Methods for Brainstorming

[Matokage]

Recently i have seen a video about a toy designer that used a simple words game to brainstorm ideas for his work.
Its an old game called "Shiritori" Where you say a word and after that another word with the last latter of the previous one, for example. Hamster - Riot - Trhone

Let him explain how this method helped him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RovaUZY3e8k
Somebody help me embed youtube videos here!

Share you brainstorming method here if you like.

[Froginator]

Most of the time I start with having rough ideas of how things will look like and work. Then I flesh things out by writing lists of what I'll be trying to do. When I'm done with listing I start to actually do the things on my list. During that I find out what works and what doesn't, so I get a (most of the time) working thing. Wether it is a story for a comic, cartoon or a game or gameplay elements, graphic styles, or just methods of doing things.

[sheamkennedy]

@Matakage: That's a very interesting way to come up with fresh ideas. I'll definitely try that.

One way I've used in the past is actually a program called "Liptikl." It works by taking 2 or more sources of text input and then the program attempts to form somewhat coherent sentences out of the mixture of text. For example you could take 2 poems that you really like and the program will mash them in to one poem. Obviously this kind of programmed creation has some flaws but it usually will lead to fresh ideas of your own once you try to make sense of the output. One might use this when brainstorming a good videogame idea. You could plug in a few small ideas of your own, sprinkle in some other game ideas that you like, and then the output might be something you hadn't really considered before.

I originally used this program for coming up with musical instrument ideas. I like inventing instruments and had a few experimental ideas that I'd written down. I plugged them in to the program and from what I made sense of the output I actually came up with a very neat instrument idea. The idea that the program spit out is a large drum filled with a solution of liquid and iron filings. The user of the instrument stirs the iron filings up so that they are in motion. On the outside of the drum there is an electromagneting pickup, similar to a guitar. As the filings fly past the pickup, they create a somewhat alternating current in the pickup and thus a sound is produced. I don't know what this would sound like. Probably best suited as a droning instrument. Either way it's an idea I would not have came up with prior to using the program.

If you search online you can get Liptikl to test out as a 30-day trial. The full versions $12 or something as an app. I suggest the trial version to anyone who wants to try it out and see if it's worth getting.

Maybe if one of you is smart enough you could just make your own text input to output mashing program. The more unclear I found the output to be, the better. It made me think hard about what the output could possibly be interpreted as, and often many ideas came from one output.

[Bob the Hamster]

Sounds like Liptiki is probably based on Markov Chains.

I googled around and found this one: http://projects.haykranen.nl/markov/demo/

It only takes a single source text, but there is nothing stopping you from combining two sources and pasting them into the same box.

[sheamkennedy]

Sounds like Liptiki is probably based on Markov Chains.

I googled around and found this one: http://projects.haykranen.nl/markov/demo/

It only takes a single source text, but there is nothing stopping you from combining two sources and pasting them into the same box.

Thanks so much! I was hoping someone could point me to the direction of a free program like this. I'll be using this for sure!

[Matokage]

I will surely use these two. Giving a try right now!

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My mind has been blown!