Brainstorming is a critical part of coming up with creative solutions, generating new ideas, and solving problems. But running an effective brainstorming session can be tricky, especially when working with distributed teams. That‘s where online brainstorming tools come in handy.
This guide will compare the top 12 brainstorming tools on the market and provide tips for getting the most out of your brainstorming sessions.
What is Brainstorming and Why is it Important?
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique where people come together to generate new ideas and solutions around a specific topic or challenge. The goal is to think as wildly and broadly as possible at first. After the brainstorming session, the ideas can be analyzed and narrowed down to find viable solutions.
Some key guidelines for brainstorming include:
- No criticism of ideas during the brainstorming process – this comes later
- Encourage wild and "crazy" ideas
- Build on the ideas of others
- Focus on quantity over quality of ideas initially
Brainstorming with teams leads to superior solutions compared to individuals working alone. This is because a group of people together can build on one another‘s ideas, make new connections, and avoid fixation that can happen at the individual level.
The collective knowledge and different perspectives represented on most teams far outweighs what any one person could come up with individually.
Benefits of Using Online Brainstorming Tools
While in-person whiteboard sessions have value, online brainstorming tools provide the following advantages:
1. Ability to Collaborate Remotely
With remote and hybrid work on the rise, online tools allow distributed teams to brainstorm effectively from anywhere. No more trying to decipher someone‘s messy handwriting or recreate ideas after the fact.
2. Structured Brainstorming Techniques
Many online tools provide templates to follow proven techniques like mind mapping, affinity diagramming, SWOT analysis, user story mapping, and more. This leads to more productive sessions.
3. Capture Ideas in Real-Time
Ideas can be shared instantly on digital whiteboards as they arise so nothing gets lost or forgotten. Comments, voting, tagging, and filtering capabilities also help organize all the ideas being generated.
4. Iterative Improvement of Ideas Over Time
Since everything lives online, teams can revisit and build on their ideas over multiple sessions. The history of changes is tracked as well for accountability.
5. Ability to Integrate With Other Tools
Many brainstorming tools integrate seamlessly with communication tools like Slack and project management systems. This helps teams quickly take the action to refine and implement ideas after the brainstorming is over.
Now let‘s compare some top options on the market today.
Top 12 Brainstorming Tools Compared
| Tool | Best For | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Miro] | Remote design workshops, agile workflows | Infinite canvas, templates, integrations | Free – $12/month |
| [MURAL] | Facilitated workshops, design thinking | Timers, guides, project management | Free – $12/user/month |
| [Lucidspark] | Fast collaboration, mind mapping | Shapes, voting, offline access | Free – $7/month |
| [Creately] | Diagrams and graphic brainstorming | 2500+ templates, drawing tools | Free – $6/month |
| [MindMup] | Mind mapping, personal brainstorming | Markdown support, map styles | Free – $5/month |
| [Stormboard] | Simple real-time collaboration | Sticky notes, voting, tasks | Free – $8/month |
| [Conceptboard] | Structuring complex ideas | Frames, flowcharts, import options | Free – $10/month |
| [MIRO] | Collaborative whiteboarding | Sticky notes, drawing tools, templates | Free – $8+/month |
| [Whimsical] | Lightweight diagrams and wireframes | Library of shapes and icons, dynamic resizing | Free – $8/month |
| [Draw.io] | Flow charts, network diagrams, UML | Extensive shape and template libraries | Free – $5/month |
| [MindMeister] | Hierarchy-based mind mapping | Real-time collaboration, apps ecosystem | Free – $8/month |
| [Padlet] | Simple consultations and ideation | Photos, links, freeform notes | Free – $12/month |
While Miro stands out as the most powerful platform, Lucidspark strikes a nice balance of ease of use with comprehensive features. These two can handle most use cases from personal mind mapping to large facilitated sessions. Stormboard and Padlet excel at more simple freeform collaboration.
Creately, Draw.io, and Whimsical cater nicely to more visually structured techniques like flowcharts and diagrams. And MURAL leads for rigorous design thinking and workshop scenarios.
The free tiers provide enough value for light usage. Paid plans give more controls, storage space, and integrations.
Now let‘s look at some tips for getting the most out of brainstorming, whether using online tools or old-fashioned whiteboards.
Tips for Running Effective Brainstorming Sessions
The hardest parts of brainstorming are often avoiding criticism early on and ensuring balanced participation across the team. Use these tips for better sessions:
1. Set a Goal and Frame the Challenge
Give the team context around the problem you want to brainstorm solutions for. Provide background, goals, constraints, and success criteria.
2. Use a Facilitator
Have someone that guides the overall process rather than participating themselves. They keep the conversation on track, ensure ground rules are followed, and involve quieter team members.
3. Time Box the Session
Decide on a set amount of time for coming up with an initial list of ideas before evaluating and shortlisting solutions for further refinement. Around 30 minutes is usually sufficient.
4. Encourage Wild Ideas
The "crazy" ideas that initially get laughs often lead to creative solutions when built upon. Thinking inside the box rarely leads to breakthroughs.
5. Protect Quieter Voices
Actively seek broader participation, especially from introverted team members who take longer to articulate their thoughts.
By following a few simple guidelines, your team‘s brainstorming effectiveness will improve exponentially. But you also need the right supporting tools based on how your team works and the types of challenges being tackled.
Wrapping Up
Brainstorming remains an essential ingredient for organizations that want to tap into the creative potential of their teams. Using the templates and guided techniques provided by online brainstorming tools leads to more productive sessions and higher quality results.
Carefully consider which platform provides the best mix of ease of use and features tailored to your workflows. Most provide free tiers to test out before upgrading to unlock more advanced capabilities.
With practice and the right software, your team‘s ideas and solutions will reach new levels. And in today‘s complex business landscape, creativity and innovation determine which companies pull ahead of the competition.
