Unconstrained by judgement and groupthink, having employees work separately and then pool their solutions typically results in more creativity and options. But solo work can also be riddled with blind spots—without the safety net of a variety of perspectives, it’s easy to go down unproductive rabbit holes.
6 comments:
I really enjoyed reading this article because it talked about the various ways one can brainstorm, because I had no idea that these ideas or tactics even existed and the amount of positive effect that they have over the whole concept of brainstorming blows my mind away.
Brainstorming is such an integral part of content development but more often than not, it is also a tricky tactic to put to use because it involves many personalities and handling all that can be difficult.
But this article talks about tactics that are aimed at eliminating this difficulty and enabling people to be at their best when brainstorming and when streamlining the results.
I really liked these tactics because they are really helpful since they provide ways to solely concentrate on the brainstorming part and not really on other external factors. This results in the most effects ideas being presented to everyone, enabling the best choice to be chosen.
I appreciate that this article points out that brainstorming in a collaborative setting can be tricky. Judgement and feasibility often hinder the creative process, so we could train ourselves to limit this, but it can be hard to fully eradicate it. I have found that in group projects, an idea is often conformed to in order to simply make a decision and move on with the assignment. This is the nature of deadlines and an academic setting, but this piece does probe me to consider alternatives to improve the process. Time is such a limited resource, but it can be a huge part of the solution. When I am brainstorming for a project and think of an idea, I feel the need to sit down and flesh it out in the moment before it's gone. But there is also a beauty in jotting down the inkling of an idea, whether it be a research topic or a design concept, and letting it breathe before you figure out the details.
Over time, I have grown my own opinion on group work. I have an extremely strong liking towards beginning with individual work, forming my own thoughts and initial reactions that are specific to myself, and then coming together with a group to share our own ideas. From that grouping usually comes a synthesis of our own individual thoughts and beliefs. In high school, my favorite English class was structured this way (along with many many classes here). We would read and annotate the night before, forming our own analyses of the readings. Then, we would get in groups the next day to discuss our findings. This way, I felt confident to actually share my ideas. That said, when I am immediately given a group AND a project at the same time, I become a shell. This happens because there often becomes a tense fight for power. Who’s going to direct the group’s strategy and thoughts? Who is going to do the research that accompanies that strategy? When you get the opportunity to work individually, you get to go through that process as your own guide with your own thought processes. Then, rejoining as a group, you get to fill in the gaps of things you may have missed as an individual. That is why I agree with the conclusion this article makes about how a combination of group and individual work is optimal.
Brainstorming is an interesting process, and one that hardly ever works for me. In most of my creative work, and idea comes to me while I'm out doing something else. I like that this article talks about brainstorming and how it can be effective for some people, and not effective for others. My creative process is very different from those of many others, and I think that everyone kinda has their different way of thinking when it comes to making things. I love that this article thinks of different strategies for brainstorming and how it is not easy to brainstorm in a group. Often, people need a quiet environment to focus on their work, and I think it is important for people to do whatever is most effective for them. Overall, I think that brainstorming is an essential part of any process and group collaboration so that things can move forward smoothly in a project.
The direction this article went in was quite different from what I was expecting when I read the title. I found it much more relevant to my last semester than I thought I would have. Learning to think through and brainstorm for basic design last semester was unlike anything I had done before and it was hard for me. One thing that really came to mind by the end of the semester was whether I thought I did better when I actively asked for and accepted the advice of my peers and professors versus when I tried to work off solely my own input. I found that my work was markedly different but was both better and worse in differing ways depending on the workflow. The data in this article was interesting to me because it showed measurable proof that the best way is to find the middle ground. A conclusion that I also came to but it was nice to see it backed up with an experiment.
I can’t say that I’m surprised to see that the breakdown of the brainstorming process saw success in this way because it does sound quite sensible to me. Thinking about how Carnegie Scenic is structured I think this is the ideal way for it to run, but of course there is always issues regarding the execution of this mix of independent work and collaboration. As with most things the people involved in the collaboration and the atmosphere around collaboration makes a difference. If people are comfortable enough to share their opinions without fear of being judged the environment is far more beneficial. I know that in terms of our office culture for Carnegie Scenic I think we’re at a relatively good place but there is still a fear of looking stupid which I know that I share as well sometimes. However when brainstorming inspiration and solutions can come from almost anything.
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