Choosing the right place to have your brainstorming sessions
We can't deny the influence the space around you can have for the outcome of a creative session. It plays a vital role in how fluent the meeting will be. Don't underestimate it.
There are a couple of cliches here:
A) The creative room
Some companies have a specific place dedicated to creative meetings. It's filled with playful decoration, whiteboards, post its and other stuff.
B) The outside of the office place
Other teams prefer to meet at a cafeteria or a bar close to the company headquarters. It's a common belief to say that this increases their creativity and brings some fresh air.
C) The normal office space
Finally, it also happens that there is no particular room for brainstorming, and the sessions take place at the staff desk.
There is no right or wrong choice. It always depends on the situation, but there are a couple of things you should try to keep in mind.
- In the A case, don't over complicate it. The creative room should still be a workspace. Remember to make it comfortable and don't add distractions. Use it when you need to concentrate on creating ideas and collaborating.
- The B case is tricky. It's true that going for a walk or changing environment can bring some fresh air and unblock your mind, but it's usually tough to concentrate in these places. What we recommend is to use them to chat and elaborate on ideas you already have. If you try to do a brainstorming at a cafeteria, probably all the noise and distractions will play a negative role, altho it might be good to talk about a concept you already have and explore its possibilities.
- Brainstorming will be hard to do in case C. You'll probably annoy your colleagues and won't be able to talk freely. Your desk is better for concentrating on particular tasks like the production side of the idea.
As you can see, the creative process will require a combination of different options, not just one. Be smart about your choices and make sure the location is the right one for the task you are doing.
