When ideas sprout, bubble maps are great
Bubble maps are an easy way to jot down and organize ideas in a visual framework during a brainstorming session.
Use these simple steps to run a bubble brainstorming session:
- Draw 9 circles on a page, three in each row. These are your bubbles
- In the very middle, list the problem you’re trying to solve
- And then list out eight other creative ideas around that main idea
- Once you’ve generated ideas, start the process over again. For example, you’ll take idea number five, put it in the middle, and build more ideas around it. You can systematically place eight bubbles around other bubbles (ideas)
This brainstorming technique is an excellent combination of mixing teams with individual contributions. It’s a great brainstorming method for creative problem solving.
Your team members may come up with eight ideas, and then you could assign an idea to each individual and they could work alone. Everyone can rejoin to see the results of your brainstorming bubble.
Benefits of bubble maps
A bubble map helps you make the most of a brainstorming session. Being able to easily add new connected bubbles increases flexibility and allows you to quickly add new ideas and expand on existing ones without worrying about disrupting the format.
The unstructured layout makes it easy to quickly think of new ideas, create new connections between existing ideas, and write them down without worrying about disrupting other areas of the bubble map or thinking too hard about where they might fit in.
The visual framework of a bubble map also makes it easy for team members to recall ideas quickly while in meetings and share them with other team members. If bubble maps are created online, the documents can be shared within teams, and other team members can add their own edits.
