Brainstorming at the d.school

Summary

The transcript revolves around a brainstorming session where a group explores creative ways to store and preserve chewing gum when not in use. The team throws around wild, imaginative ideas, like using humidifiers, necklaces, containers with flavor-preserving solutions, or even involving multiplayer games. As they collaborate, they remind each other not to judge or interrupt, fostering an open and innovative environment. Toward the end, they count their ideas, feeling energized by the sheer volume and diversity of concepts they’ve generated.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Brainstorming is a group creativity technique aimed at generating numerous ideas to solve a problem.
• 🦷 The main topic for brainstorming is how students can save their gum before going to class without throwing it away.
• 💡 One idea proposed was a personal humidifier at each student's desk to keep the gum fresh.
• 🚀 Another idea involved using a system where the gum is blown up and retrieved from the sky.
• 💭 Several other concepts were suggested, such as storing gum in a toothbrush case, a small pocket container with a solution, and a necklace for gum storage.
• 🤔 Some participants expressed self-doubt and concern over their ideas being perceived as 'stupid.'
• 🎨 One person proposed designing a special flat container that holds a solution to preserve the gum’s consistency.
• 📒 A brainstorming session took place where all ideas, even wild ones, were encouraged and noted without judgment.
• 🖍️ Creative ideas like wrappers adding flavor to the gum or using warm wrappers were shared and expanded on.
• 🎮 The brainstorming session ended with an idea for multiplayer gum trading games and solutions involving vending machines for gum wrappers.

Q & A

What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a group creativity technique designed to generate a large number of ideas for solving a problem.

What problem is the group trying to solve in the script?

The group is trying to figure out how students can preserve their gum before going to class instead of throwing it away.

What is one of the initial ideas suggested for solving the gum preservation problem?

One idea suggested is for each student to have their own humidifier on their desk to preserve the gum at the correct temperature.

What concerns do the participants have about the ideas?

Some participants are worried that their ideas may not work, and one person expresses self-doubt, feeling that others might think their ideas are stupid.

How does the brainstorming session address judgment during the idea-sharing process?

The session encourages deferring all judgment on both others' and one’s own ideas, as all ideas, including wild ones, are valuable for innovative solutions.

What new approach to brainstorming was introduced to the group?

A participant mentions learning a new brainstorming method from the Stanford Design Institute, emphasizing the importance of capturing all ideas and avoiding judgment.

What are some other ideas proposed during the brainstorming session?

Ideas include using a notebook with gum wrappers, flavor-infused wrappers, a container with a solution to keep the gum moist, and a multiplayer game involving gum trading.

How does the group emphasize collaboration during brainstorming?

The group builds off each other’s ideas, such as adding flavors to the gum wrappers and creating a student role to maintain gum with a blow dryer.

What did one participant suggest about writing down ideas?

One participant regrets not writing down their idea about bracelets, which they thought could have been useful in the brainstorming session.

How does the group ensure that all ideas are included in the brainstorming process?

The group emphasizes capturing all ideas without interrupting others and keeping the focus on the topic to generate as many ideas as possible.