd or wild ideas to push beyond conventional thinking.
• If you get stuck, try different prompts or questions related to the problem. For example, ask “What if…?”, “How could we…?”, or “What are all the possibilities, no matter how improbable?”.
• Take breaks if creativity stalls, then return with fresh eyes.

10. Main Steps

1. Problem Definition and Framing: Clearly articulate the challenge, opportunity, or question requiring creative exploration, writing it in multiple ways. (e.g., “How can I improve my productivity?”).
2. Preparation: Eliminate distractions, gather necessary materials, and create a physical and mental space conducive to creative thinking. Set a Time Limit and Choose Your Method: Decide how long you will dedicate to the brainstorming session. Select the medium (pen and paper, digital tool, etc.) you will use to record your ideas.
3. Warm-up Phase (Optional): Engage in 5-10 minutes of free-writing or simple creative exercises to activate divergent thinking patterns.
4. Rapid Idea Generation: Write, sketch, or record as many ideas as possible for the predetermined time period, without pausing to judge or edit.
5. Perspective Shifting (Optional): Deliberately approach the problem from different viewpoints (customer, competitor, expert, child, etc.). Introduce random stimuli (words, images, or constraints). Incorporate questions like “What’s the wildest solution?” or “What would I do with unlimited resources?”, “What would my 8-year-old self suggest?”, “How would Nikola Tesla approach this?”.
6. Analog Break (optional): Step away for 5–10 min (incubation phase).
7. Idea Building and Combination: Review generated ideas and create hybrid solutions by combining elements from different concepts
8. Documentation and Capture: Organize all generated ideas into a comprehensive list or visual map for future reference.
9. Review and Select: Identify patterns, themes, and particularly promising directions. Further develop the most promising ideas. Consider their feasibility and potential impact. Highlight 3–5 ideas with transformative potential.

11. Applications

Management. A nonprofit director facing resistance to organizational changes used individual brainstorming to develop innovative communication strategies. By generating ideas from the perspectives of different stakeholder groups, he created a multi-channel approach to the problem. The resulting communication campaign increased change acceptance by 75% and became a model for other organizations.
Art: An artist overcame creative block by brainstorming “100 absurd sculpture materials” (used melted vinyl records for award-winning installation).

12. Adaptations & Variants

• Freewriting: Writing continuously for a set period without stopping to edit or judge, allowing subconscious thoughts and ideas to surface.
• Listing: Simply creating a numbered or bulleted list of every idea that comes to mind.
• Word Association: Rapidly listing words or phrases related to the topic.
• Visual Brainstorming: Use sketches, doodles, or diagrams instead of words to capture ideas, ideal for visual thinkers.
• Prompt-Based Brainstorming: Use specific prompts (e.g., “What would a child suggest?”) to guide ideation.
• “What If?” Scenarios: Posing a series of “what if” questions related to the problem to stimulate imaginative thinking. For example, “What if we had unlimited resources?”, “What if we completely reversed our current approach?”.
• Mind Mapping: Visualizing ideas and their connections. This visual technique involves starting with a central idea and branching out with related thoughts and concepts, creating a hierarchical and interconnected web of ideas.
• Using Random Stimuli: Incorporating random words, images, or sounds to trigger new and unexpected associations related to the problem.
• Role-Storming: Imagining how others (famous figures, experts) would approach the problem.
• Reverse Brainstorming: Listing ways to cause the problem, then reversing these to find solutions.
• Walking Brainstorming: Combines physical movement with idea generation, leveraging the cognitive benefits of exercise to stimulate creative thinking while addressing problems during walks or other physical activities.
• Timed Sprint Brainstorming: Employs short, intense bursts of idea generation (5-15 minutes) followed by brief breaks, creating urgency that can breakthrough mental blocks and generate rapid insights.
• Constraint-Based Individual Brainstorming: Introduces artificial limitations or requirements to force creative problem-solving within specific parameters, often leading to more innovative solutions than unlimited approaches.
• Digital Individual Brainstorming: Utilises mind-mapping software, collaborative digital platforms used individually, and AI-assisted ideation tools to enhance traditional solo brainstorming with technological capabilities. Leverage apps like Miro or Trello to record and organize ideas in real-time.
Individual brainstorming is done independently on a solitary basis and typically includes such techniques as:
• free writing,
• free speaking,
• free word association,
• the spider web is a visual note-taking technique in which people diagram their thoughts.

13. Advantages (Pro)

1. Eliminates social pressures, personality conflicts, and groupthink that can constrain idea generation,
2. Enables deep personal reflection and insight. Provides an uninterrupted space for concentrated thought and in-depth exploration of the problem.
3. Personalised Pace: Aligns with individual chronotypes and allows users to work at their own speed and style.
4. Easy to implement with minimal resources and Adaptable to any context or schedule
5. Develops individual creative abilities and problem-solving skills, fostering long-term creative self-reliance and innovative thinking capabilities.

14. Limitations (Con)

1. Limited Idea Cross-Pollination – fails to capture the creative synergy of combining or building upon others’ ideas.
2. Risk of cognitive fixation – increased likelihood of tunnel vision or thinking within the confines of individual experience, knowledge, and cognitive patterns.
3. No Immediate Feedback – ideas aren’t challenged or refined in real time.
4. Self-Motivation Dependency – The method requires a high level of discipline; some people may experience difficulties without team involvement and external stimulation.