Brainstorming Online
Unlock Creativity and Innovation
Generate new ideas and creative solutions by brainstorming online with your team. Bring different perspectives together on a single space.
- Custom brainstorming tools to generate ideas faster
- Connect ideas together with multiple frameworks
- Run meetings and workshops on a shared canvas
Over 10 Million people and 1000s of teams already use Creately
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Generate Unique Ideas Faster with These Editable Templates
Brainstorm Without Limits
Empower your team to brainstorm faster with:
- Easy drag and drop tools and freehand drawing to map out ideas faster.
- Pre-made templates to capture your ideas & organize them coherently.
- Virtual whiteboard for structured brainstorming & planning sessions.
- Smart formatting & color themes to color-code & differentiate ideas effectively.
Have Everything in One Place
Connect your team on a single place with:
- Unlimited canvas space to manage your idea pool as it grows.
- Visual tools to rank, vote, synthesize and prioritize ideas with your team.
- Drag and drop any image, screenshot, or illustration to enhance ideas further.
- Integrates notes to add details to each shape for more context.
Go from Idea to Execution in the Same Space
Work through together:
- Take your ideas and turn them into actionable projects.
- Assign roles, set due dates, & add estimates to implement ideas.
- Track progress with built-in agile project management tools customized to your work style.
Collaborate Effortlessly: Spark Creativity and Share Ideas Instantly
Live Mouse Tracking
Better coordinate live team brainstorming sessions with real-time mouse cursors for any number of participants.
Multi-User Collaboration
Real-time & asynchronous editing to collaborate around generating ideas with your team.
@metions
Tag teammates to clarify things in context and direct them to get things done.
Status Flags on Workspaces
Maintain workflows and keep everyone in sync. Quickly identify versioned documents or reference points.
Two-Way Integrations
Coordinate data & information with your everyday tools including Slack, Google Workspace, GitHub, & Confluence.
Spotlight for Collaboration
Invite collaborators to keep track of your actions as you present. Click on anyone’s avatar in the header to follow them or on your avatar to spotlight yourself.
What is Online Brainstorming?
Online brainstorming is a collaborative process where individuals or teams generate and share ideas through digital platforms. Unlike traditional in-person brainstorming, online brainstorming allows participants to contribute remotely, making it ideal for distributed teams. This method leverages various online tools that enable real-time communication, visualization, and organization of ideas.
Tips to Improve Online Brainstorming
- Set clear objectives:
Define the goals and purpose of the brainstorming session to keep everyone focused and aligned.
- Use the right tools:
Choose a versatile brainstorming platform that supports real-time collaboration, visual aids, and integrates with your other tools.
- Create a structured agenda:
Outline the session’s flow with specific time slots for each phase, including idea generation, discussion, and evaluation.
- Encourage participation:
Actively invite input from all team members and create an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas.
- Leverage visual aids:
Utilize mind maps, flowcharts, and diagrams to visualize ideas and relationships, making complex concepts easier to understand.
- Set ground rules:
Establish guidelines for respectful communication and constructive feedback to foster a positive and productive brainstorming environment.
- Document everything:
Keep a record of all ideas and discussions. Use your brainstorming tool’s features to save and categorize contributions for future reference.
- Use breakout sessions:
For larger teams, divide participants into smaller groups to tackle different aspects of the problem, then reconvene to share findings.
- Encourage diverse perspectives:
Invite team members from different departments or backgrounds to provide a range of viewpoints and ideas.
How to Conduct an Online Brainstorming Session with Your Team in Creately?
- Set clear objectives: Start by defining the purpose of the brainstorming session. Clearly communicate the goals and expected outcomes to your team so everyone is on the same page.
- Create a structured agenda: Outline the steps for the session, including idea generation, discussion, and evaluation. Allocate time for each phase to keep the team brainstorming session organized and focused.
- Choose the right template: In Creately’s brainstorming tool, select a brainstorming template that suits your session, such as a mind map, fishbone diagram, or flowchart and many more brainstorming techniques. This will help structure your ideas visually.
- Invite your team: Use Creately’s collaboration features to invite team members to the canvas. Share the link to your brainstorming session, allowing participants to join and contribute in real-time.
- Encourage idea generation: Begin the session by encouraging everyone to share their ideas freely. Team members can add sticky notes, shapes, or text boxes to the canvas to visualize their thoughts.
- Collaborate in real-time: Leverage Creately brainstorming tool’s real-time collaboration features, such as live cursor tracking and instant updates, to ensure everyone can see and build on each other’s ideas as they are shared.
- Organize and categorize ideas: Once ideas are flowing, organize them into categories or clusters. Use Creately brainstorming tool’s drag-and-drop functionality to group similar ideas together, making it easier to analyze and discuss.
- Discuss and refine ideas: Open the floor for discussion. Encourage the team to expand on ideas, provide feedback, and refine concepts. You can use Creately’s commenting feature to leave notes or suggestions on specific ideas.
- Prioritize and select ideas; After discussing the ideas, prioritize them based on feasibility, impact, or relevance to the session’s objectives. Use Creately brainstorming tool’s voting feature or simply drag the top ideas to a separate area on the canvas.
- Document the session: Once the session is complete, save and document the brainstorming results. Creately brainstorming tool allows you to export the canvas in various formats, such as PDF or PNG, making it easy to share with stakeholders.
- Follow up with action steps: After the online brainstorming session, develop a plan of action based on the selected ideas. Assign tasks and deadlines within Creately to ensure the ideas are implemented effectively.
FAQ
Can I use Creately to brainstorm online?
Yes, you Creately is an online brainstorming tool and you can use it to connect with your team virtually to run brainstorming sessions. Being a collaborative brainstorming software, Creately comes with real-time collaboration features such as live mouse tracking, synced, previews, comment threads, and more to streamline the online brainstorming experience. It also provides an infinite canvas that doubles as a whiteboard with built-in diagramming and brainstorming tools like mind maps to collect and organize ideas.
What brainstorming tools Creately offers to generate ideas faster?
Creately’s brainstorming tool comes with built-in tools such as mind maps, post-it note walls, labeled mouse cursors for participants, freehand drawing, etc. for productive brainstorming. Users can use customized shapes, colors, and connectors or even drag and drop images, gifs, screenshots, or files to depict their ideas as they fit on the canvas. Using integrated notes, users can add and store additional details about their ideas for further reference.
What tools are needed for virtual brainstorming?
You need a virtual brainstorming platform that supports real-time collaboration, such as Creately along with communication tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack for discussions. Having access to a shared document or whiteboard also helps.
What type of brainstorming tools are there?
Brainstorming tools include mind mapping software, virtual whiteboards, sticky note apps, flowchart creators, and collaboration platforms that allow team members to share and organize ideas visually.
What type of questions should one ask during an online brainstorming session?
Ask open-ended questions like “What are the possible solutions to this problem?” or “How can we improve our current process?” These questions should encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
How do you lead an online brainstorming session?
Set clear objectives, create a structured agenda, choose the right tool, facilitate open discussions, and ensure that everyone’s ideas are captured and considered. Encourage participation and keep the session focused.
How can brainstorming tools benefit my team?
Brainstorming tools help organize ideas, promote collaboration, and ensure that every team member’s input is valued. They also streamline the process of turning ideas into actionable plans.
What is collaborative brainstorming?
Collaborative brainstorming involves a group of people working together to generate and refine ideas. It leverages the diverse perspectives of the team to create innovative solutions.
What are virtual activities for brainstorming?
Virtual activities include mind mapping, idea clustering, SWOT analysis, fishbone diagrams, and creative exercises like “What if?” scenarios or role-playing to stimulate different viewpoints.
Streamline Your Workflows by Integrating with the Tools You Love
Creately integrates with the tools your teams use every day and supports your team’s workflow seamlessly.
Why is Creately a Better Online Brainstorming Tool
Creately is the intelligent visual platform enabling visual collaboration, knowledge management and project execution.
