Curious about hosting a Crainstorm session but don’t know where to start? This quick guide can help get you on your way to to hosting like a pro.

1. Frame the Problem

Spend time carefully defining the problem you would like to solve in your session. Proper framing will help your contributors focus on the right issue and find an appropriate solution. Try answering the 5 Ws and an H to frame your problem:

  • What are we trying to achieve?
  • Who will it impact?
  • Where will it be implemented?
  • Why is it important to solve this problem now?
  • When do we need to have a solution in place?
  • How will we get it done (in other words, are there any constraints)?

Keep your answers as short as possible. Here’s an example of a well-framed problem:

We need a name for a new pop-up restaurant that will appeal to farmers’ market customers in Edmonton, Alberta. We need to get our signage in place as the restaurant is opening next month. The pop-up restaurant is temporary, and the name should reflect that fact.

Add this information to your session description.

2. Prepare Wisely

When you schedule a new session, you can add reference materials for chosen contributors to review before the session. Collect materials that will help people quickly get their head around the product or problem, like a product video, a how-to guide, a screenshot of some Pinterest board inspiration or an example of how another business solved a similar problem. For the restaurant example, a menu and some site photos would make great reference materials.

Part of the fun of Crainstorm is that contributors can quickly jump into a session and contribute ideas, so stick to reference materials that are short and focused.

3. Choose a Diverse Team

Once you’ve scheduled your session, it’s time to assemble the contributors. You can invite people to contribute or wait for them to apply. Try to find a mix of expertise and outside perspectives that will provide insight and outside-the-box thinking. Check the contributor’s rating to ensure they’re a suitable applicant.

Read more on choosing contributors for your brainstorm.

4. Move Past the First Idea

Don’t become so enamoured with a single idea that you don’t get around to exploring others. You never know what someone might come up with next. If that sounds easier said than done, here are some ways to keep the ideas flowing.

Play with Constraints

By changing specific constraints like audience, budget, timing, personality, tone or genre you can shake things up and make room for unexpected ideas. For example, direct your contributors to come up with ideas that would appeal to single men in their 30s, then switch it up to married women in their 40s. Or, give your contributors a genre like horror and have them come up with their scariest ideas. Contributors will adapt to new conditions and let go of their inhibitions.

Alter the Group Dynamic

You can also consider assigning different roles to your contributors to ensure everyone has a chance to participate. Some people are ready to jump right in and may inadvertently overwhelm your session with their ideas, while others need to sit and stew a bit before they form an idea to contribute. If you notice someone is taking over the bulk of the conversation, you can direct questions to specific participants so that you have a chance to hear from other contributors.

5. Vet the Ideas

Your session is ending, now what do you do?

First, document your ideas. Take a screenshot of the whiteboard, record your session or copy down all the messages exchanged.

Once you’ve collected your ideas, it’s time to sift through them to find the gems. They can’t all be winners, but that’s okay. Pick out the most intriguing ideas and decide what you can and can’t use to solve the problem you’re facing.

Don’t trash the “can’t use” pile immediately. Instead, look for any barriers that stand in the way between the solutions that will work and the ones that won’t work. If there is a consistent barrier, it might be useful to think about ways to find a way around it. It may even call for another Crainstorm.

What you do next with these ideas depends on your end goal and how close you are to achieving it. It might mean taking a few of the ideas and starting some A/B testing, or presenting a shortlist of ideas to a new brainstorm group so you can develop them further. The ideas are the raw material and it’s up to you to decide how you want to use them.

Finally, don’t forget to review your contributors. Give an open, honest assessment of their contribution to help future Crainstorm users.

 

If you’re still wondering if Crainstorm is the right problem solving platform for you and your ideas, we’ve got more tips and tools that can help. Check out our resources for everything you need.