6-3-5 Brainwriting

Generate ideas quickly with your team using this framework

• Easily create new ideas or build on existing ones, and record them
• Guide less experienced participants through a structured, easy-to-learn brainwriting and brainstorming method.
• Enable quieter participants to contribute effectively by working alone first. Everyone’s creative potential and ideas are captured.
• Encourage wild, original ideas by separating the idea-generation phase from the idea-evaluation phase.

The 6-3-5 Method is a structured brainstorming technique designed to generate a large number of ideas quickly and efficiently within a group setting. The method involves six participants, each contributing three ideas in five-minute intervals, resulting in a total of 108 ideas in just half an hour. This approach promotes creativity by allowing individuals to work silently and independently before building upon each other’s contributions, ensuring that even the more reserved team members can actively participate. By separating the ideation phase from the evaluation phase, the 6-3-5 Method encourages the development of offbeat and innovative ideas without the fear of immediate criticism. This technique is particularly effective for tackling complex or abstract problems where diverse and numerous ideas are essential for finding optimal solutions. The method’s structured yet flexible nature makes it an invaluable tool in the design thinking process, fostering collaborative creativity and ensuring a comprehensive exploration of potential ideas.

High Volume of Ideas: Enables the generation of up to 108 ideas in a short period, significantly expanding the pool of potential solutions.

Structured Creativity: Provides a clear and systematic approach to idea generation, ensuring that all participants contribute equally without dominating the conversation.

Inclusive Participation: Encourages input from all team members, including those who may be more reserved in traditional brainstorming sessions, by allowing them to work quietly and independently.

Enhanced Idea Development: Facilitates the building and refinement of ideas as they circulate among participants, leading to more developed and robust solutions.

Time Efficiency: Maximizes productivity by adhering to strict time intervals, preventing the session from dragging on and maintaining high energy levels.

Minimizes Groupthink: Reduces the influence of dominant voices and prevents early ideas from overshadowing others, fostering a more diverse range of ideas.

Encourages Focused Thinking: Keeps participants concentrated on generating ideas rather than evaluating them, promoting a free flow of creativity.

Easy to Implement: Requires minimal materials (sheets of paper and post-it notes) and can be quickly set up, making it accessible for various team sizes and settings.

Promotes Collaboration: While individuals work independently, the method ultimately brings together diverse perspectives, enhancing collaborative problem-solving.

Separation of Ideation and Evaluation: By keeping idea generation and evaluation separate, the method ensures that creativity is not stifled by early criticism, leading to more innovative outcomes.

6-3-5 Brainwriting FigJam Exercise courtesy of Merck KGaA

Scenario: A marketing team at a consumer electronics company is tasked with developing innovative campaign ideas for launching a new smartwatch. They aim to create a diverse range of promotional strategies that can capture different market segments and generate a “Wow!” effect.

Application:

1. Objective: To generate a wide array of creative and unconventional marketing campaign ideas for the new smartwatch within a limited timeframe.
2. Conducting the 6-3-5 Session:
   • Step 1: Formation of Groups: The team forms a group of six members, each equipped with a sheet of paper containing a 3×6 grid or individual post-it notes.
   • Step 2: Initial Idea Generation: Each participant writes down three unique campaign ideas in the first row of the grid within five minutes. Examples include:
     • Interactive social media challenges highlighting smartwatch features.
     • Collaborations with fitness influencers to promote health tracking capabilities.
     • Augmented reality experiences showcasing the smartwatch in everyday life.
   • Step 3: Passing the Sheets: After the first round, sheets are passed clockwise to the next participant, who reviews the existing ideas and adds three new or refined ideas based on what they see.
   • Step 4: Continued Rounds: This process repeats until all rows are filled, resulting in a comprehensive list of 108 ideas. Participants build upon each other’s contributions, enhancing creativity and depth.
   • Step 5: Clustering and Evaluation: Once the ideation phase is complete, the team clusters similar ideas, rates them based on feasibility and impact, and selects the most promising campaigns for further development.

1. Outcome:

1. • Diverse Campaign Strategies: The session produces a vast array of ideas ranging from high-tech integrations like augmented reality showcases to grassroots initiatives like community fitness events.
   • Enhanced Creativity: By working independently and then collaboratively, the team uncovers innovative approaches they might not have considered in a traditional brainstorming setting.
   • Efficient Decision-Making: The structured approach allows the team to quickly identify and prioritize the most effective and feasible campaign ideas, saving time and resources.
   • Increased Team Engagement: All team members actively participate and contribute, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration that enhances overall team morale.

Outcome: By utilizing the 6-3-5 Method, the marketing team successfully generates a multitude of creative and actionable campaign ideas for the new smartwatch launch. This structured yet flexible approach not only maximizes the team’s creative potential but also ensures that the ideas are diverse, well-developed, and aligned with the company’s strategic goals. As a result, the company is well-equipped with innovative marketing strategies that can effectively capture the target market’s attention and drive successful product adoption.