I thought about how to get Notion to help me come up with ideas.

Sep 22, 2023

Hello! I'm Rei, an official Notion ambassador.

What tools do you use when brainstorming new ideas?

I sometimes write directly on paper or my iPad, but I also often use Notion.

This time, I'd like to introduce a template for brainstorming with Notion!

The page to be introduced. Notion AI appears again this time 👀

In this template, I've compiled several methods for brainstorming in Notion!

This is a recommended use case for those who want to brainstorm digitally instead of on paper, or for those who want to brainstorm remotely with multiple people.

This time, I'll explain this template in detail, so please read it to the end!

Get Notion here!

🎬 Director：Rei
✍🏻 Writer：Minokurumi

Why Digital Brainstorming with Notion is Convenient

Brainstorming is about generating many ideas. It's often necessary in various situations, both at work and in private life.

When we think of brainstorming, we often imagine sitting at a desk with paper and pens, writing ideas on many sticky notes and arranging them, or spreading out a notebook to write things down.

However, ideas don't just come when you're at your desk; they can come to you unexpectedly, like during your commute, in conversations with friends, or while taking a shower.

In such moments, it would be convenient to be able to quickly jot down notes on your phone or generate a few ideas right then and there.

Also, when brainstorming with multiple people for work, we used to gather in a meeting room and write on a whiteboard. But now that remote meetings are the norm, this has become difficult in many situations.

While there are several online whiteboards available, they can be inconvenient if not everyone is familiar with the tool.

The template I'm introducing today is a useful page for when you "wish you could brainstorm digitally" or "want to brainstorm remotely with multiple people."

It's relatively easy to use even for those who aren't accustomed to Notion, as you can use button functions and intuitively move boards by dragging and dropping.

Of course, this method is useful not only for multiple people but also for generating ideas alone. Please try using it conveniently, whether individually or in your company!

How to Brainstorm with Notion

Now, let's take a closer look at the template we're distributing and how to use it.

Overview of the page

1. Using Notion like adding sticky notes

First, I'll introduce the simplest brainstorming method.

Brainstorming often involves "writing ideas on sticky notes and arranging them." The first method replaces this with Notion.

The usage is simple: everyone brainstorming opens this page before or during a meeting and writes down their ideas on the sticky notes.

To add sticky notes, simply click the "Add [User's Name] sticky note" button in the top left corner, and you can easily add more.

With paper sticky notes, you'd need to gather in a meeting room and put them on a whiteboard, but this way, it's easy to do remotely, which is a key advantage.

It also allows for individuals to brainstorm before the meeting, potentially making the meeting itself more productive.

💡Make it even easier with "button blocks"

"Button blocks" allow you to turn repetitive actions into a single button. In this case, I've made the action of "adding a sticky note" into a button.
To set it up, click on the "+" icon, select "Button," then choose the "Insert blocks" action. Then, create what you want to insert when the button is pressed within the designated area.
This is a versatile technique worth remembering!

2. Write down ideas and assign priorities

The second brainstorming method is to "write ideas in a table and evaluate them."

Here, I've prepared two boards: one for "writing down ideas" and another for "considering priorities."

❶ Write down ideas in a table

First, let's write down ideas in a table.

The usage is very simple. During a meeting or similar setting, simply write down any ideas that come to mind in the "Idea" column of the table.

💡Types of items to note

Here's what I've added to the properties. Feel free to add anything else you think would be useful!
・Idea evaluation (3 stars)
・Checkbox for whether to adopt or not
・Priority

Once brainstorming is complete, team members will evaluate the ideas with 3 stars. Then, check the "Adopt?" box for the ideas to be implemented.

On the next board, we'll determine the priority of the ideas. So, please assign any one of the "Priority" tags at the end.

❷ Categorize ideas by priority

After writing down your ideas in a table, if you're struggling to decide which ones to adopt, the next step is to categorize them into four priority levels.

This classification method is called the "Eisenhower Matrix."

This board uses the same database as the previous table, so the ideas should be displayed according to the "Priority" tag you assigned earlier.

You can decide the priority of ideas from the four levels below based on urgency and importance. Ideas on the board can be easily moved by dragging and dropping.

Urgent and important
Not urgent but important
Urgent but not important
Not urgent and not important

By categorizing them by priority in this way, you can see what needs to be tackled first, and conversely, what doesn't need to be done right now.

💡COLUMN: Use "Callouts" for a clearer visual.

This colorful board is actually created by dragging and dropping a database into "Callout" blocks. This allows you to color-code your database!
Notion allows you to choose icons and background colors for various blocks. Incorporating colors like this makes it visually clearer and can even lift your spirits a bit!

3. Get help from Notion AI

On this brainstorming page, I've prepared two ways to brainstorm using Notion AI. If you're stuck for ideas, try relying on Notion AI!

❶ Ask Notion AI questions

The first method is where AI asks you questions to help you generate ideas.

After entering your brainstorming conditions in the "Purpose/Problem" field, click the "Generate" button in the upper right corner of the purple box, and the AI will generate questions based on the conditions you entered.

When you're stuck for ideas, you might find a different perspective!

❷ Have Notion AI generate ideas itself

The second method is to have AI generate the brainstorming ideas themselves.

Similarly, after entering the brainstorming conditions in the "Purpose/Problem" field, click the "Generate" button, and the AI will remarkably generate ideas based on the conditions you provided!

Here, I had it generate "30 ideas to get more people to use Notion."

You might come up with unexpected ideas that you wouldn't have thought of on your own. Please make convenient use of Notion AI for your brainstorming too!

Summary

That concludes the introduction to how to brainstorm with Notion! What did you think?

Being able to brainstorm digitally should be even more convenient, allowing you to easily jot down ideas as they come to mind, and collaborate remotely with multiple people. Please try this way of using Notion!

Here's the ultimate task management template for Notion, "Todotion"!