Use the intersection of rows and columns to spark new ideas
Ready to take your brainstorming sessions to the next level? Our brainstorming grid template is designed to help you unlock your creative potential, making idea generation feel like a breeze. No more scattered thoughts or endless sticky notes — this easy-to-use grid brings structure to your ideas, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: innovation. Whether you're planning a new project or just looking to break through a creative block, this template has you covered.
By organizing your thoughts into neat categories, the brainstorming grid gives you a clear path forward. With each section, you'll be able to explore ideas from different perspectives, connect the dots, and spot patterns you might have missed. It's the perfect tool to spark fresh thinking, boost creativity, and streamline your process.
What is a brainstorming grid template?
A brainstorming grid template is a structured tool that helps organize and capture ideas during a brainstorming session. It typically breaks down the process into different categories or sections, making it easier to explore multiple aspects of a problem, idea, or project. Instead of letting ideas run wild and become hard to track, the grid helps you categorize thoughts, prioritize concepts, and identify connections between them.
For example, a typical brainstorming grid might have columns for things like "Challenges," "Opportunities," "Solutions," and "Next Steps." This structure guides your thinking, encouraging you to approach the topic from various angles, whether it’s solving a problem, coming up with new product ideas, or creating content. It keeps everything organized and makes it easier to review and refine ideas after the session.
The brainstorming grid template helps you:
Organize ideas: Structured brainstorming techniques increase idea generation by 22%. Instead of a messy heap of ideas, the grid helps you categorize and structure your thoughts with prompts. Whether you're brainstorming for a project, product, or campaign, it keeps everything neat and easy to follow.
Identify patterns and connections: By sorting ideas into sections, a brainstorming grid helps you spot connections and trends that you might have missed in a freeform brainstorm. It encourages you to think about how different ideas link together.
Explore different angles: Clear problem framing improves idea quality by 40%. A grid often comes with predefined categories (like "strengths," "weaknesses," "opportunities," "threats" — like a SWOT analysis), which prompts you to consider all perspectives on a problem or idea. It ensures you're not just stuck on one angle.
Generate more ideas: The structured approach makes it easier to dive deeper into a topic, sparking new ideas as you fill out different sections of the grid. It can help break through creative blocks and keep the flow going and .
How to use the brainstorming grid template
Step 1: Define your goal or problem
Start by clarifying what you're trying to brainstorm about. Are you coming up with new product ideas? Solving a specific problem? Understanding your focus helps set the tone for the session.
Step 2: Choose your grid categories
Depending on your purpose, select or create categories to guide your brainstorming. Common categories include "challenges," "opportunities," "solutions," or "pros and cons." If you're doing a SWOT analysis, you might use "strengths," "weaknesses," "opportunities," and "threats."
Step 3: Fill out the grid
Begin brainstorming and write down your ideas in the relevant sections of the grid. Don’t worry about being perfect — just get all your ideas on paper. You can refine them later!
Step 4: Expand on each idea
Once the grid is filled with initial ideas, go back and expand on each one. Think about how they might connect to other ideas or what details could make them stronger. This step helps to dig deeper and refine concepts.
Step 5: Look for connections and patterns
Review your grid and see if you can identify patterns, trends, or ideas that stand out. You may find that some ideas overlap or that certain categories lead to new insights.
Step 6: Prioritize the best ideas
Highlight or mark the ideas that seem the most promising, exciting, or feasible. This helps you focus on the best possibilities and eliminate ideas that don't work as well.
Step 7: Define next steps
Use the grid to clarify what needs to happen next. Whether it's assigning tasks, further researching a specific idea, or developing a plan, write down actionable steps to keep the momentum going.
When to use the brainstorming grid template (with examples)
When you're tackling a complex problem: If you're faced with a challenging problem or decision, the grid helps you break it down into smaller, manageable parts. It prompts you to look at the issue from multiple angles, making it easier to identify potential solutions.
When you need to generate ideas quickly: If you're in need of a burst of creativity — whether for a new project, marketing campaign, or product development — the grid organizes your thoughts and speeds up the process by guiding your brainstorming in a focused way.
When you're planning a new project or initiative: The grid helps structure your thoughts around what needs to be done, what obstacles might arise, and where the opportunities lie. It can give you clarity as you map out your plan.
When you're working with a team: A brainstorming grid is ideal for group sessions because it keeps everyone on track and ensures that ideas are categorized and documented effectively. It fosters collaboration by making sure all voices are heard and all ideas are organized.
Tips for running a brainstorming grid template
Start with broad categories: If you’re unsure about what categories to use, start broad. Use basic ones like “challenges,” “solutions,” and “next steps” to keep things flexible. You can always refine the categories as you brainstorm.
Limit distractions: Create a space that’s free from distractions, whether that's physically or digitally. This will help participants stay focused and engaged throughout the session.
Give everyone time to contribute: Whether you’re working alone or in a group, give everyone enough time to fill out the grid. This can be done altogether or asynchronously. Don’t rush the process — sometimes, great ideas need a little time to emerge.
Using a grid to brainstorm offers several benefits that can enhance your creative process:
Structure and organization: A grid brings order to the chaotic nature of brainstorming. Instead of jotting down random ideas, you categorize them, which makes it easier to analyze, refine, and act on them later.
Clear focus: With predefined categories, the grid helps you stay focused on the most relevant aspects of the problem or project. It ensures you're covering all angles, from challenges and solutions to next steps and opportunities.
Improved idea generation: The structure of the grid prompts you to think from different perspectives. For example, if you’re doing a SWOT analysis, it forces you to explore strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats systematically. This encourages more thorough and diverse thinking.
Easier to spot patterns: The grid helps you visualize connections between ideas. As you fill out different sections, you may notice patterns or relationships you might not have seen in a more free-form brainstorming session.
Collaboration-friendly: When brainstorming in a group, the grid keeps everyone on the same page. It ensures that no idea is lost and everyone’s contributions are organized, making the session more productive and inclusive.
Actionable next steps: The grid helps you quickly identify which ideas are worth pursuing and what needs to happen next. With all your ideas in one place, it’s easier to prioritize and move forward with a concrete plan.
Several brainstorming techniques can be paired effectively with the grid template. Here are a few that work particularly well:
SWOT analysis: This is one of the best methods for using a grid template. By dividing your grid into four sections (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), you can systematically analyze a project, idea, or situation from every angle. It’s great for problem-solving or strategic planning.
Mind mapping: Mind mapping is another creative technique that can complement a grid. While a mind map visually connects related ideas, you can use a grid to organize those ideas into structured categories. For example, you could start by brainstorming freely and then sort your ideas into sections on the grid (e.g., “ideas,” “challenges,” “solutions”).
The 6-3-5 method: In this method, six people each write three ideas in five minutes. Afterward, everyone passes their ideas along to the next person, who builds on them. This can be structured in a grid by organizing the ideas into categories like "initial concepts," "builds on ideas," and "next steps."
Reverse brainstorming: Instead of coming up with solutions, reverse brainstorming focuses on finding ways to make a problem worse or identifying potential obstacles. The grid works well for this by separating “problems” and “solutions” in different sections. You can then reverse the typical process by identifying ways to overcome each obstacle.
SCAMPER: This method involves asking a series of questions to improve or innovate an existing product or idea, like "what can we substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, or reverse?" The grid helps you organize responses for each of these actions, making it easier to explore multiple possibilities in a structured way.
Brainwriting: A less spoken-about method, brainwriting involves silently writing down ideas on paper and then passing them to others to build on. A grid template can be used to capture and organize these ideas into categories once the session is complete.
Fishbone diagram (Ishikawa): This method is excellent for identifying the root causes of a problem. You can break down the "bones" of the fish into different categories on the grid (e.g., people, process, equipment, environment), helping you pinpoint where issues may lie and brainstorm possible solutions.
By combining these methods with the structure of the grid, you can enhance your brainstorming process, keep things organized, and ensure that every angle of the problem is explored.
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