The more ideas you come up with, the better chance you have to reach a truly brilliant solution. For many, brainstorming is the bread and butter of ideation. It’s a great tool to help teams push past obvious solutions to get to breakthrough ideas. Across the thousands of brainstorms IDEO has run—both with internal teams and with clients—we follow seven important rules.

Set the stage for a successful brainstorming session—get your team together, follow these seven simple brainstorming rules, and watch as the ideas flow (post them on your wall if it helps).

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The 7 Brainstorming Rules for Better Collaboration

1. Defer Judgment 

Creative spaces are judgment-free zones—they let ideas flow so people can build from each other's great ideas.

2. Encourage Wild Ideas

Embrace the most out-of-the-box notions. There’s often not a whole lot of difference between outrageous and brilliant.

3. Build on the Ideas of Others

Try to use “and” instead of “but," it encourages positivity and inclusivity and leads to tons of ideas.

4. Stay Focused on the Topic

Try to keep the discussion on target. Divergence is good, but you still need to keep your eyes on the prize.

5. One Conversation at a Time

This can be difficult—especially with lots of creative people in a single room—but always think about the challenge topic and how to stay on track.

6. Be Visual

Use colored markers and Post-its. Stick your ideas on the wall so others can visualize them.

7. Go for Quantity

Crank your ideas out quickly. For any 60-minute session, you should try to generate 100 ideas.

Need More Brainstorming Tips and Practice?

• Find activities, how-tos, and articles on brainstorming and other ideation methods on our Brainstorming Resources page.
• To bring your ideation skills to the next level and start practicing the methods of design thinking, enroll in our From Ideas to Action online course.

Brainstorming FAQs

Q: What are the 7 rules of brainstorming?

A: The 7 rules of brainstorming are: defer judgment, encourage wild ideas, build on others' ideas, stay focused on the topic, have one conversation at a time, go for quantity over quality, and use visuals to communicate concepts effectively. Following these rules helps teams generate more creative and productive ideas.

Q: What is the most important rule of brainstorming?

A: The most important rule of brainstorming is to defer judgment, meaning participants should avoid critiquing ideas too early in the process. This approach keeps the session open and collaborative, allowing creativity to flow freely.

Q:  How do you make brainstorming more effective?

A: To make brainstorming more effective, it is important to set a clear problem statement, create a safe space where all ideas are welcomed, use time limits to maintain energy, encourage diverse perspectives, and implement structured techniques like mind mapping or “Yes, and…” exercises to build on ideas.

Q: What are the biggest mistakes in brainstorming?

A: Some of the biggest mistakes in brainstorming include critiquing ideas too soon, not staying focused on the topic, allowing only a few voices to dominate the conversation, limiting the number of ideas too early, and failing to set a clear goal for the session. Avoiding these common pitfalls helps teams brainstorm more effectively.

Q: How can I make brainstorming more inclusive?

A: To make brainstorming more inclusive, facilitators should encourage anonymous idea submissions, invite all team members to contribute, use structured techniques like round-robin brainstorming, and foster psychological safety so participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of criticism.

“Ideation is about shared invention. Attaching a single person to a single idea hinders collaboration and greatness.”
Brendan Boyle,Instructor of From Ideas to Action