Brainstorming refers to a group-based discussion where different people share their thoughts about a specific subject to generate new and innovative ideas. When you need some dependable ideas to solve a complex problem, there is nothing better than running a brainstorming session.
There are different types of brainstorming, and each has a variety of applications. Cluster brainstorming is one of them. It plays a crucial role when you try to relate different ideas to the main subject. If you need reliable software with a built-in AI brainstorming feature, try Wondershare EdrawMind.
In this article
What is Cluster Brainstorming
Before getting into the details of cluster brainstorming, let's first understand what exactly this word means. Well, the word “cluster” refers to a group having similar things inside. It carries different discrete items that are displayed close to each other.
Simply put, you can say that clustering refers to combining words in groups. Every cluster or group consists of related words. Just like traditional brainstorming, you think of many phrases and words. But this time, you put them all in groups.
If you are looking forward to visualizing business networks and organizational relations, trying the cluster brainstorming method will be worth it for sure. Similarly, if you want to relate a couple of ideas to a single main topic, clustering helps you get this job done.
The phrases or words are aligned in a way that the degree of association between elements is minimal if they belong to different groups and maximal if they are part of the same group.
Benefits of Using Cluster Brainstorming
This brainstorming technique comes with a lot of benefits, and a few of them are as follows.
- Cluster brainstorming connects related ideas to one major topic, making it easier to understand. It simply makes you able to understand how your ideas are connected to each other.
- This method encourages team members to contribute actively and enhances the level of collaboration.
- Another leading benefit of this brainstorming technique is that it helps you categorize and organize different ideas to streamline the whole process.
How to Use the Cluster Brainstorming Method
If you are wondering how to use clustering to brainstorm a particular topic, following the steps below will make things super clear for you. The process is very simple and only consists of four quick steps. Let's get into more specifics.
Step1Identify the Main Topic
The very first you must have to start the cluster brainstorming is the core topic or subject. This is the focus of the whole problem, idea, or subject. The core topic is placed at the center of the cluster. You can take a paper and write the main idea in the middle. On the other hand, you can also do the same job using a trusted AI brainstorming tool, like Wondershare EdrawMind.
Step2Introduce Subtopics
Now that you have the main idea to proceed with. Next, what you need to do is branch out subtopics from the main subject to make things simpler and easier. Every subtopic must be related to your core idea. Make sure you can branch it out in any direction you want. Once you have connected all subtopics (as many as you need) to the main subject placed in the middle, move on to the next step.
Step3Connect Subdetails
It is time to add sub-details of each subtopic and connect them to each other. Don't forget to ensure that every word or phrase is related to the main subject in one way or the other. Doing this will help you make sure that you are on the right track to deal with a complex or high-level project by breaking it down into smaller units.
Step4Analyze the Diagram
Once you have the core idea connected to subtopics and subtopics connected to their relevant details, you can analyze the final diagram to ensure that everything written in it perfectly relates to the project you are working on. This is how you can pick a single, most reliable direction to proceed.
Techniques to Enhance Cluster Brainstorming Sessions
Running a cluster brainstorming session is simple, but you must focus on how to make it more effective. A couple of tips are listed below to enhance your brainstorming sessions. Let's take a look at them.
- Assign a facilitator before starting a brainstorming session.
- Encourage individual and group ideation to explore unmatched ideas.
- Always incorporate visual aids to make things appealing. You can try sticky notes, whiteboards, and other similar features of a brainstorming tool like EdrawMind.
- Use keywords or prompts to inspire innovation and new ideas.
- Encourage quick thinking abilities by implementing time constraints.
Cluster Brainstorming Example
Below is a potential example of the cluster brainstorming method. It is created in Wondershare EdrawMind. Let's explore what this diagram says.
Well, you can see that the core idea is written in a white-colored box placed in the middle. This box is connected to four purple-colored floating topics with outward arrows. Every floating topic is further connected to three subtopics, as displayed in the image below.
You can use this EdrawMind brainstorming template to enter your information and get the desired outcomes. If you want to explore more similar templates, you can explore EdrawMind's template gallery. You will find a number of built-in templates there to benefit from.
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Conclusion
Cluster brainstorming is a popular type of brainstorming that is particularly used to deal with complex subjects. It breaks down the core topic into smaller units and connects them with further details to reduce the complexity of the main subject.
As the name depicts, this method keeps related words in a group format, which helps you inspire new ideas. If you need a trustworthy AI-powered brainstorming utility, try Wondershare EdrawMind. It offers a number of pre-built brainstorming templates to lend you a helping hand.
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