Ideation teams are always looking for new techniques to work with. Here is one called Branching Off that was invented by the ThinkWell team at Element5 Digital.
The concept uses a combination of techniques from other systems and allows for collaborative work.
Needs:
- 4+ participants
- Ideas that need help
- Post-It notes and markers
The rules are simple. Take an existing idea (or campaign direction) your team is struggling with. Put the initial idea on the wall and have each team member change it in one way with their idea on a separate Post-It note. Each idea will branch off the original, forming a circle or organic shape outward. Continue each path further as it shows promise and potential.
For example:
- “Tyler, find a way to make this idea hyperlocal.”
- “Jane? Can this idea work for underprivileged minorities? How?”
- “Will? How could this idea work for autistic children?”
- “Amanda? How can you realize this idea with half the budget taken away?”
- “Paul, you need to show us how this idea could be done without digital tools.”
- “Victoria, how would this idea appeal to people who don’t speak English?”
- “Nick, how would this idea work if a terrorist attack wiped out all cellular communications?”
- “Dave? How would you make this work if this were the pre-Internet era?”
And so on. If this is an advertising or marketing idea, use the constraints from the brief (Ex. How could we solve this with 1/2 the budget? What if we needed to involve external partners, or work under special restrictions, like AAA accessibility compliance, or no TV buys?).
By giving a unique constraint to each team member, you keep them focused. This leads to deeper thinking, smarter solutions, and ensures an idea gets properly addressed by all the challenges it faces.
What are you thinking?
