Key takeaways
- Brainstorming rules are simple guidelines that create structure and psychological safety, helping teams generate better ideas during brainstorming sessions.
- Clear brainstorming rules prevent common problems like early criticism and idea dominance.
- Core brainstorming rules include deferring judgment, encouraging quantity, welcoming wild ideas, and documenting everything.
- Whether you brainstorm with a team or on your own, sticking to established rules keeps sessions focused, inclusive, and effective.
You’ve gathered your team for a brainstorming session. The prompt is clear, but the conversation quickly derails as people talk over one another, good ideas are dismissed before they have a chance to develop, and the energy fades. It’s a common problem, but an easy one to fix.
The key to avoiding situations like this is to establish a few simple brainstorming rules before you start. Sticking to agreed-upon guidelines helps everyone stay open, collaborative, and productive throughout the brainstorming session. When set clearly, these rules turn chaotic meetings into focused, creative sessions where ideas develop rather than collide.
In this guide, we’ll explore what brainstorming rules are, why they matter, the most important ones to follow, and how to apply them to your next creative session.
Table of contents
- What are brainstorming rules?
- Why use brainstorming rules?
- What are the most important brainstorming rules?
- Examples of brainstorming rules in action
- Examples of brainstorming rules in action
- Best practices for applying brainstorming rules
- Brainstorming rules FAQs
What are brainstorming rules?
Brainstorming rules are agreed-upon behaviors that guide how a group or individual generates ideas. They set expectations for participation, tone, and process before a session begins, creating an environment where everyone can contribute creatively without fear of judgment.
Understanding these rules is part of knowing how to brainstorm effectively. The idea dates back to advertising executive Alex Osborn in the 1940s, who formalized brainstorming as a technique for creative problem-solving. His original four rules still apply today:
- Defer judgment.
- Focus on quantity.
- Encourage wild ideas.
- Combine and build on ideas.
Modern brainstorming has evolved, but these principles remain central to the process. Whether you’re running a collaborative session, facilitating a workshop, or brainstorming solo, the same foundation applies: Keep the process open, inclusive, and focused on progress, not perfection.
For more on structured brainstorming, see our overview of brainstorming sessions, which details how to run them step-by-step.
Why use brainstorming rules?
Clear brainstorming rules make idea generation more effective. They create balance between freedom and focus, ensuring every participant can contribute meaningfully. Here are four ways brainstorming rules support effective collaboration.
Provide structure without limiting creativity
Rules give sessions a sense of direction while still allowing spontaneity. They’re a set of guardrails that keep the conversation focused, ensuring that the ideas shared stay relevant.
Example: A facilitator sets a 10-minute time box for idea generation and reminds everyone, “We’ll sort later. Right now, just list as many ideas as possible.” The team produces more than 40 ideas, including several they wouldn’t have reached without this structure.
Encourage participation from everyone
By guaranteeing space for every voice, rules help quieter or newer participants feel comfortable contributing.
Example: During a round-robin session, each person takes turns sharing one idea. A new team member proposes a unique approach that becomes the final solution.
Prevent common brainstorming problems
Ground rules prevent issues like premature criticism and ensure the conversation remains balanced, avoiding domination by one or a few voices.
Example: A facilitator opens with “Let’s use ‘Yes, and …’ thinking,” which keeps the discussion positive and encourages participants to build on one another’s suggestions.
Support alignment and next steps
With shared rules, teams move smoothly from ideas to action. This is because the rules act as a game plan, providing an answer to questions like “What happens next?” and “How do we use the ideas we generated?”
Example: After following the “quantity first, evaluate later” approach, a marketing team narrows 60 ideas to five prioritized campaigns in under an hour.
What are the most important brainstorming rules?
There are many brainstorming methods, but nearly all rely on these eight essential rules. They can be applied flexibly depending on your group size, context, and goals:
1. Defer judgment
Avoid evaluating ideas while they’re being shared. Jot down any constructive criticism and save it for later.
Why it matters: Early criticism can shut down creativity and discourage people from speaking up.
Example: A team saves evaluation for the second half of their meeting, keeping energy high and contributions steady.
2. Encourage quantity
Aim to generate as many ideas as possible before refining them. This gives you (or your team) a large pool of ideas to explore and potentially adapt or combine.
Why it matters: A large pool increases your chances of finding innovative solutions.
Example: A design team sets a goal of 100 ideas in 15 minutes; half are impractical, but several lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
3. Welcome wild ideas
Encourage participants to suggest bold or unconventional ideas, even if these thoughts seem unrealistic. Through exploration and adaptation, these ideas could lead to innovative solutions.
Why it matters: Creative leaps often begin as unrealistic ideas that inspire practical ones later.
Example: “Teleport users directly to checkout” sparks a new metaphor for faster navigation in an app. Thinking outside the box is key to keeping brainstorming sessions fresh and productive.
4. Build on others’ ideas
Use “Yes, and…” statements to expand or adapt existing ideas instead of replacing them. “Yes, and…” statements accept the previous idea as it is, then extend the idea with new details or a logical extension.
Why it matters: Collaboration fosters stronger, more layered solutions.
Example: One participant adds a new customer angle to another’s content idea, turning it into a full campaign.
5. Stay focused on the topic
Keep discussions anchored to the central goal or question. This prevents tangents and irrelevant conversations.
Why it matters: Tangents waste time and dilute the effectiveness of your brainstorming session.
Example: The facilitator writes the main question on a whiteboard: “How can we increase user engagement?” This keeps everyone aligned with the group’s goal.
6. Keep it to one conversation at a time
Limit side discussions and interruptions. In remote settings, this might mean sticking to one shared thread.
Why it matters: Staying orderly ensures all ideas are heard.
Example: When multiple people are talking at the same time, the facilitator says, “Let’s go one at a time so no ideas get lost.”
7. Ensure equal participation
Create space for all voices to contribute, using tools or formats that suit your group.
Why it matters: Diverse input leads to better outcomes.
Example: A facilitator begins with silent brainstorming, allowing introverted team members to share their ideas in writing before the discussion starts.
8. Document every idea
Record ideas before filtering them. Use shared notes, whiteboards, or digital documents to capture each idea.
Why it matters: Capturing everything ensures that no promising ideas slip away.
Example: A notetaker logs all contributions in a shared document to reference later.
Examples of brainstorming rules in action
Example 1: Academic group project
A team of students brainstorming research topics for a capstone project uses “no criticism” and “equal participation” as their rules. Everyone contributes to the conversation and then selects a unique shared idea: “The impact of local climate policy on campus operations.” By sticking to the rules, the team created a space where no participant felt too shy to share their ideas.
Example 2: Product ideation meeting
A startup team focuses on “encourage quantity” and “build on others’ ideas” as their brainstorming rules. They generate 60 product features, refine the top five, and choose two for prototyping. By focusing on quantity from the outset, the team created a very large pool of potential features to develop. Some of these were features the team leaders hadn’t even considered but found to be great choices for their product.
Example 3: Creative writing workshop
Writers apply “welcome wild ideas” and “defer judgment” to their brainstorming session. By exploring outlandish story twists first, they land on two original concepts that become finished stories. In creative writing, anything goes! But it can be easy to fall into familiar patterns, which this group avoided by aiming to collect wild ideas.
Best practices for applying brainstorming rules
- Share the rules. Doing so at the start of every session helps clarify expectations.
- Display the rules visually. Use a whiteboard, slide, or shared doc to make it easy to reference them at a glance.
- Gently reinforce participants when needed. A brief reminder keeps the tone positive and inclusive.
- Adapt the rules for different contexts. Asynchronous sessions may need written guidelines, while an in-person group might need rules that emphasize limiting participants from dominating the conversation.
- Reflect after each session. Ask the group what worked and what they would improve next time.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the rules entirely. Without guidance, brainstorming sessions can lose focus or allow certain voices to dominate others, potentially overlooking valuable contributions.
- Allowing early criticism. Negative feedback early in the brainstorming process discourages creativity.
- Adding too many rules. When the brainstorming framework is overly complicated, people can get confused. There’s no precise “ideal” number of rules; use your discretion to determine a good number based on the size of the group and the goals of the session.
- Being rigid. Flexibility keeps the group’s energy high and encourages collaboration.
- Ignoring follow-up. Without reviewing what worked and what didn’t, teams repeat the same mistakes.
Brainstorming rules FAQs
What brainstorming rules should you follow?
The most important include deferring judgment, encouraging quantity, welcoming wild ideas, and building on others’ suggestions.
Why is the “no early criticism” rule important?
Introducing criticism too early in the brainstorming process discourages participation and reduces creativity. Waiting until the evaluation phase to critique ideas keeps the ideas flowing freely.
Should brainstorming rules change for remote teams?
The core principles for effective brainstorming remain the same, but the format should adapt. Remote teams can use shared docs or async tools to include everyone.
How do you enforce brainstorming rules without limiting creativity?
Use positive reminders like “Let’s build on that idea” instead of corrections. The goal is to keep momentum without micromanaging.
What should a facilitator do if someone breaks a rule?
Pause briefly, restate the guideline, and gently redirect the participant. It’s not about calling someone out; it’s about protecting the group’s creative flow.
