The Starbursting Method

The starbursting method of brainstorming requires you to think about the who, what, where, when, why, and how for any new idea.

Asking questions like these is a valuable way of understanding the new idea, and of challenging it to ensure that all of the relevant aspects of it have been considered before any work begins on implementing it. But to get the most out of this approach, it’s important that the questions are asked in a systematic and comprehensive way.

Place your main idea at the center of a star diagram, labeling each point of the star with those words “Who”, “What”, “Why,” “Where,” “When,” and “How”.

Brainstorm questions about the idea or product starting with each of these words. The questions radiate out from the central star.

Don’t try to answer any of the questions as you go along. Instead, concentrate on thinking up as many questions as you can and write them down beside the corresponding point.

Once you have generated as many questions as you can for each of the star’s points, work as a team to produce and discuss the answers.

Starbursting is popular among brainstorming methods because of its exploratory nature: One question triggers another question, and before you know it, you have the beginnings of a solid strategy within the answers to those questions.

It’s a useful tool to support your problem solving or decision making processes by helping you to understand all aspects and options more fully.