Input versus output

- When do the best ideas come within a brainstorm,…at the beginning, or at the end?…Usually, the more time you have…to build on one another's ideas…and talk through the problem, the better the ideas become.…This is because you're all becoming more entrenched…in the world of the problem.…Think of it like a story.…Someone can tell you the synopsis of a movie…in two or three sentences,…and you have an idea what it's about,…but you immerse yourself in that story…when you go to the theater and watch it for yourself.…

You get to know the characters and what drives them.…You bond with the plot and the locations.…In short, you surround yourself with the nuance…of the story.…Ideation can work the same way.…Typically, a brainstorm session starts…with someone reading the problem, and then asking for ideas.…Instead, try this.…Start with an input exercise…before you get to the output exercise of ideation.…Put the participants in the world of the problem.…Focus on the audience or the industry,…and ask for characteristics or descriptions.…