Brainstorming template

by MURAL

Unlock creative solutions with structured brainstorming sessions that drive innovation.

KEY FEATURES

Ideation

Decision Tracking

Team Collaboration

CATEGORIES

Recommended

Project Management

Page template

Coming up with new projects, processes, or creative ideas can be challenging without some kind of structure. A brainstorming template gives your team the framework to generate innovative solutions while staying focused on the problem.

A good template keeps your team focused while leaving room for creative thinking. It gives everyone a straightforward process to follow, so you spend less time figuring out what to do next and more time actually solving problems. The result is better ideas, faster decisions, and more productive learning sessions that people want to attend.

Why Confluence?
Overview
Benefits
How to

Use the brainstorming template in Confluence

Confluence transforms your brainstorming sessions from scattered sticky notes into organized, actionable insights that your entire team can access and build upon. Online whiteboards make it easy to capture ideas visually, while integrated templates ensure every session follows a proven structure for maximum impact. Whether your team is in the same room or spread across different time zones, brainstorming with Confluence whiteboards keeps everyone connected and contributing meaningfully to the creative process.

Confluence's collaborative features allow team members to add ideas between formal sessions, comment on concepts as they develop, and link related pages for deeper context. This creates a rich ecosystem of interconnected thinking that goes far beyond what traditional brainstorming methods can achieve, turning your template into a hub for ongoing innovation and project collaboration.

What is a brainstorming template?

A brainstorming template guides idea generation and helps teams organize their creative thinking process. These templates provide a consistent format for capturing, categorizing, and evaluating concepts, whether you’re working solo or collaborating with a group.

A brainstorming template helps you channel creative energy productively. Instead of letting discussions wander or ideas get lost in the shuffle, a template keeps everyone on the same page while encouraging bold thinking. It acts as both a safety net for capturing every spark of inspiration and a lens for focusing that energy on solving specific challenges.

Types of brainstorming templates

Different brainstorming techniques serve different purposes, and choosing the right template is crucial. A few types of brainstorming templates include:

Mind maps: These visual templates help you explore connections between ideas by branching out from a central concept. They're perfect for mapping complex problems or exploring how different solutions might interconnect.
SWOT analysis templates: When you need to understand your company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, this method helps teams systematically consider all angles. It's beneficial for strategic planning and decision-making.
Freeform idea boards: Sometimes, the best approach is the simplest one. These open templates give teams complete freedom to capture ideas without predetermined categories, making them ideal for blue-sky thinking sessions.

Brainstorming map templates are particularly effective when you want to visualize the relationships between different concepts and see patterns emerge naturally. Each template type serves a unique purpose, so picking the right one depends on your specific goals and the nature of the problem you're solving.

What is an example of brainstorming?

Imagine a software team struggling with user onboarding. New customers keep dropping off during their first week. The team gathers for a brainstorming session to tackle this challenge head-on.

They begin by defining the problem and setting goals: "How can we help new users find value in our product within their first three days?" With this focus in mind, they dive into generating ideas with the brainstorming session template. Team members throw out everything from gamified tutorials, personalized welcome messages, one-on-one onboarding calls, and simplified dashboard designs. No idea is too wild or too simple at this stage.

Next, they organize these ideas into themes like "Education," "Personal Touch," and "Product Simplification." The team builds on each other's suggestions. For example, the gamified tutorial idea evolves into a progress-tracking system, while the personal touch concept grows into a series of targeted email tips. By the end of the session, they've identified three high-impact experiments to test, complete with clear owners and timelines. What started as a frustrating problem becomes a roadmap for meaningful improvements.

Benefits of brainstorming sessions

Organizes ideas

Brainstorming sessions can be effective team meetings when they have a clear structure and purpose. Templates keep thoughts structured and sessions focused. This reduces wasted time and prevents teams from rehashing the same concepts or losing track of good ideas.

Try out the Crazy 8’s brainstorming template for a streamlined way to generate new ideas.

Encourages creative thinking

Brainstorming encourages participants to think creatively and challenge conventional approaches. Templates provide a safe framework for sharing unconventional ideas that could become breakthroughs.

Streamlines collaboration

A shared brainstorming template aligns team members and makes it easy to build on each other's ideas, promoting knowledge sharing. Everyone understands the format, so collaboration flows naturally.

When using Confluence whiteboards as your central workspace, you can easily invite team members to collaborate and add ideas in real-time, so no one’s ideas get overlooked. Don’t worry about being organized; this can easily be addressed later.

Identifies opportunities

Brainstorming helps uncover new angles and gaps worth exploring. As ideas accumulate, teams spot patterns and opportunities they never considered before.

For a deeper look into your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, use the SWOT analysis template from Confluence.

Speeds up problem-solving

Effective brainstorming sessions accelerate decision-making by focusing team efforts. Faster insight generation leads to quicker actions and less analysis paralysis.

How to use the brainstorming template

Step 1: Set ground rules

Before diving into idea generation, establish clear ground rules for your session. This ensures a safe and productive environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing. Later on, when ideas are weaned out, no one will take it personally – knowing you’re all working toward the same goal.

Listen with an open mind.
Remember everyone’s opinion is valid.
Focus on generating ideas, not judging them.

Step 2: Frame the problem

Begin by setting a clear topic or theme for the brainstorm. Collaborate with your project lead and key stakeholders to deeply understand the challenge at hand. What problem are you trying to solve? Distill the core issue into a precise theme, ensuring every participant understands the objective.

Step 3: Brainstorm ideas

Now, it’s time to generate as many ideas as possible. Encourage every team member to contribute any and every solution that comes to mind, no matter how unconventional. Leverage the infinite canvas of Confluence whiteboards to capture each distinct idea on a separate digital sticky note. The aim is pure volume and uninhibited thinking, sparking novel concepts.

Step 4: Review and refine

Once you have a solid collection of ideas, it's time to review and sharpen your focus. Gather the team to look at what's been captured, encouraging individual thoughts to connect in unexpected ways. This phase also involves a crucial step: refining the pool by cutting ideas that don't align with your objectives, seem unachievable, or aren't strongly supported by the group.

The goal is to trim generously and avoid getting bogged down in judgment, allowing the most promising concepts to surface.

Step 5: Chart your ideas

After the brainstorming, organize your generated ideas into actionable themes. Use the drag-and-drop functionality in Confluence whiteboards to group similar ideas into logical clusters. Create concise header cards to label these themes, distilling the essence of each grouping. This process transforms scattered ideas into a strategic roadmap.

Step 6: Prioritize next steps

You'll likely have more ideas than you can pursue immediately, so it's time for decision-making. Gather the team to figure out which concepts are worth tackling first. Consider what will make the biggest impact for your users or business, balancing that against the effort required. Use prioritization markers like dot votes directly within Confluence Whiteboards to highlight the most critical areas for action.

Step 7: Follow up and iterate

Good brainstorming doesn't end when the session does. Within a day or two, send the team a summary of your key decisions and remind everyone of their commitments. Use Confluence Whiteboards' integration to seamlessly convert those grouped ideas into Jira issues or linked Confluence pages. If some concepts aren't working out as expected, use what you've learned to inform your next brainstorming session, continuously improving the process.