1. Generate many ideas Wild ideas encouraged Withhold judgement
BRAINSTORMING
Generate many ideas
Wild ideas encouraged
Withhold judgement
Additional suggestions:
Participation by all
No interruptions
Fixed stop time
Record all ideas
Have a process
Do a Google search on “brainstorming”, get 270,000 hits. There are many, many methods out there. Use what works. They all follow the above rules.

2. BRAINSTORMING -- Paradigm shift
Analogous tasks
Change the scale
Combine ideas
Invert
Relax one spec
Imagine new technologies
Canoe lifter:
Analogous: boat winching
Scale: construction crane, fishing, spider
Combine: wincher and slider
Invert: Put canoe under car
Relax spec: No cost barrier, 2 person operation
New technologies: Magnetic levitation

3. Brainstorming exercise
Grab an index card
Get timer set up
60 seconds per slide

4. “Think of robot concepts that use this 6 ft length of string”

5. What if this was Spiderman web?

6. What if this was a 36 inch, thin, aluminum bar?

7. BRAINSTORMING -- Process
Assign facilitator
Define topic
Agree on stop time
Agree on method for recording ideas (index cards)
Go in a circle (interruptions are OK)
Build on ideas of others
No stopping to evaluate
Sometimes, people pass a tennis ball.

8. Group brainstorming Form a group of 4 to six students
Rotate turns, passing a pen to mark whose turn
When it is your turn, read one idea off your card, then think of one more idea based upon ideas you have heard from others
If you get stuck, just pass the pen