Idea Generation for the Idea Generation

I know that I said that I was not a fan of brainstorming. Be that as it may, there are some clever people, such as Sarah B. at Adaptive Path, who are fans of it. Specifically, she makes the case that skill and practice make brainstorming useful. According to her, there are a number of methods for brainstorming, from "loose and fast brainstorming to highly structured idea generation sessions," and that the key is making sure that the method you use fits the problem you are trying to solve and the folks you are working with.

Along those lines, if a paucity of brainstorming methods is getting you down, you might want to check out the Idea Generator created by the talented folks at The Directors Bureau. This neat little virtual machine provides you with three random words to help you bust through writer's block or any other ideational obstacle.

I found out about his astonishing device from the pica+pixel blog. There you can read that the juxtaposition of two or three random words is a brainstorm-jumpstarting technique utilized by none other than Stefan Sagmeister. That guy's a genius, so you might want to try it yourself. While you're at it, you should also consult Sagmeister's thoughts for students of design.

While it may indeed help with brainstorming, I think the Idea Generator can be put to better use as a kind of Magic Eight Ball. For example, I asked it, "What should I have for lunch?" It told me, "Fresh Levitating Websites."

Image courtesy of Telstar Logistics.