Rawlinson Brainstorming: Unleashing Creatity for Problem-Solving and Innovation

1. Core Definition

Rawlinson Brainstorming is a structured group creativity technique designed to generate a high volume of diverse ideas by systematically removing barriers and fostering a free-wheeling, non-judgmental environment. It emphasizes the importance of restating the problem, procedures for the evaluation of the large number of ideas and the benefits of the wildest idea technique.

2. Creator and Development Timeline

Rawlinson Brainstorming was pioneered by J. Geoffrey Rawlinson, a British creativity expert and former management consultant with 25 years at PA International. Drawing from his experience facilitating nearly 800 brainstorming sessions across four continents, and series of presentations on brainstorming which he gave during the years 1966-79, Rawlinson introduced this method in his 1981 book Creative Thinking and Brainstorming, refining Alex Osborn’s classic brainstorming approach. While Osborn focused on rapid idea generation, Rawlinson adds layers of problem restatement, barrier removal, and post-session evaluation.

3. Detailed Description

The Rawlinson Brainstorming technique is a structured yet dynamic approach to sparking collective creativity. Participants engage in a six-stage process guided by a facilitator.
The first stage the problem is clearly stated and discussed. Participants learn about barriers and actively working to dismantle them. This creates a safe, open environment where participants feel encouraged to think freely.
Then they restate the problem in as many ways as possible in “How to…” formats.
Before ideation, the problem is re-expressed in various ways—through reversal, exaggeration, metaphor, or analogy—to uncover hidden aspects and new perspectives.
A single restatement is selected, framed as “In how many ways can we…,” followed by a warm-up exercise to ease participants into creative thinking.
The core brainstorming phase encourages rapid idea generation, adhering to four rules—suspend judgment, free-wheel, aim for quantity, and cross-fertilize—before concluding is asked to formulate the “wildest idea”. Post-session, ideas are systematically evaluated for practicality.

4. Primary Functions

• Enhancing Creativity: By disrupting habitual thought patterns, it stimulates novel ideas.
• Problem Deconstruction: Encourages a deep dive into the problem’s nature, revealing underlying assumptions.
• Team Synergy: Facilitates collaborative exploration, leveraging diverse viewpoints.
• Strategic Innovation: Useful in business contexts for developing unique solutions and strategies.

5. Essence of the Technique

At its heart, Rawlinson Brainstorming is its balance of structure and freedom. Its unique effectiveness lies in its dual focus: fostering uninhibited creativity during ideation and applying rigorous evaluation afterwards.
The uniqueness of Rawlinson Brainstorming is rooted in its emphasis on problem clarifying and restatement of the problem. Unlike traditional methods that focus solely on idea generation, this technique prioritizes understanding and redefining the problem itself. This approach ensures that solutions are not just creative but also deeply aligned with the core issue.
Key elements of the uniqueness of this technique include:

• Identification and Comprehensive Barrier Removal.
• Problem Reframing: Emphasis on Restatement and reframing the problem in multiple ways.
• Joyful Collaboration: The brainstorming session itself is fun, generating a good deal of laughter, enjoyment, creating an engaging atmosphere.
• Wildest Idea Phase: The explicit inclusion of a “wildest idea” phase pushes participants to think beyond conventional boundaries, often leading to breakthroughs.
• Systematic Evaluation: Ideas are categorized and prioritized post-session, ensuring practical outcomes.

6. Theoretical Framework

Rawlinson Brainstorming is grounded in lateral thinking and creativity theories, notably Alex Osborn’s Applied Imagination (1953) and Graham Wallas’ stages of creative thinking (The Art of Thought, 1926): preparation, incubation, illumination, verification. This method follows cognitive psychology principles, combining divergent thinking – exploring multiple solutions and convergent thinking -refining the best ideas.
The technique’s core principles include:
Creating a safe space where all ideas are valued, reducing fear of criticism.
Addressing psychological inhibitors like fixed mindsets or organizational silos.
The six barriers to creative thinking that Rawlinson identifies are:
1. Self-imposed Barriers
2. Patterns or one unique answer
3. Conformity
4. Not challenging the obvious
5. Evaluating too quickly
6. Fear of looking like a fool

7. Four Key Guidelines for Success

1. Suspend Judgment: No criticism or evaluation of ideas as own ideas, as well as those of others.
2. Free-Wheel: Participants are encouraged to propose even the most absurd or impractical ideas, as these can spark innovative solutions. They should know that all ideas are valuable, whether they are silly or sensible, or good or bad.
3. Quantity: The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible, increasing the likelihood of finding valuable solutions.
4. Cross-Fertilize: Participants should build on each other’s ideas, pick up an idea from someone else and develop the idea further into new ideas.

8. Procedure

• Duration. Typically, 45–90 minutes, depending on the specifics and complexity of the problem
• Space. A comfortable, distraction-free room with a whiteboard, flip chart, or digital collaboration tool (e.g., Miro for virtual sessions).
• Materials. Notebooks, pens, sticky notes, a timer, and a board or digital platform for recording ideas.
• Number of Participants. Ideal for 5–12 participants to ensure diverse input. It can also be adapted for individual use.

9. Recommendations

For Facilitators:
The facilitator is critical to the session’s success, responsible for guiding the group through each stage, enforcing guidelines, and maintaining a positive, creative atmosphere.
• Prepare a clear, concise problem statement and share it in advance to focus the session.
• Create a welcoming environment by setting ground rules and encouraging inclusivity, use humor to diffuse tension.
• Guide Reframing, assist the group in effectively rephrasing the problem using various techniques.
• Allocate specific time slots for each phase to maintain focus.
• Record all ideas verbatim, without filtering, to preserve creative flow.
• Guide the evaluation phase with objective criteria
For Participants:
• Embrace unconventional and wild ideas without self-censorship.
• Listen actively and build on others’ Ideas find suggestions
• Avoid evaluating ideas during ideation.
• Take notes during the evaluation phase.

Introducing Brainstorming into organizational culture

The technique emphasizes the importance of integrating newcomers into sessions with experienced participants and provides strategies to maintain group cohesion.
There are two-stage introduction process for new participants:
Stage 1: Identify and dismantle barriers to creative thinking through education and discussion.
Stage 2: Demonstrate brainstorming using a neutral example to familiarize participants with the process before tackling real organizational problems.
This gradual introduction ensures buy-in and acceptance, particularly in organizations unfamiliar with creative problem-solving techniques.

10. Maine Stages

Stage 1: State the Problem and Discuss
The session begins with a clear articulation of the problem to be solved. The facilitator ensures all participants understand the problem through open discussion.
Share it with participants in advance if possible.
Set Ground Rules: Explain the rules and establish a positive tone.
If necessary, there may be two phases of introducing participants to brainstorming: identifying and removing mental barriers and conducting a short neutral brainstorming session.
Stage 2: Restate the Problem – “How To”
After the problem has been stated and captured on a flipchart, the group is asked to restate the problem in as many ways as possible. Often, the problem can be restated in 20 to 100 different ways.
Invite participants to use such techniques as
– Reversal: Consider the opposite scenario.
– Exaggeration: Amplify aspects of the problem.
– Metaphor: Relate the problem to an unrelated concept
Ask them to look at it from different angles and sides, to climb over it and identify as many different facets as possible. All of the restatements should be phrases that begin with “How to…” (e.g., “How to increase product sales” or “How to reduce production costs”).
Stage 3: Select a Basic Restatement and Write It Down – “In How Many Ways Can We…”
The group selects one restated version of the problem that feels most promising and frames.
The restatement can be chosen by either the leader or the group. It the group is asked to pick, the leader can ask can capture a few group suggestions (4 or 5) on a flip chart and then have the group narrow the list down to the top one (or two) by voting or another method. Once the top restatement is identified, it should be re-written in the following format: “in how many ways can we…” Reformatting the restatement transitions the group from the restatements to the identification of solutions.
Stage 4: Warm-Up Session
A warm-up session is used to get the group focused on the session and accustomed to the ‘free-for-all’. The facilitator’s task during the warm-up session is to generate laughter and excitement in the room. This might involve a playful, unrelated exercise (e.g., imagining how the world would be different if metal were like rubber) to loosen up participants and stimulate creative thinking
done with a playful exercise unrelated to the topic (e.g., imagine how the world would change if metal were like rubber).
This can be conducted as a short creative exercise (e.g., word associations or “What if?” questions. Warm-up sessions are short but can last up to 5-10 minutes.
Stage 5: Brainstorm
Brainstorm solutions based on the reframed problem begins with the leader reading the chosen restatement and calling for ideas. Participants generate own ideas freely, shouting them out or writing them down. All of the ideas should be captured on flip chart pages without filtering and as they are filled, they are posted on the wall for all participants to see throughout the session.
In order to keep the session going, the facilitator should be prepared to offer solutions/ideas. He should also encourage wild and diverse suggestions, laughter and noise.
Stage 6: Wildest Idea
After the main brainstorming phase, participants are prompted to suggest the “wildest” or most foolish and outlandish idea possible. This step often sparks unexpected, innovative solutions and breakthroughs. The wildest ideas are captured on a new spreadsheet. This technique will generate a few more fresh ideas and end the session on a high and fun note (10 to 15 minutes).
7. Evaluation of Ideas
A structured approach to evaluating the generated ideas involves categorizing, prioritizing, and refining ideas to identify those with the most potential.
The evaluation process involving criteria such as feasibility, originality, impact, and alignment with the problem’s goals.
Participants, together with the facilitator, choose the most promising ones for further development.
8. Action Planning
Develop a strategy to implement the most promising solutions. Assign responsibilities and next steps for implementing selected ideas. Create a timeline or roadmap if needed.
Reflect on the session, gather feedback, and discuss how to sustain momentum.

11. Applications

• Product Development: Rawlinson cites sessions where teams brainstormed new product ideas, such as consumer goods or industrial equipment. Thus, a manufacturing firm used the technique to generate innovative features for a machine, with the “wildest idea” phase sparking a novel design that improved efficiency, later implemented after evaluation.
• Marketing and Advertising: A consumer brand used brainstorming to develop a new advertising campaign. The group’s free-wheeling ideas, including a seemingly “silly” concept from the wildest idea phase, inspired a unique slogan that resonated with customers, boosting brand visibility.
• Personal Development: Individuals can apply the technique for personal problem-solving. They face career dilemmas, reframe their challenges, and uncover hidden opportunities and alternative paths.

12. Adaptations & Variants

• Integrative Models: Rawlinson Brainstorming is considered as “one of the weapons in the creative armory” and encourages practitioners to combine various methods for enhanced results.
Combining Rawlinson Brainstorming with other techniques like mind mapping, synectics, morphological analysis, attribute listing, forced relationships, lateral thinking and PO, check lists to complement brainstorming and enhance creative output.
• Reverse Brainstorming: Instead of solving the problem, participants brainstorm ways to worsen it, then reverse those ideas into solutions. It is useful for uncovering hidden obstacles.
• Virtual Brainstorming: Conducted via platforms like Zoom or Miro, with digital sticky notes or collaborative boards. Participants share ideas in chat or breakout rooms.
• Individual Brainstorming: Adapted for solo use, where a person follows the same steps (problem definition, ideation, evaluation) using free writing or mind mapping. Ideal for personal goal-setting or creative writing.
• Silent Brainstorming (Brainwriting): Participants write ideas independently before sharing, reducing groupthink and ensuring quieter voices are heard.

13. Advantages

1. Encourages a profound understanding of the problem.
2. Actively addresses psychological and organizational blocks, fostering freer thinking.
3. Combines open ideation with disciplined evaluation.
4. Applicable to business, communication, personal growth, and more, in group or solo settings.
5.  Confirmed by Rawlinson’s experience with nearly 800 sessions, delivering consistent results.

14. Limitations

1. It may be more time-consuming than traditional brainstorming.
2. Success relies on a skilled facilitator to manage dynamics and maintain focus.
3. May not suit problems requiring immediate, straightforward solutions.