Brainstorming Worksheets

WORD BANK

2015 Julie R. Neidlinger | loneprairie.net

Topic:

Criteria:

Topic: Choose a specific topic that your words will be about. Who is your client? What are they about? What is the theme of the

copy?

Criteria: Note any limitations for the words based on the project. For example, you must choose family friendly words only.

Word Types: Choose up to three types of words. It might be nouns, verbs, adverbs, or you might use a different set according to

your project. Write the word type at the top of each box, and fill in each box with corresponding words.

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Brainstorming Techniques from Julie R. Neidlinger

WORD ASSOCIATION


Topic:

Topic: Choose a specific topic that your words will be about.

Easy Words: Write down the words that come to mind first and most easily.

Round One: Take one of your easy words, and write down the first word that comes to mind when you hear it. It might be

completely unrelated. Do this once for each easy word. Repeat for Round Two, using the Round One words as your base instead

of the easy words.

Easy Words Round One Round Two


PROS & CONS

Option A:

Top Goals Value

Option B:

Option A and Option B: These are the two choices you are trying to decide between.

Top Goals: Some pro and con options may carry more weight. Define your top goals and give them a numerical value.

Write your pro and con reasons for each option in the appropriate column. Each item gets a score of 1. If you are using the

weighted method, score the items appropriately. Tally up the scores, compare totals, and the option with the most pros wins.

Total TotalTotal Total

A B

pros proscons cons



MIND MAP

Start with a one- or two-word central idea in the circle. Draw a branch off of the circle with a one- or two-word subcategory of

that central idea. Create branches off of the subcategories, and repeat.


MIND MAP

Start with a one- or two-word central idea in the circle. Draw a branch off of the circle with a one- or two-word subcategory of

that central idea. Create branches off of the subcategories, and repeat. Lines have been added for you to use.




QUESTIONS

Write the questions that are in your mind in the header of each box. Begin writing your answers as a list or summaries. As you

write the answers, jot down any follow-up questions that come to mind that your answers raise. You will repeat this exercise

with your follow-up questions until you get to a point where you have no more follow-up questions.

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FORCED LIMITATIONS

Use any of the brainstorming techniques and worksheets. However, before you get started, create arbitrary limitations. For

example, you cant come up with words that end in -ly. Or, you must do the exercise in two minutes. Create one or more of

these limitations, and jot them down in the space provided. Then, begin working on the worksheet of your choice, keeping

these in mind.

Arbitrary rules and limitations:

To be used with the following brainstorming technique::



STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

No rules. Just write, doodle, scribble, and meander in the space below. Whatever comes to mind, write it. Set a time limit and

keep writing until the time is up.

Heres what came to mind for _____ minutes:



QUESTION BANK

Have your team members write questions on the slips of paper and anonymously add them to the pile. Pull the questions out

during the brainstorming exercise and answer them as a group. Do not focus on trying to figure out who wrote the question.

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WHAT IF?

You can ask any what if? question about your brainstorming topic. Allow even the seemingly silly what if? questions unless it

gets out of hand and you are clearly getting sidetracked. The goal is to try to push thinking out of the rut just a bit to see if

something new comes to mind. You could use a word bank method, or create a what if? scenario with follow-up questions.

Examples of both are below.

What if it didnt happen? Whats the worst thing that would come from that? Decide what youd do in

that worst-case scenario.

What if you started at the end instead of the beginning? What would that look like? How would that

change the final result?

What if you reduced your budget by half? Is it possible you could do more if you had less money?

What if you started at the end instead of the beginning? What would that look like? How would that

change the final result?

What if you

the

removed

added

changed

moved

paused

shifted

budget

team member

graphic

feature

plan

blog

waited

colored

sold

bought

wrote

drew

date

launch

premise

foundation

advice

entire idea

rejected

refused

flipped

reversed

reverted

said no to

paper

media

advertising

app

code

business

said yes to

fired

hired

cut

increased

reduced

startup

memory

team

office

marketing

drawing

traveled

learned

trained

hid

shut down

turned on

copy

size

status quo

publicity

customer

reader



PREPOSITIONAL VIEW

Think of a prepositional phrase. It answers the question of where something is. Brainstorm about your project by brainstorming

around your project, approaching it from a different view. If its writing, change the point of view, if its something else, think of

it from the viewpoint of the customer, or from the back end instead of the front. Pretend the thing you are brainstorming

(project, problem, etc.) is the box below. What are the different ways you could approach it? Write down all of the different

points of view or angles of approach below, thinking of the box as your focus. A few are done for you. Then, start brainstorming

about how things would be from that view. How would they look? What would the result of what youve done already be from

that point of view? What would need to be changed so that view fits with your goals?

under

below

abovenext to

around

inbehind

before

in front of

after


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Brainstorming Worksheets

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