Form
Structured note or mindmap with prompt, generated ideas, shortlist with concretization and assumptions, plus follow-up action (spike, pitch, workshop input). Suitable as pre-read for group session.
RunsheetInnovation
Solo Brainstorming
ComplexityLow
Time15-60 min
Participants1
FormatAsync
MaturityEstablished
01
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Empty note document or physical notebook; pen or keyboard; timer; optional mindmap tool (Miro, Whimsical, Obsidian, Apple Freeform); prompt card with the challenge.
People / roles
One person alone. Optionally a requester who formulates prompt and reviews after completion; no observer during the solo phase.
Pre-read
Clearly formulated challenge as one sentence; chosen technique (freewriting, mindmap, sketch, Crazy 8s); defined time per phase; definition of what should exist at the end (list, map, sketches).
Time needed
15-60 min, plus incubation break
Setup
Quiet environment, notifications off, phone away. Prompt visible at top of page or screen. Timer on first phase. Choose one technique, do not mix several in parallel.
02
Core question
The one question this method answers
Which ideas emerge when I work systematically on a challenge in isolation, without group dynamics, and bypass my own filters?
03
Flow
Marker: Phase
| Step | Duration | Action | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
1Phase 1: Set prompt and technique | 5 min | Fix challenge in one sentence. Choose technique (freewriting for open topics, mindmap for structuring, sketch for visual ideas, Crazy 8s for solution space). Note success picture. | If the sentence mixes two topics, split it and work only on one. Several prompts at once lead to superficial spread. |
2Phase 2: Generate ideas | 15-30 min | Start timer. Use chosen technique to produce ideas without evaluation. Freewriting: write continuously. Mindmap: branch out. Crazy 8s: 8 sketches in 8 min. Set at least one quantity goal (for example 30 ideas). | If flow stops, continue for three minutes with banal or intentionally wrong ideas. Banality is a bridge to the next original idea. |
3Phase 3: Incubation break | 10-60 min (or overnight) | Put notes away, do something else (walk, other task, sleep). Deliberately stop thinking about it. Return after break. | Anyone who moves directly into evaluation is still in generation mode. Break is not luxury, but part of the mechanism. |
4Phase 4: Review and sharpen | 10-15 min | Go through ideas, remove duplicates, mark top 3-7. Write one concretized sentence and next action per top idea. Collect open assumptions. | If fewer than three ideas feel viable after the break, prompt was too narrow or technique unsuitable. Better new prompt than forcing it. |
04
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Versioning / ownership
Date and prompt in header. Follow-up solos on same topic as new file with date, do not overwrite. When handing into group session, link shortlist and keep raw notes.
Tool alternatives
- Markdown note in Obsidian or Bear
- Mindmap in Whimsical or Xmind
- Notion page with sections
- Apple Freeform or iPad sketch
solo-brainstorming-working-template.md
Compact working template for Solo Brainstorming with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
Solo Brainstorming Canvas
Context
What is this method used for?
Core question
Which question should be answered at the end?
Input
Which data, observations, or materials are available?
Working area
- Area 1:
- Area 2:
- Area 3:
- Relationships / patterns:
Output artifacts
- Personal idea list:
- Sketches or mind map:
- Pre-read for group session:
Open questions
- ...
Next step
Owner, date, success signal.
05
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
solo-brainstorming-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Solo Brainstorming — How do I sort my weekend between house construction and family time? (Sabine, 2026-05-18)
Technique: Mindmap, 25 min, plus 30 min walk.
Main branches: House-construction duties, family rituals, recovery, negotiable.
Excerpt:
- House construction: choose tiles (Saturday early), check electrician list, photo documentation basement.
- Family: long breakfast with kids, Sunday walk, movie night.
- Negotiable: garden can wait one week, tax return cannot.
Shortlist:
- Saturday morning construction block (3 h), family informed.
- Saturday afternoon free family block, phone off.
- Sunday only recovery, no construction appointments.
Assumption: Electrician replies by Friday. If not: swap block.
06
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Trap
Evaluation while generating
Symptom
Ideas are crossed out directly or not written down, note remains short.
What to do
Rule at top: "Cross out nothing, evaluate nothing". If self-censorship appears, produce three intentionally bad ideas to bypass the critic.
Trap
No incubation
Symptom
Sorting happens directly after generation, top ideas look like first three from the list.
What to do
Break at least 10 min, better overnight. Close note, choose another task. Return only after real distance.
Trap
Several techniques mixed
Symptom
Note switches between mindmap branches, sketches and freewriting, nothing gets deep.
What to do
One technique per session. If change is needed, end current technique and schedule follow-up session with new technique.
Trap
Prompt too broad
Symptom
Ideas jump between topics, none becomes concrete, shortlist is hard.
What to do
Sharpen prompt: what, for whom, in which context. If the sentence needs more than 15 words, it is too large and should be split.
Trap
Method becomes avoidance
Symptom
Solo Brainstorming is used to avoid a decision that should already be made.
What to do
Check honestly: do I lack clarity or courage? If courage is missing, the next action is a decision, not more brainstorming.
07
Stop criteria
Done signals checkable in under a minute
Prompt cannot be formulated in one sentence or already contains the solution.
Topic requires input from other stakeholders, solo work is avoidance.
Concentration cannot be established, environment allows no uninterrupted phase.
Time budget under 15 min, no room for generation plus review.
Ideas are needed for a decision that cannot be grounded without data.
Several previous solo sessions on same topic have produced no new ideas.
Finished the runsheet?
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.