Brainstorming with Post It Notes: Ideas and Improvements

Brainstorming is a common challenge for teams looking to generate new ideas and solve complex problems. The biggest hurdle is often getting everyone to participate and share their unique perspectives.

According to a 2024 survey by Harvard Business Review, 78% of employees feel that traditional brainstorming sessions are unproductive, with a few dominant voices overshadowing the rest.

The key to effective brainstorming is creating an environment where all ideas are valued and easily captured. This is where Post It note brainstorming, also called sticky note brainstorming, shines.

Key Takeaways

• Sticky note brainstorming allows all participants, regardless of comfort level, to contribute privately and equally, ensuring diverse ideas are captured without being dominated by outspoken individuals.
• The tactile process of writing and moving sticky notes stimulates multiple senses, fostering creativity and helping teams visually organize ideas, identify patterns, and prioritize effectively.
• This method is versatile, working well for both in-person and remote teams through digital platforms, allowing for flexible, collaborative brainstorming in different professional contexts.

What is Sticky Note Brainstorming?

Sticky or Post It note brainstorming is a hands-on ideation method where participants write their ideas on individual sticky notes and place them on a shared wall or board. 

The physical act of writing, posting, and moving sticky notes engages multiple senses, which can boost creative thinking. Seeing the colorful array of ideas also provides a sense of progress and accomplishment.

Why Use Sticky Notes for Brainstorming?

Sticky notes offer several advantages that make them well-suited for brainstorming sessions:

• Low-tech simplicity: Sticky notes are easy to use and require no special training or technology. This low barrier to entry encourages participation from all team members, regardless of their comfort level with digital tools.
• Tactile engagement: The physical act of writing on sticky notes and posting them on a shared surface creates a tangible connection to the generated ideas. This hands-on approach can help participants feel more invested in the brainstorming process.
• Flexibility and adaptability: Sticky notes can be easily moved, grouped, and rearranged as new ideas emerge and connections are discovered. This flexibility allows the brainstorming session to evolve organically and accommodates changes in direction or focus.
• Parallel processing: Unlike verbal discussions, where only one person can speak simultaneously, sticky note brainstorming allows multiple participants to contribute ideas simultaneously. This parallel processing can lead to a higher volume and diversity of ideas in less time.
• Visual organization: The ability to physically cluster and categorize sticky notes helps reveal patterns, themes, and relationships among ideas. This visual organization makes it easier to synthesize information and identify promising areas for further exploration.

Sticky note brainstorming is a versatile technique that can be adapted to various group sizes, time constraints, and objectives. 

Whether you’re a small startup looking to innovate or a large corporation seeking process improvements, this method offers a simple yet effective way to tap into your team’s collective creativity.

Where Can You Use Sticky Note Brainstorming?

You can apply sticky note brainstorming in various professional and personal settings:

• Meetings and workshops: Capture ideas, solve problems, and align teams during strategy sessions, project kickoffs, and retrospectives.
• Product development: Generate feature ideas, prioritize user stories, and map out user journeys to create innovative products that meet customer needs.
• Marketing and advertising: Brainstorm campaign concepts, messaging strategies, and content ideas to engage target audiences and stand out in a crowded market.
• Event planning: Ideate conference themes, session topics, and networking activities to create memorable and valuable experiences for attendees.
• Personal productivity: Use sticky notes to brain dump tasks, organize projects, and set goals for improved focus and accomplishment in your daily life.

Sticky note brainstorming is not limited to in-person collaboration. With the rise of remote work, digital tools like online whiteboards and collaboration platforms enable teams to enjoy the benefits of this technique from anywhere in the world.

These virtual solutions often include features like digital sticky notes, real-time collaboration, and templates to facilitate structured brainstorming sessions. By leveraging technology, you can bring the power of sticky note brainstorming to distributed teams and ensure everyone has a voice in the ideation process.

How to Use Sticky Notes for Brainstorming

1. Define the Problem or Topic

Determining the problem clearly is crucial before starting the brainstorming process. Crafting a well-articulated problem statement helps keep the session on track and goal-oriented. The statement should be visible throughout the session to anchor the discussion. 

To direct the brainstorming process effectively, the problem statement must be concise and specific. Involving everyone in shaping the problem statement fosters a sense of ownership and encourages diverse perspectives. 

Framing the problem as an open-ended question using the “How Might We” approach can lead to more creative exploration and a wider range of solutions. Defining and refining the problem statement establishes a strong foundation for productive ideation, making the brainstorming process more focused and effective.

2. Distribute Sticky Notes and Pens

Provide each participant with sticky notes and a pen or marker. This simple step ensures everyone has the tools they need to contribute actively to the brainstorming session.

Choose sticky notes that are large enough to write on comfortably but small enough to encourage concise ideas. The standard 3×3-inch size works well for most brainstorming sessions.

Decide whether you want to use a single color for all sticky notes or assign different colors to participants or categories. Color-coding can help with organization and visual processing, but it’s optional for a successful brainstorming session.

Estimate how many ideas you expect each participant to generate and provide more sticky notes than you think they’ll need. Having extra ensures no one runs out during the brainstorming process.

Remind participants to write clearly and use legible handwriting on their sticky notes. This makes it easier for everyone to read and understand shared ideas.

Emphasize writing only one idea per sticky note. This allows for easy sorting, grouping, and prioritization later in brainstorming.

Guide participants to express their ideas concisely, using as few words as possible while still conveying the essence of the concept. This prevents sticky notes from becoming overcrowded and difficult to read.

3. Set a Time Limit

Time constraints are crucial for maintaining focus and momentum during a brainstorming session. Without a defined endpoint, discussions can easily lose direction and enthusiasm. 

Setting a specific time frame creates urgency, keeps participants engaged, and encourages rapid idea generation.

When deciding the duration of the brainstorming session, it’s important to balance giving participants enough time to contribute ideas while avoiding fatigue or disengagement. For most group sizes and topics, a time window of 15-30 minutes tends to work well. This duration allows for creativity to unfold while maintaining high energy and concentration.

Using a visible timer or assigning a timekeeper can be a helpful way to ensure the session stays on track. The presence of a ticking clock serves as a gentle reminder, nudging participants to keep their ideas flowing without getting caught up in overthinking or lengthy explanations. The pressure of time can enhance creativity by encouraging participants to share their ideas more freely and quickly.

While adhering to the set time limit is important, flexibility is key. Sometimes, the group may hit a creative stride towards the end of the allocated time. In such instances, extending the session slightly can be beneficial, allowing the group to capitalize on its momentum. 

As the facilitator, you must gauge the group’s energy and decide when to wrap up or when it’s worth continuing for a few extra minutes.

Throughout the session, providing regular time checks can help participants manage their contributions effectively. By giving updates on the remaining time, you help individuals prioritize their thoughts and ideas as the clock winds down. These periodic reminders also serve to maintain a steady pace, ensuring the session doesn’t lose momentum.

A time limit fosters a high-energy environment that stimulates rapid idea generation. It prevents the session from dragging on, helping to keep participants motivated and focused. 

Pay close attention to the energy levels in the room as the session progresses. If the flow of ideas slows or participants appear to be losing steam, it may signal that it’s time to move on to the next phase of the brainstorming process.

However, if the group struggles to generate ideas within the set time, taking a short break or introducing additional prompts to reignite their creativity might be helpful. Sometimes a brief pause or a shift in perspective can break through mental blocks and spark a fresh wave of ideas.

4. Encourage Individual Brainstorming

During the individual brainstorming phase, your role as a facilitator is to create a safe, non-judgmental environment where participants feel empowered to let their ideas flow. Encourage a spirit of openness, creativity, and experimentation, and watch as the sticky notes fill up with diverse ideas.

As participants continue to generate ideas, monitor the time and energy levels in the room. If the flow of ideas starts to slow down or participants appear fatigued, it may be time to move on to the next phase of the brainstorming process.

Remember, the individual brainstorming phase is just the beginning. The real magic happens when participants collaborate to share, build upon, and refine their ideas. Setting the stage for a productive individual brainstorming session lays the foundation for a successful and innovative group brainstorming experience.

5. Share and Post Ideas

After the individual brainstorming session, the next step is sharing and posting ideas. Each participant shares one idea at a time by reading it aloud and placing a sticky note on a shared surface. 

Active listening is crucial; participants should focus on understanding each idea without interruptions or judgment. If needed, ask for clarification to ensure everyone grasps the essence of each idea. 

Encourage a steady rhythm to maintain momentum and appreciate diverse perspectives. Participants should build on each other’s ideas as they listen and jot down emerging ideas. 

The next phase involves grouping similar ideas and identifying common themes to prioritize the most promising concepts for action planning. As a facilitator, maintain a supportive and energizing environment to create a collaborative atmosphere that leads to meaningful, actionable results.

6. Group Similar Ideas

When brainstorming sessions generate various ideas, grouping similar concepts can bring clarity and organization. By identifying common themes, patterns will emerge that can help focus the discussion and lead to actionable insights. 

As you survey the sticky notes on the shared surface, look for ideas that share similar characteristics or address related aspects of the problem. These commonalities provide the foundation for grouping the ideas into broader themes or categories. 

For example, you might notice several sticky notes mentioning customer feedback, which could naturally form a category around user insights.

Next, take those sticky notes and physically move them to create clusters of related ideas. Place sticky notes with similar concepts, approaches, or themes close together. As these clusters form, they start to reveal patterns and connections that weren’t obvious during the initial brainstorming. 

Seeing all the sticky notes grouped visually provides a fresh perspective on the brainstorming output and may highlight previously hidden relationships between ideas.

Once your clusters are arranged, work with the group to label each cluster. The label should reflect the core concept of the ideas within it, capturing the essence of what each group represents. Write the label on a sticky note and place it prominently above or near the cluster, ensuring everyone can easily see and understand the themes.

As the group labels the clusters, you might notice that some ideas fit better in different groups or that certain clusters can be merged or split further. This is a natural part of the process. Encourage participants to refine and reorganize the clusters as they gain more insight into how the ideas connect. 

The goal is to create meaningful groupings that reflect a shared understanding of the key themes emerging from the brainstorming.

Take a moment to discuss the themes as a group. What patterns stand out? Are there any unexpected connections between ideas? This conversation can bring new perspectives to light and may inspire additional ideas that weren’t considered earlier. 

Finally, document the results. Whether photographing the clusters or transcribing the information into a digital format, preserving the groupings will be crucial for future reference and planning. 

This documentation helps solidify the shared understanding of the brainstorming session and provides a valuable reference as you move toward prioritizing and acting on the most promising ideas.

You can use a tool like Wave, which will record, transcribe and organize the ideas from the discussion, helping you remember more of what was discussed and providing 

7. Discuss and Prioritize

Once similar ideas are grouped, it’s time to dive deeper and identify the most promising concepts. Begin by clarifying each idea within its cluster, ensuring everyone understands the context. If a sticky note seems unclear, ask the contributor to provide more details to create a shared understanding. 

Next, explore possibilities by discussing how each idea could be implemented, expanded, or combined. Encourage participants to think creatively and ask questions like, “What would it take to bring this idea to life?” or “How could we improve or combine these concepts?”

Once ideas are explored, it’s time to prioritize. Focus on concepts with the highest potential for impact, considering feasibility, alignment with goals, and overall value. Voting techniques like dot voting or ranking help gauge group consensus and excitement around each idea.

8. Summarize and Plan Next Steps

After a brainstorming session, it’s time to shift from generating ideas to putting them into action. This phase is when the broad concepts from the brainstorming process start becoming more concrete. 

By highlighting the main themes and setting clear next steps, you can make sure that the ideas don’t just fizzle out but actually lead to real results.

Here are a few things you can do:

Recap Key Themes and Priorities 

Review the most promising ideas and themes that emerged during the session. Summarize the key points for the group, highlighting which ideas garnered the most attention and are deemed worth pursuing further.

Identify Actionable Steps 

For each top idea, pinpoint the specific actions required to move it forward. These action items might include additional research, developing a prototype, or presenting the concept to relevant stakeholders for feedback. 

Assign Ownership and Deadlines 

Assigning responsibility for each action item is critical for maintaining momentum. Designate team members to take ownership of specific tasks and set clear deadlines for when those tasks should be completed. 

Create a Visual Roadmap 

Translate the action items and deadlines into a visual roadmap or timeline. This could be done digitally or with physical materials like sticky notes. A visual representation helps the team stay aligned and allows everyone to track the progress of the next steps. It also serves as a motivational tool by providing a clear overview of what’s coming and how the group will move forward.

Establish a Communication Plan 

Decide on a plan to keep the team informed about each idea’s progress. This may involve regular check-in meetings, status updates via email, or using a shared digital workspace where updates are posted. Consistent communication helps the team stay coordinated and promptly addresses any roadblocks or challenges.

Celebrate the Team’s Work 

Before moving on, take a moment to acknowledge the team’s efforts and creativity during the brainstorming session. Recognizing the contributions made helps build enthusiasm and sets a positive tone as the group transitions from idea generation to execution. Celebrating the team’s work also fosters a culture of collaboration and motivation for the next steps.

Schedule a Follow-Up Meeting 

To maintain accountability and ensure progress is being made, schedule a follow-up meeting. This meeting will be an opportunity to review the status of the action items, make any necessary adjustments, and address any obstacles that may have arisen. It also provides a chance to brainstorm further if new ideas or insights are needed to push forward.

Document and Share the Results

Once the brainstorming session is over, document the key outcomes, including the top ideas, action items, and next steps. This summary should be shared with all participants and relevant stakeholders. Proper documentation helps ensure everyone is informed and aligned on the goals and responsibilities moving forward.

Tips for Effective Sticky Note Brainstorming

1. Encourage Participation

Foster an environment where everyone feels at ease sharing ideas. When participants know their ideas are welcome, they’re more likely to contribute and engage actively.

2. Embrace Quantity

Focus on generating a large number of ideas. The more ideas you have, the greater the chance of discovering innovative solutions. Encourage participants to think broadly and push beyond initial thoughts.

3. Build on Ideas

Encourage participants to use existing ideas as stepping stones. Combining and building on ideas can lead to unexpected and creative solutions. This collaborative approach often results in breakthroughs.

4. Use Color-Coding

Implement a color-coding system for sticky notes. Assign colors to different categories, themes, or team members to maintain organization and clarity. This visual cue helps participants quickly grasp the structure of the brainstorming session.

5. Document and Follow Up

Ensure all brainstorming results are captured and organized using tools like Wave. This documentation is key for creating actionable plans and tracking progress.

Final Words

Wave enhances your sticky note brainstorming sessions by transcribing and organizing ideas. This AI-powered note-taking app simplifies capturing, sharing, and acting on brainstorming results. 

Take brainstorming sessions to new levels with Wave: Capture, transcribe, and organize ideas effortlessly. 

Download the Wave app for Android or iOS to transform your note-taking experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Sticky Notes Should I Use Per Idea?

Use one sticky note per idea to keep thoughts clear and focused. This makes it easier to sort and group ideas later on.

What if I Run Out of Ideas During the Brainstorming Session? 

If ideas dwindle, take a short break or introduce new prompts to reignite creativity. Encouraging participants to look at the posted ideas can also spark new thoughts.

Can Sticky Note Brainstorming Be Done Remotely? 

Yes, it can be adapted for remote teams using digital tools that simulate the experience of physical sticky notes. These tools offer features like digital canvases and collaborative spaces.

How Do I Prioritize Ideas After the Brainstorming Session?

Use methods like dot voting or ranking to prioritize ideas. This helps the group focus on the most impactful concepts.

What are Some Digital Alternatives to Physical Sticky Notes?

Digital tools are available that offer the functionality of sticky note brainstorming. These tools allow for easy sharing and organization of ideas among remote participants.