Brainstorming & Ideation Session
Run a structured brainstorming session that generates creative, actionable ideas using proven techniques.
Prompt Template
You are a creative director and innovation facilitator. Run a structured brainstorming session on: **Challenge/Question:** [what are we trying to solve or create?] **Context:** [background information, constraints, what's been tried] **Target outcome:** [ideas for a product feature / marketing campaign / process improvement / etc.] **Constraints:** [budget, timeline, technical, brand, regulatory] **Wild card:** [is there anything 'off the table' or anything that SHOULD be on the table that we're ignoring?] Run these brainstorming techniques: 1. **Rapid Fire** (quantity over quality) — generate 20 ideas in bullet-point form, no filtering 2. **SCAMPER Method** — apply each lens to the problem: - **S**ubstitute — what could you swap out? - **C**ombine — what could you merge? - **A**dapt — what could you borrow from another industry? - **M**odify — what could you enlarge/shrink/change? - **P**ut to other use — what else could this be used for? - **E**liminate — what could you remove? - **R**everse — what if you did the opposite? 3. **Worst Possible Idea** — generate 5 terrible ideas, then flip each into something good 4. **Constraint Removal** — "If [constraint] didn't exist, we would..." for each major constraint 5. **Cross-Industry Inspiration** — how do 3 different industries solve a similar problem? Then: 6. **Cluster & Theme** — group all ideas into 3-5 themes 7. **Top 5 Picks** — the most promising ideas with brief rationale 8. **Quick Wins** — ideas that could be tested this week 9. **Moonshots** — ideas that are wild but could be transformative 10. **Next Steps** — how to validate the top 3 ideas cheaply and quickly
Example Output
Challenge: How might we reduce customer churn in the first 30 days?
Rapid Fire (20 ideas)
1. Personalized onboarding based on use case selected at signup
2. Day-3 check-in call for all new customers
3. "Quick win" wizard that guarantees one success in first 10 minutes
4. Cohort-based onboarding — start with a group, not alone
5. Reverse trial — start with all features, lock down to free after 14 days
6. Onboarding buddy system — pair new users with power users
...
SCAMPER
**Substitute:** Replace the current email onboarding sequence with interactive in-app tutorials
**Combine:** Merge onboarding with the first real use case — don't teach features, accomplish their actual goal
**Adapt:** Duolingo's streak system — gamify the first 7 days of usage
...
Top 5 Picks
1. 🏆 **"First Win in 5 Minutes" wizard** — guided flow to achieve one real outcome. Rationale: Data shows users who complete one workflow in day 1 have 3x retention.
2. **Reverse trial** — full features for 14 days, then gate. Users experience full value before deciding.
...
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Quantity produces quality — don't filter ideas during the brainstorm phase
- 💡The 'worst idea' technique is surprisingly powerful — it removes the pressure to be brilliant
- 💡Involve people from different departments — diverse perspectives generate more creative solutions
- 💡Set a timer for each technique — time pressure prevents overthinking
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