About this session
Brainstorming is only one part of ideation. Teams can generate ideas individually or collectively, visually or verbally, through structured prompts, analogies, constraints, combinations, reversals, rapid sketching, brainwriting, and many other approaches.
This session gives participants a practical repertoire rather than prescribing one framework.
They learn how to choose techniques based on the challenge, move deliberately between divergent and convergent thinking, create conditions where more people contribute, develop early ideas rather than stopping at the first suggestion, and evaluate options without killing creativity too early.
Shorter formats establish the foundations and introduce immediately usable techniques. Longer formats progressively build from beginner-level idea generation into more sophisticated ideation, evaluation, facilitation, and application to real workplace challenges.
What your people take away
- Understand the difference between brainstorming, ideation, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking
- Use a range of individual and collaborative techniques to generate ideas
- Frame stronger questions that open up more useful possibilities
- Move beyond obvious first ideas through structured prompts, combinations, analogies, and constraint shifts
- Develop and evaluate ideas without shutting creativity down too early
- Design and facilitate ideation sessions that produce useful outputs rather than unstructured discussion
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Create the Conditions for Better IdeasA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Create the Conditions for Better Ideas: separate generation from judgment, frame a better question and get beyond the first ideas.
- Separate generation from judgment
- Frame a better question
- Get beyond the first ideas
Covers 3 of 4 points in Create the Conditions for Better Ideas.
60 minutes
Brainstorm Better: Foundations & Essential TechniquesA practical foundation for participants who want to generate better ideas individually and in groups. The session introduces divergent and convergent thinking, stronger challenge questions, and several immediately usable ideation techniques.
- Why ordinary brainstorming often stalls
- Divergent vs. convergent thinking
- How to frame a stronger ideation question
- Individual-first idea generation
- Brainwriting
- Rapid idea generation
- One live ideation challenge
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Create the Conditions for Better Ideas.
90 minutes
Build Your Brainstorming & Ideation ToolkitParticipants move beyond the fundamentals and experience several structured ways to generate and expand ideas. The session builds confidence in selecting different techniques rather than relying on one familiar brainstorming format.
- Foundation principles
- Challenge framing
- Brainwriting
- Mind mapping
- SCAMPER
- Rapid visual ideation
- Reverse brainstorming
- Clustering and initial prioritization
- Applied Ideation Lab
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Create the Conditions for Better Ideas and Build a Practical Ideation Toolkit.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Create the Conditions for Better Ideas, Build a Practical Ideation Toolkit and Stretch, Combine & Develop Ideas.
Full day
From Idea Generation to Facilitated IdeationA hands-on full-day workshop that moves participants from foundational ideation into more sophisticated generation, development, evaluation, and facilitation. Participants use several techniques on a real or realistic workplace challenge and experience the complete journey from challenge framing to prioritized concepts.
- Module 1 — Create the Conditions for Better Ideas
- Module 2 — Build a Practical Ideation Toolkit
- Module 3 — Stretch, Combine & Develop Ideas
- Module 4 — Evaluate & Facilitate Ideation Effectively
- Challenge Framing Lab
- Brainwriting Sprint
- SCAMPER Practice
- Reverse Brainstorm
- Analogy & Forced Connection Exercise
- Idea Combination Lab
- Structured Convergence
- Mini Facilitation Practice
- Ideation-to-Action Plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Create the Conditions for Better Ideas
Every length- Separate generation from judgmentCreative sessions often stall because people start evaluating ideas while they are still trying to generate them.
- Frame a better questionThe quality of an ideation session is heavily influenced by the question being explored.
- Get beyond the first ideasThe first ideas generated by a group are often the most familiar, accessible, or already discussed.
- Create participation before discussionOpen verbal brainstorming can favor people who think quickly, speak confidently, or hold more status in the room.
Build a Practical Ideation Toolkit
90 minutes and longer- Brainwriting & rapid generationBrainwriting allows participants to generate ideas independently before seeing or building on other people's thinking.
- Mind mapping & associationMind mapping helps participants move outward from a central challenge, connect related themes, reveal associations, and identify areas that deserve deeper exploration.
- Scamper & structured promptsStructured prompts such as Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse can help people examine an existing product, process, service, or idea from multiple angles.
- Visual & rapid ideationNot every idea needs to begin as a sentence.
Stretch, Combine & Develop Ideas
3 hours and longer- Reverse the problemReverse brainstorming asks how to create or worsen the problem before reversing the answers into possible solutions.
- Use analogies & forced connectionsA team can become trapped inside the logic of its own industry, function, or existing solution.
- Change the constraintConstraints can restrict creativity, but deliberately changing them can also stimulate it.
- Build ideas rather than just collect themA wall covered in ideas is not yet an outcome.
Evaluate & Facilitate Ideation Effectively
Full day only- Create criteria before choosing favoritesGroups often select ideas based on seniority, familiarity, enthusiasm, or whoever argues most persuasively.
- Use convergence in stagesMoving directly from 100 ideas to one winner can eliminate promising thinking too quickly.
- Facilitate the group, not the answerThe facilitator's role is to create conditions for thinking rather than steer participants toward the idea they personally prefer.
- Move ideas into actionIdeation should end with clarity about what happens next.
Tools and materials
- Challenge Framing Canvas
- How Might We Builder
- Brainwriting Templates
- SCAMPER Prompt Guide
- Mind Mapping Canvas
- Reverse Brainstorm Canvas
- Analogy & Forced Connection Prompts
- Concept Development Canvas
- Idea Evaluation Matrix
- Ideation Session Design Canvas
- Technique Selection Guide
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Brainstorming & Ideation Techniques
How long is Brainstorming & Ideation Techniques?
Brainstorming & Ideation Techniques runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Create the Conditions for Better Ideas: separate generation from judgment, frame a better question and get beyond the first ideas. A 60-minute session covers Create the Conditions for Better Ideas in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Build a Practical Ideation Toolkit. A 3-hour session adds Stretch, Combine & Develop Ideas. A full-day session adds Evaluate & Facilitate Ideation Effectively. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Brainstorming & Ideation Techniques be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Brainstorming & Ideation Techniques?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Brainstorming & Ideation Techniques to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.