Complete firstShared open question
The prompt names a solvable need and allows different approaches.
A narrow solution proposal creates only variations of the same idea.
Method guideInnovation
Brainwriting
A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.
ComplexityLow
Time15-30 min
Participants3-12
FormatWorkshop + async
MaturityEstablished
01
Prerequisite
What needs to be finished first
Complete firstRound format
Classic 6-3-5 rules or adapted group size, rounds, and timing are clarified.
Unclear handoffs produce empty rounds and lost contributions.
Complete firstVisible follow-up
Time is set aside for review and a separate selection or test step.
Without analysis, ideas remain disconnected and unchecked.
02
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Focused prompt, a sheet with three idea columns and one row per round for each person, pens, timer, and a planned passing path.
People / roles
A facilitator explains prompt, rules, and timer; everyone writes silently first and reads the previous round. The team reviews ideas afterward.
Pre-read
Summarize problem context and known user needs. Choose prompt, group size, and format so everyone can take part.
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.
03
Core question
The one question this method answers
What different ideas emerge when everyone writes silently first and then builds on others’ contributions?
04
Flow
Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall
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.
6×3 brainwriting sheet
Fictional completed example sheet
Six neutral rounds with three idea fields each. The filled rows show one fictional example 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.
- 1
Frame
Set the question and format
Goal
Write a shared prompt and explain the silent process.
Inputs for this step
- Write a concrete open question and decide whether to use classic 6-3-5 or an adapted brainwriting format.
Actions
- Choose the classic variant or document adapted group size, idea count, time per round, and passing direction. Confirm everyone understands the task.
Output
Visible prompt and clear round sequence.
Visible prompt and clear round sequence.
Quality check
Format, timing, and expectations for building on ideas are clear before writing.
Pitfall
The prompt is broad, ambiguous, or biased toward one solution. Add context and audience while leaving solutions open.
Timing: 5–10 minutes to set prompt and format
- 2
Write
Write initial ideas
Goal
Have everyone write ideas silently at the same time.
Inputs for this step
- Visible prompt and clear round sequence.
Actions
- In the classic variant, each person writes three ideas in the first row of their sheet in up to five minutes.
Output
Individual starting ideas before group discussion.
Individual starting ideas before group discussion.
Quality check
Everyone has quiet space to contribute; each entry is legible and understandable on its sheet.
Pitfall
Someone debates or explains an idea before others have started. Protect silence; resolve clarification questions before the first round.
Timing: Up to 5 minutes writing per round
- 3
Pass
Pass and build on ideas
Goal
Pass the sheets in a set direction after each round.
Inputs for this step
- Individual starting ideas before group discussion.
Actions
- Read the existing entries and add three new ideas that extend, combine, or open another approach. Repeat for the agreed number of rounds.
Output
Rotated idea sheets with visible development and provenance.
Rotated idea sheets with visible development and provenance.
Quality check
Rounds, sheet path, and contributions remain visible; additions do not overwrite earlier ideas.
Pitfall
Passed ideas are evaluated or deleted. Keep original entries and document additions in new fields.
Timing: Classically six rounds, up to 5 minutes each; allow about 30 minutes including passes
- 4
Review
Review the contributions
Goal
Open discussion after the writing sequence and prepare a separate selection.
Inputs for this step
- Rotated idea sheets with visible development and provenance.
Actions
- Invite short explanations, cluster ideas without forcing sameness, and record possible criteria, risks, and follow-up tests.
Output
Preserved raw ideas plus separate clustering and selection notes.
Preserved raw ideas plus separate clustering and selection notes.
Quality check
Raw material remains intact; volume is not treated as quality or feasibility.
Pitfall
Unusual or infrequently repeated ideas are dismissed too quickly. Clarify the ideas first; treat evaluation as a separate reasoned step.
Timing: 15–30 minutes for review and follow-up
05
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Sketch: what the artifact looks like
Form
Prompt, format, dated original idea sheets, grouped ideas, and separately documented selection or follow-up test.
Versioning / ownership
Record prompt, format, group size, rounds, and timing. Keep original sheets; do not write later clusters or selections into raw ideas.
Tool alternatives
- Sheets with three idea fields per round or an equivalent digital grid
- Timer and fixed passing direction
- Review area for clusters and separate selection criteria
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-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.
Prepare for the work steps
Frame: Set the question and format
- Write a concrete open question and decide whether to use classic 6-3-5 or an adapted brainwriting format.
Write: Write initial ideas
- Visible prompt and clear round sequence.
Pass: Pass and build on ideas
- Individual starting ideas before group discussion.
Review: Review the contributions
- Rotated idea sheets with visible development and provenance.
6×3 brainwriting sheet
| Round | Idea 1 | Idea 2 | Idea 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | |||
| Round 2 | |||
| Round 3 | |||
| Round 4 | |||
| Round 5 | |||
| Round 6 |
- Round 1: Write three initial ideas for the shared prompt.
- Round 2: Read the previous round and build on its ideas.
- Round 3: Add three ideas that extend contributions on the sheet.
- Round 4: Add further variations, combinations, or extensions.
- Round 5: Refine the direction or open alternatives.
- Round 6: Complete the final round, then preserve ideas unchanged.
Blank template: six rounds × three idea fields; facilitation provides all three fields per round.
Frame: Set the question and format
Expected artifact: Visible prompt and clear round sequence.
Visible prompt and clear round sequence.
Entry:
...
- Format, timing, and expectations for building on ideas are clear before writing.
Write: Write initial ideas
Expected artifact: Individual starting ideas before group discussion.
Individual starting ideas before group discussion.
Entry:
...
- Everyone has quiet space to contribute; each entry is legible and understandable on its sheet.
Pass: Pass and build on ideas
Expected artifact: Rotated idea sheets with visible development and provenance.
Rotated idea sheets with visible development and provenance.
Entry:
...
- Rounds, sheet path, and contributions remain visible; additions do not overwrite earlier ideas.
Review: Review the contributions
Expected artifact: Preserved raw ideas plus separate clustering and selection notes.
Preserved raw ideas plus separate clustering and selection notes.
Entry:
...
- Raw material remains intact; volume is not treated as quality or feasibility.
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/brainwriting/run-sheet
06
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.
brainwriting-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional teaching example: improve neighborhood tool pickup
All ideas and people are invented. No brainwriting session was conducted.
Prompt: How might borrowers reliably get a suitable tool when they only have time late in the day?
Fictional excerpt from classic 6-3-5: In round 1, P1 writes “Show stock by pickup day.” In round 2, P2 reads it and adds “Show pickup windows beside stock.” In round 3, P3 extends the thread: “Offer an alternate pickup when the site is closed.”
Development: Later ideas build on visible availability and add timing and access. This is one invented idea thread. The matrix shows all three fields in all six rounds of one fictional sheet, not the other five participants’ sheets.
Review: The team could cluster the idea with information about stock, time windows, and location.
Limit and next step: Brainwriting produces suggestions but does not prove user need or feasibility. Check the late-pickup assumption through research or a prototype test.
07
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow
- Set the question and formatThe prompt is broad, ambiguous, or biased toward one solution.View in phase
- Write initial ideasSomeone debates or explains an idea before others have started.View in phase
- Pass and build on ideasPassed ideas are evaluated or deleted.View in phase
- Review the contributionsUnusual or infrequently repeated ideas are dismissed too quickly.View in phase
Trap
Set the question and format
Symptom
The prompt is broad, ambiguous, or biased toward one solution.
What to do
Add context and audience while leaving solutions open.
Trap
Write initial ideas
Symptom
Someone debates or explains an idea before others have started.
What to do
Protect silence; resolve clarification questions before the first round.
Trap
Pass and build on ideas
Symptom
Passed ideas are evaluated or deleted.
What to do
Keep original entries and document additions in new fields.
Trap
Review the contributions
Symptom
Unusual or infrequently repeated ideas are dismissed too quickly.
What to do
Clarify the ideas first; treat evaluation as a separate reasoned step.
08
Stop criteria
When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach
The prompt is understood differently: clarify context before the silent round.
Passing or timing is unclear: simulate one sheet and handoff before starting.
The group expects to prioritize ideas: separate generation from evaluation.
Finished the method guide?
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.