Creative Brainstorming: How to Channel Your Best Ideas to Create a Winning Product

Creative Brainstorming is that phase in the production process that is all about idea-generation. Some of the best ideas known to man have been thought up during this phase. But just what happens during the brainstorming phase? It's hard to pinpoint exactly how brainstorming occurs because it can be different for different people. But we have focused in on some of the most important elements of brainstorming that aid in the creative process.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

In science there is an idea about "the theory of everything," which implies that every single idea or thing came from one central original thing. It's an interesting idea and can be applied somewhat to the idea of creative brainstorming. Consider brainstorming as the generating of numerous ideas that come from one major concept. From this major concept you can brainstorm various subtopics that can fall under the main topic and then further expand from there. This technique is good when you need one major concept from which you can build specific details and ideas that surround the central theme. This sort of brainstorming often works well with "mind maps," which take the idea of growing ideas from one major concept and expanding out.

IDENTIFY GOALS

Once you have let all of the creative ideas out in the open, you will want to focus on your goals. Whether it be for more sales in your business, more engagement from readers (as an author), or just more interest in your ideas, you need to decide what it is that you wish to accomplish from your efforts. This will guide your brainstorming so that it won't include every single thing, but begin to be more focused toward reaching the goals you have set forth.

WEEDING YOUR GARDEN

In this phase of creative brainstorming, you will want to consider each and every idea that your team through out in the initial brainstorming session, while always considering what you should eliminate to fine-tune the concept. For example, if your central idea is to expand your Human Resources department, in the weeding phase, you will want to focus on all of the ideas that you think you could feasible carry out within your organization and weed out those that you don't have the budget for, or which are not practical within your work environment. Don't forget though to also brainstorm ways you could try new ideas, including outsourcing work when needed, in order to meet your goals.

FINE-TUNING THE IDEA INTO A MARKETABLE CONCEPT

Steve Jobs once said, "There is a quantum leap between an idea and a marketable product." There is a lot of truth in this. So when engaging in creative brainstorming, you will eventually want to fine-tune the idea into "what sells?" In other words, while money is not the entire goal, you should always keep the practical aspects of your idea in mind, and how it will sell once on the market. You must also brainstorm what market your finished product will likely fit into as well.

FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCT

During the process of brainstorming, you will want to not only brainstorm about your product or idea, but also about the market that you plan to put your product in. By knowing your specific market, you should be able to fit the needs of your customers more to your product, thereby increasing your sales and loyalty to your product over the long haul.

Creativity in brainstorming is not hard. But it involves going through the stages from original concept to production, so that you not only focus on the idea but also on the end result. In business, this is as important as the creative process itself and it keeps the creative process focusing on end product, so that there is more of a fit between what you create and the customers' needs and wants. In creative arts like writing or music composition, for example, it will help you to fine-tune the art that you put out so that your work not only inspires the imagination but also finds its audience.