The Process of Brainstorming Big Ideas

By: Joseph Martínez, Brian Llinás Marimón, and Melissa J. Miller-Felton

The junior researchers in the Storymodelers lab recently sat down to brainstorm ideas about proposals and new topics for exploration. We learned about the process of proposals, to include funding sources, innovation, and ways to connect our disciplines and methodologies.

This was not a linear process, and we were pleasantly surprised to find out that it did not need to be. We had freedom to share incomplete suggestions. Basically, we could have fun and not feel restricted.

As you might imagine, we needed to reign in all the information somehow. So, we decided a picture was worth a thousand words. This has become a general model that has expanded from the original intent. We now use it to develop outlines for writing papers, creating blog content, and pitching ideas to the senior researchers. Take a look at our process:

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