Idea Generating Chart

“ABC Brainstorming” is a thinking tool that can help teams generate ideas. This technique is a good method to help a team in the Imagine stage of the DI Creative Process. By forcing teams to think differently, thinking tools help teams discover options they might not have generated on their own.

Draw the grid below on a blackboard, whiteboard, or flip chart. The team will generate ideas that start with each letter. The first time you use this tool, try to address a simple or unrelated problem so the team can work on fluency of ideas. For example, what are the different functions that a chair might serve? What functions can a ballpoint pen serve? What are potential names for a new cat? Strive for as many ideas as possible, and try to fill in every letter.

😀 Team Manager Tip: When your team members are more comfortable with the technique, they can use this tool to generate ideas for the Team Challenge. Try having team members use this tool to determine a setting for their team story or for materials they can use to build their sets, props, costumes, or technical elements.

Below is an example of ABC Brainstorming for a cat’s name. Have your team add more ideas to this list of potential cat names.