The Curious Origins of the Brainstorm

It’s a word we all know: brainstorm. It’s how ideas begin, how teams collaborate, how whiteboards get filled. Whether you’re in a boardroom, a classroom, or a coffee shop, “let’s brainstorm” is a cue to unleash creativity.

But few people realize that brainstorming—as a method, a term, and a ritual—has a surprisingly specific origin. It was invented. Trademarked. Marketed. And later… questioned.

This essay explores the curious history of brainstorming: how it started, what it promised, how it spread—and what we’ve learned since about what actually fuels creativity.

Before Brainstorming: Creativity as Solitary Genius

For most of history, great ideas were thought to emerge from great individuals—lone inventors, artists, and philosophers.

The image of creativity was the solitary genius, not the group huddle. Collaboration existed, of course, but there was little cultural emphasis on collective ideation.

The idea that creative breakthroughs could be engineered by teams—and that there might be a method for doing so—would only emerge in the 20th century.

1940s Madison Avenue: A Method Is Born

The term “brainstorm” as we now use it was popularized—and quite possibly coined—in the early 1940s by Alex Faickney Osborn, a co-founder of the famous advertising agency BBDO.

Frustrated by what he saw as inefficient meetings and uninspired team dynamics, Osborn began experimenting with ways to generate ideas more effectively. His key insight: separate idea generation from idea evaluation.

In his 1948 book, Your Creative Power, Osborn introduced a structured group technique he called “brainstorming.” The idea was simple, but radical at the time:

• Defer judgment
• Encourage wild ideas
• Build on others’ ideas
• Go for quantity

Osborn claimed that using this method, his teams produced 50% more ideas than traditional group meetings. He turned brainstorming into a branded innovation tool—and it caught on like wildfire.

The Brainstorm Goes Corporate

By the 1950s and 60s, brainstorming had spread from advertising to other corporate settings. It became a symbol of modern, team-based problem-solving.

Business schools began teaching it. Management books recommended it. Meeting rooms were designed around it—complete with flip charts, markers, and Post-it notes.

The brainstorm session became a cultural ritual. It wasn’t just a method—it was a mood. A performative gesture that said: “We value ideas.”

Eventually, brainstorming moved beyond business. Educators, designers, activists, and entrepreneurs all adopted the practice. It became one of the most widely used—and misunderstood—tools in the creativity toolkit.

But… Does Brainstorming Actually Work?

In the decades after its rise, researchers began to test Osborn’s claims—and the results were sobering.

Studies in the 1980s and 90s found that groups brainstorming together often produced fewer—and less original—ideas than individuals working alone and then pooling results.

Why? Several reasons:

• 🧍‍♀️ Social loafing — people put in less effort in groups
• 🗣️ Production blocking — only one person can speak at a time
• 😬 Evaluation apprehension — people self-censor to avoid judgment
• 📈 Groupthink — people conform to dominant voices or safe ideas

These findings didn’t mean brainstorming was useless—but they challenged the romantic myth of the freewheeling idea party.

Beyond the Myth: What Actually Helps Creativity?

As the science of creativity advanced, so did the techniques for idea generation. Modern researchers suggest that brainstorming works best when:

• It begins individually. “Brainwriting” (where people jot ideas down silently) often outperforms group discussion.
• It’s time-boxed and goal-oriented. Clear prompts and constraints help.
• It’s followed by critical evaluation. Flipping into critique mode is essential—but it should come after idea generation, not during.
• It leverages diversity. The best groups include people with varied perspectives, not just creative professionals.

In short, brainstorming can work—but only if we update the script.

Brainstorming Today: Remix, Rethink, Reboot

Today, brainstorming lives on in many forms:

• 🧠 Design thinking uses brainstorming in the “ideation” phase of problem solving
• 🎨 Creative sprints blend solo and group work
• 📱 Digital platforms allow asynchronous brainstorming across time zones
• 🌐 AI tools can now join the session—offering provocative prompts and analogies

The ritual persists—but with more nuance. We no longer assume that group creativity is effortless or magical. We know it takes structure, safety, and strategy.

The Metaphor Itself: A Storm in the Brain

Interestingly, the metaphor of a “brainstorm” has drawn criticism—especially from disability activists who note its unintended echoes of seizures or psychological storms.

Alternative phrases like “idea jam,” “mind mapping,” or “ideation session” have been adopted in some settings, though none have fully displaced the cultural stickiness of “brainstorm.”

Still, the metaphor reflects a belief: that ideas arrive not one by one, but in bursts of collective energy.

Try This: Brainstorm the Brainstorm

Next time you’re in a meeting or working solo, try rethinking your approach:

• Start with 5 minutes of silent idea generation
• Invite responses in writing before discussion
• Set a timer for wild ideas only
• Switch roles—have the least senior person lead
• Ask, “What haven’t we tried yet?” instead of “What’s the best idea?”

You might discover that the most powerful brainstorms are the ones that defy tradition.

Conclusion: A Method, Not a Magic Trick

Brainstorming was invented with optimism. And rightly so—it opened a door to more democratic, participatory creativity. But as with any method, it only works if we understand what it is (and isn’t).

Today, the brainstorm still matters—not as a ritual to perform, but as a reminder that ideas thrive in open, structured, judgment-free spaces.

And if we’re willing to question the ritual itself? That might be the most creative act of all.

This article is part of our Idea Histories trail — essays exploring where the most familiar concepts came from, and what they reveal about how we think, work, and create.