Gallery Method to Create New Ideas

The gallery method is a way of generating and developing new ideas in a group where participants use each other’s ideas.

The group leader prepares stations with either personal whiteboards or flip chart paper. Each participant has an assigned station where they write all of their ideas related to the problem statement or central concept.

After several minutes, the participants walk around the room to view and make notes on the other participants’ stations. Then they return to their original station and continue developing their initial ideas, using the ideas of the other group members for inspiration.

This work dynamic is repeated 2 or 3 times. Finally, the group selects and classifies the ideas to be implemented.

This technique can help stimulate alternative ways of looking at a problem or solution and strengthen individuals’ ideas.

Procedure

• Preparation phase: the problem is defined and presented by the group leader or moderator.
• First generation of ideas (about 30 minutes): every participant produces 2 to 3 solution sketches including explanations.
• Associative phase (about 20 minutes): the results of the previous phase are arranged like in a gallery so that all participants may view and discuss them. The goal is to critically observe every solution idea and to get new ideas through additional suggestions.
• Secind generation of ideas (20 to 30 minutes): Every participants includes the new suggestions into the solution ideas and puts together a final proposition. The generation of ideas as well as the associative phase may be repeated if necessary.
• Evaluation and Selection Phase: All the ideas are analyzed and classified to select the most promising ones.