Brainstorming Template
Collect as many ideas as possible on one board, sort them and choose the best. The brainstorming template gives your session a clear flow, from the first idea to the next steps.
Free to start · Swiss-made · GDPR compliant
A brainstorming session from question to next steps
The Collaboard template has a large grid of light blue sticky notes, already in place for the ideas, and a voting area below with three colors of dots for less important, important and very important. The team writes directly on the notes, then drags the dots onto the ideas it wants to pursue.
Phrase the question
Write one clear, open question above the notes, for example: How can we make onboarding easier for new colleagues?
Collect ideas
Everyone writes on the notes at the same time, one idea per note. Quantity first, no criticism yet.
Build on others
Read what others wrote and add variations or combinations of their ideas.
Cluster
Move similar ideas next to each other and give each group a short title.
Vote
Everyone drags dots from the voting area onto the ideas: red for very important, orange for important, yellow for less important.
Pick next steps
Take the ideas with the most red dots and agree on who develops them further.
What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming is a method for collecting as many ideas as possible on one question, without judging them at first. The Collaboard template combines two phases on one board: first the team fills the notes with ideas, then everyone votes on which topics to prioritize.
The two areas of the template
- Idea area A grid of 72 sticky notes, ready for ideas. Example: for the question how to make onboarding easier, ideas like a buddy system or a welcome video.
- Voting area Three sets of colored dots under the question which topics to prioritize: yellow for less important, orange for important and red for very important.
If some people are quieter in open discussions, 6-3-5 brainwriting gives everyone the same space to write.
Typical occasions for a team brainstorming
- Kicking off a project Collect ideas and open questions before planning starts.
- Solving a specific problem Gather many possible solutions before deciding on one.
- Workshops with prioritization Go from ideas to priorities in one session, on one board.
- Remote teams Everyone writes at the same time, no matter where they are.
One question, silent writing and limited dots
- Ask one question only Several questions at once lead to scattered ideas.
- Write first, talk later A few minutes of silent writing gives quieter people a voice.
- Keep criticism out of the first phase Judging ideas too early stops the flow. Evaluation comes with the vote.
- Limit the dots Give each person a fixed number of dots per color, so the vote shows real priorities.
Why Collaboard
A Swiss-made online whiteboard for teams that care where their data lives.
Your data stays in Europe
Choose hosting in Switzerland, Germany or the EU, fully GDPR compliant. Or run Collaboard on your own servers.
Invite anyone with a link
Guests join your board for free, right in the browser. Nothing to install, no extra licenses for participants.
Made in Switzerland, with real support
Collaboard is developed in Switzerland. When you need help, you talk to people who know the product.
Frequently asked questions
Is the brainstorming template free?
Yes, the brainstorming template is free to use with a Collaboard account. The free plan includes up to 3 boards and five people per session.
What are the rules of brainstorming?
The main rules of brainstorming are: go for quantity, don't criticize ideas while they are being collected, build on the ideas of others and welcome unusual ideas.
How long should a brainstorming session take?
A brainstorming session usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, including time for clustering and voting.
Does brainstorming work remotely?
Yes, brainstorming works remotely in Collaboard. Everyone adds ideas to the same board in real time, regardless of location.
What comes after brainstorming?
After brainstorming, prioritize the ideas, for example with dot voting or an effort-impact matrix, and define next steps.
Start your next whiteboard now
Get a free trial of Collaboard with up to 3 boards and five people per session. All key features are available for you to try out.
