Chapter 6 Brainstorming and its Variants

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Chapter 6Brainstorming and its Variants

• Classical Brainstorming
• Rules
• Process
• Variants
• Wildest idea
• Stop and go
• Round-robin
• Gordon-Little
• Trigger method

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BRAINSTORMING RULES

• Evaluate later
• Go for quantity
• Flexibility
• Fluency
• Encourage wild ideas
• Build on other ideas
• Elaboration

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BRAINSTORMING PROCESS

• State the problem
• Redefine the problem in terms of how to..
• Identify one or two relevant redefinitions
• Generate ideas for each redefinition
• Select the most appropriate ideas

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HOW TO DISPOSE OF UNSOLD STOCK OF 500,000 OLD
FASHIONED BLACK UMBRELLAS

• Publicity carriers for firms
• Give away on rainy day
• Use material to make hats
• Use upside down as irrigation devices
• Sell to UK
• Burn down warehouse and collect insurance
• Make giant sculpture
• Use struts as bicycle spokes

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WILDEST IDEA

• Wild ideas may not be productive in themselves
  but they can spur other s on to think of more
  practical ideas.

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STOP AND GO BRAINSTORMING

• The session is divided into segments with
  regular rest periods to enable participants to
  gather their thoughts.

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ROUND-ROBIN BRAINSTORMING

• Rules the same as in conventional brainstorming
• However, each member of the group takes it in
  turn to contribute whatever idea he/she may have
  at his / her turn
• Ideas are obtained in this way until the session
  is complete

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GORDON-LITTLE VARIATION

• Problem introduced in abstract form
• In the course of ideation leader brings in key
  pieces of information regarding the problem.
  Problem made progressively less abstract.
• Leader reveals original problem to the group
• Using previously generated ideas for the abstract
  form as stimuli , group generates specific ideas
  for the original problem

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TRIGGER METHOD

• Problem statement read out to the group
• Each member records ideas in silence for 5
  minutes
• One member of the group reads out his/her ideas
  to the rest of the group
• The ideas read out are discussed by everyone for
  about 10 minutes with the aim of developing ideas
  further
• Procedure continues with next member, and so on,
  until all ideas have been discussed.