Description Long

The 6-3-5 method was developed in the 1960s by Bernd Rohrbach to overcome typical challenges associated with traditional brainstorming. While brainstorming involves participants sharing ideas verbally and a facilitator recording them, this method generates ideas in written form and independently. As a result, introverted participants also benefit, and there is no spontaneous evaluation or criticism. Similar to brainstorming, the focus is on the quantity of ideas rather than their quality.

Each participant receives a structured worksheet with multiple rows and columns. In each round, three new ideas are written down or existing ideas are further developed within five minutes. The sheet is then passed on to the next person. This cycle repeats until all fields on the worksheet are filled. With 6 participants and 6 rounds, up to 108 ideas can be generated within 30 minutes.

The 6-3-5 method is very simple, easy to learn, and efficient. It does not require a facilitator to record the ideas, as this is continuously done by the participants themselves. Another advantage is that, during and after the workshop, it is always possible to trace which ideas came from whom. Thanks to the rapid idea generation and parallel processing, communication bottlenecks can be avoided. This method is particularly suitable for problem-oriented creative processes in which a large number of potential solutions need to be generated.

Preparation

• All participants have background knowledge of the workshop topic.
• Prepare worksheets and writing materials: one sheet per person with a table consisting of 6 rows (one per round) and 3 columns (one per idea).
• Online: Prepare a technical solution that allows ideas to be edited by multiple people in sequence (e.g., email, shared drive, online forms, etc.).

Execution

1. Each participant receives a prepared 6-3-5 worksheet that includes a brief description of the problem topic.
2. Participants write down 3 ideas and enter them into the fields of the first row.
3. After five minutes, and upon instruction from the workshop facilitator, each participant passes their worksheet to the next person. 

   The next person adds three new ideas — either introducing new ideas, building upon existing ones, or expanding or improving previous ideas.

4. This cycle continues until the entire table is filled. By the end of the process, up to 108 ideas will have been generated.

Hints from experience

• It can be beneficial for the group to meet in advance and identify the problem to be addressed during the workshop.
• Write down ideas quietly and individually to avoid influencing one another.
• The method can also be very effectively used during the "Closing 1" phase.

Tools list

• Worksheets, prepared
• Paper and pencil

References

MacNaught, S. (2024). 635 Brainwriting For Content Marketing Ideas Generation. Retrieved from https://www.staceymacnaught.co.uk/635-brainwriting-method

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/12/using-brainwriting-for-rapid-idea-generation/