Burn Your Portfolio: Stuff they don’t teach you in design school, but should

45. Brainstorms Are 90 Percent Bad Ideas

Brainstorming with a group is an effective way to generate ideas. John gets an idea from something Sally says. George gets an idea from John. Eventually the team lands on something truly amazing. When our creative team sits down to start brainstorming ideas, you will often hear the reminder that “brainstorms are 90 percent bad ideas.” The 90-percent bad-idea rule applies to even the best creative minds I have worked with over the years. In order to get to the 10 percent of good ideas that are generated in a brainstorming session, you often have to muddle through the bad ideas. Imagine Indiana Jones slicing through the thick jungle brush, searching for the one trail that will lead to the rope bridge and—ultimately—the ...