In this fast-paced society of super-tight deadlines and “gettin’ it done” attitudes, the good old-fashioned brainstorm can sometimes go by the wayside. You know, those late-night sessions where the first half is spent filling your face with candy, drinking beer and throwing out ridiculous (and sometimes hysterical) ideas, and the second half where something brilliant arises out of the rubble?

The term “brainstorming” was popularized by BBDO’s Alex Osborn in the 1950s. (Sound familiar? The agency Sterling Cooper in the hit TV series Mad Men, set in the early 1960s, is inspired by BBDO and its practices). He was frustrated by employees’ inability to develop creative ideas individually for ad campaigns. In response, he began hosting group-thinking sessions and discovered a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of ideas produced by employees.

Most designers love to brainstorm. Partly because it gets us up and away from a particularly monotonous round of changes on a project, partly because it lets us legitimately goof off for an hour. But mostly because it allows us to stretch our design and writing chops that can go dormant in the day-to-day grind. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time, and it feels easier just to slave away at your desk on your own. But it’s important to remember that no matter how great your idea is, it can always be BETTER. And bouncing it off of a few noggins is a great way to make that happen.

Some argue that you are more creative working alone. In her upcoming book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Just Can’t Stop Talking, author Susan Cain explains that for people who are a little more introverted, group sessions don’t always encourage creativity, due to the social pressures they bring. Yes, voicing your ideas in front of a room full of your colleagues can sometimes go horribly wrong. Believe me, I’ve wanted to crawl under the table several times after shouting out something that sounded really good in my head. But, as we repeatedly call out, our mantra is “No idea is a bad idea.” It doesn’t matter how idiotic (Cowboy on a rocket comes to mind), it gets written down with all the rest on the white board. And, every once in awhile, an idea that seemed off its rocker in the beginning gets revisited and something magnificent evolves.

Here are some brainstorming tips that we follow here at tenfour:

• Invite as many people as you can.
  Don’t just let the design team take over. Some of the greatest ideas I’ve heard have come from people that are far removed from the topic. If your back-end developer and project manager have a few minutes, invite them along!
• Go offsite or quarantine yourself from the rest of the office.
  Nothing kills a great idea flow faster than people popping in and out with distracting topics.
• Generate as many ideas as possible in the time frame.
  Give yourself a large pool of ideas from which to pick and choose later.
• Don’t criticize.
  It kills creativity and intimidates people that don’t normally want to speak up.
• Don’t kill an idea because it’s “been done.”
  Just because somebody else has used it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve done it well. Write it down anyway – there are ways you can make it your own.
• Push the envelope.
  Sometimes the weirder the better! You can always scale back.
• Combine ideas to improve them.
  Look for ways to take several “weaker” ideas and see if they can work together.
• Take a break, let it stew and come back to it the next day.
  Things always look better in the morning. Also, once you get those creative juices flowing, ideas can pop up in your sleep, in the shower, on your commute. Just like a fine wine – good ideas expand and get better with age!

When I see a brainstorm-session invitation pop up on my calendar I get a little giddy. Not only do I dig the chance to take a break and hang out with my fellow creatives (it’s always going to be a good time!), but I love coming up with, and hearing other people come up with, new and original ideas. It’s great for a good laugh, but it reminds and amazes me that I have such brilliant minds around me.

Long live the brainstorm!

@pontomama