Stop Talking, Start Writing

Picture this: You’re in a brightly lit room, whiteboard markers in hand, hoping for magic ideas. Instead, the loudest voices dominate. The shy ones freeze. And mid-thought, your own idea vanishes - swallowed by the chatter.

That’s the classic brainstorming trap. It looks creative, but often flops. Experts say group sessions tend to miss out on ideas because people wait their turn and fear judgment.

Enter brainwriting - a clever twist that swaps talk for text. Instead of speaking up, everyone quietly writes their thoughts down. In 5‑minute bursts. Together. Anonymously if desired.

This low-key method has been around for over 50 years, but recently got a glow-up from thought leaders like Adam Grant, who says it levels the field and surfaces ideas from the whole team.

So, why is it catching on?

• No waiting. Everyone writes at the same time - no production block, no missed ideas.
• No judgment. Ideas aren’t tied to personalities, so people open up.
• No domination. Introverts get equal airtime - err, pen time.

How Brainwriting Actually Works

1. Set it up - You pick a clear challenge - like “How to improve our onboarding process?” Send that prompt to your team.
2. Silent idea generation - Everyone types their best ideas at once - no talking. You might set a 5‑minute timer so ideas flow.
3. Rotate or round - After the timer, each person adds to someone else’s ideas - build-on, refine, or add new ones.
4. Review together - After a few rounds, gather all the ideas, group similar thoughts, and vote on the strongest ones.

This method brings out more ideas than talking allows. People aren’t waiting to speak, fearing judgment, or getting overshadowed - introverts and fast thinkers both win.

You can either use a simple sheet of paper or try an online feedback tool like Faabul, where participants can type ideas in real time and vote on them.

When to Use Brainwriting

Reach for brainwriting when your team is diverse - introverts, extroverts, remote workers, early birds, or night owls - and you need fresh, thoughtful ideas without loud voices stealing the show.

It shines when you're after large quantities of high-quality ideas quickly. It’s faster, more efficient, and lowers social anxiety compared to traditional brainstorming.

It’s especially useful if you don’t have a strong facilitator; the process runs itself quietly on paper or online. And studies suggest it can boost both the number and originality of ideas - companies reported groups produce about 20% more ideas and 42% more originals than typical brainstorming sessions.

6‑3‑5 Brainwriting: 108 Ideas in 30 Minutes

In the classic 6‑3‑5 method, six people each write three ideas in five minutes, then pass their sheets around for expansion. After just six rounds, that’s 108 ideas in half an hour - a huge volume vs. typical brainstorming. Bernd Rohrbach introduced it in 1968, and it's still a go-to for fast, structured ideation.

Flexible 6‑3‑5 Variations

You can adjust team size and idea count: If your group isn't exactly six people, scale the method - e.g., use 4‑3‑2 or 5‑2‑4. With four participants, you’d generate 48 ideas instead of 108.

Instead of six five-minute rounds, you might use four eight-minute rounds or longer sessions for deeper thinking. It's fine to adapt based on the topic's complexity .

Try the “pool method”: Instead of passing sheets in a circle, participants drop their ideas into a central "pool" and pick any idea to build on. It offers more creative freedom and avoids linear pathways.

Hybrid or asynchronous tweaks: Allow team members to contribute over time (e.g., several hours or days). This “collaborative brainwriting” approach works great across time zones and lets ideas flow in.