Innovation Workshop method

Brainwriting

Brainwriting collects ideas silently and develops them across rounds.

Brainwriting separates idea generation from group discussion at first. In the classic 6-3-5 variant, six people write three ideas per five-minute round and pass their sheets. Format parameters record any changes to group size, timing, or rotation.

Core question

What different ideas emerge when everyone writes silently first and then builds on others’ contributions?

Prepare brainwriting Method guide

Start comparison

Give feedbackIs this method useful to you?

Participants: 3-12 Contributors
Time: Classic format uses six people

The phase bar groups the shared question, silent ideas, rotation, and later review.

Paper illustration of several people silently writing ideas and passing sheets around with arrows.

Frame
Set the question and format
Write a shared prompt and explain the silent process.
Write
Write initial ideas
Have everyone write ideas silently at the same time.
Pass
Pass and build on ideas
Pass the sheets in a set direction after each round.
Review
Review the contributions
Open discussion after the writing sequence and prepare a separate selection.

Review contributions only after the silent rounds. Then cluster related directions, preserve distinct ideas, and mark follow-up questions for selection or prototyping.

A good fit when

Use brainwriting when everyone should first generate ideas in parallel without taking turns speaking. A shared, concrete prompt is required. For visual variation in exactly eight minutes, use Crazy 8s.

Ideal for

Remote ideation
Introverted groups
Bias reduction

Not good for

Immediate debate
Clarification without shared context

Outputs

Idea sheets
Silent contributions and visible extensions across rounds.
Reviewed selection
Selected ideas with rationale and a next question.

6×3 brainwriting sheet

Fictional completed example sheet

Six neutral rounds with three idea fields each. The filled rows show one fictional example sheet.

6×3 brainwriting sheet
Round	Idea 1	Idea 2	Idea 3
Round 1Write three initial ideas for the shared prompt.	Show stock by pickup day.	List sites open in the evening.	Notify people when a returned tool becomes available.
Round 2Read the previous round and build on its ideas.	Filter by date and mark available stock.	Map sites and show opening times after work.	Notify interested people when a tool is returned.
Round 3Add three ideas that extend contributions on the sheet.	Show a pickup window beside stock for the chosen date.	Explore locker pickup outside staffed hours.	Offer a waitlist with an expiry for newly available tools.
Round 4Add further variations, combinations, or extensions.	Hold a tool for a selected pickup window.	Send a one-time code to access a locker.	Notify the next person if there is no response.
Round 5Refine the direction or open alternatives.	Show the hold expiry in the reservation confirmation.	Show access requirements and return route on the card.	Let people on the waitlist choose a notification channel.
Round 6Complete the final round, then preserve ideas unchanged.	Test if date and pickup time make stock understandable.	Check access and returns with people outside staffed hours.	Make consent and notification expiry visible.

1. Idea 1
Round 1
Show stock by pickup day.
Round 2
Filter by date and mark available stock.
Round 3
Show a pickup window beside stock for the chosen date.
Round 4
Hold a tool for a selected pickup window.
Round 5
Show the hold expiry in the reservation confirmation.
Round 6
Test if date and pickup time make stock understandable.
2. Idea 2
Round 1
List sites open in the evening.
Round 2
Map sites and show opening times after work.
Round 3
Explore locker pickup outside staffed hours.
Round 4
Send a one-time code to access a locker.
Round 5
Show access requirements and return route on the card.
Round 6
Check access and returns with people outside staffed hours.
3. Idea 3
Round 1
Notify people when a returned tool becomes available.
Round 2
Notify interested people when a tool is returned.
Round 3
Offer a waitlist with an expiry for newly available tools.
Round 4
Notify the next person if there is no response.
Round 5
Let people on the waitlist choose a notification channel.
Round 6
Make consent and notification expiry visible.

The example shows one invented sheet cycle. Idea volume is not evidence of quality or user need.

The Design Society

First step

Write a concrete open question and decide whether to use classic 6-3-5 or an adapted brainwriting format.

Open the method guide

Good to do first

Innovation

How Might We

Supplies the concrete open question for the silent writing rounds.

Where to go next?

Paper illustration of shared options, independently placed voting dots, and a highlighted shortlist.

Facilitation

Dot Voting

Condenses the collected idea sheets into a prioritized selection.

Paper illustration of an eight-panel idea sheet with varied sketches beside a timer set to eight minutes.

Innovation

Crazy 8s

Turns a written, refined idea into a visual sketch.

Deep dive

Purpose

When loud voices or hierarchy distort the idea search, the method creates a quiet entry into joint development. It gives everyone thinking space and gathers contributions without social brakes, making diversity more visible and easier to build on.

How it works

The written phase decouples thinking from spontaneous reaction and lets ideas form before they get commented on. When passed along, existing contributions are extended, condensed, or turned in a new direction, so every round builds on the previous one. This grows not just the quantity but also the depth of the proposals.

In detail

Brainwriting works because ideas first form quietly, giving dominant voices less influence on the search space. The work gains depth when contributions build on each other and intermediate states visibly open new perspectives. Care is needed with clear prompts, legible continuation, and later synthesis, so parallel individual work turns into a rich field of shared options.

Facilitation

Prepare a clear written prompt and define how contributions get extended or passed along. It gets interesting when participants only repeat instead of building further; targeted follow-up questions or a shift in perspective help there. Close with a sort by pattern and pick a few ideas to serve as the next round of drafts.

The method guide walks execution through 4 phases, timing, 4 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.

Open method guide

Your perspective

Does this method help with your work?

Your feedback helps shape the next improvements to methodatlas.

Sources and topics

Topics

Brainstorming Collaboration Inclusion Ideas

Sources

6-3-5 Brainwriting - The Design Society Design Exchangedesignsociety.orgClassic variant: six people write three ideas in five minutes, then pass sheets so others can extend them.Ideate With 6-3-5 Brainwriting - SAP AppHausapphaus.sap.comPractical digital and in-person facilitation; timing can be adapted while preserving enough reading time.Using Brainwriting For Rapid Idea Generation - University of Siegenusability-siegen.deDescribes the worksheet, silent generation, sheet passing, repeated rounds, and a final review.

In playbooks

Moderate Solution IdeationMove from problem understanding to many ideas, structured selection, and first concept.

Artifact templates

Workshop AgendaCompact agenda template for method sequences with timebox, purpose, and output.

agenda

workshop-agenda-markdown.md

Compact agenda template for method sequences with timebox, purpose, and output.

Workshop Agenda

Goal: ... Participants: ... Duration: ...

Time	Method	Purpose	Output
00:00	Check-in	Set focus	Shared start
00:10	How Might We	Ideation questions	HMW list
00:35	Brainwriting	Generate ideas	Idea pool
01:10	Dot Voting	Prepare selection	Prioritized ideas
01:30	Storyboarding	Make the concept tangible	Storyboard

Close-out

Decision, owner, next test.

Brainwriting: WorksheetPlan silent idea generation with a clear prompt, round rules, and separate review.

markdown

brainwriting-working-template.md

Plan silent idea generation with a clear prompt, round rules, and separate review.

Brainwriting: Worksheet

Question

To be confirmed

Desired outcome

To be confirmed

Scope

One brainwriting round Time: Classic 6-3-5 writing takes up to 30 minutes; allow about 45–60 minutes with introduction, passes, and review.

Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.

Preparation for this scope

Method setup

Materials: Focused prompt, a sheet with three idea columns and one row per round for each person, pens, timer, and a planned passing path.
Roles: A facilitator explains prompt, rules, and timer; everyone writes silently first and reads the previous round. The team reviews ideas afterward.
Advance information: Summarize problem context and known user needs. Choose prompt, group size, and format so everyone can take part.
Overall time needed: Classic writing: six rounds of up to five minutes, about 30 minutes total. Plan about 45–60 minutes including introduction, passes, and review.
Setup: Prepare sheets with three columns and one row per round. Agree on passing direction, timing, and silence; check rotation and legibility on a digital board.