I,m always up for a bit of team work, especially when it comes to brainstorming ideas. For me however I always find it much more stimulating if there are props or something to kick start some ideas. Sitting around a table with nothing but pens and notepads doesn’t really seem the most productive or inspiring of scenarios to me.

StoryCube packs are an excellent, playful brainstorming tool. This concept takes away the boring mundane meeting situation, where one person is usually standing up at the front writing down ideas on a board. Using the StoryCubes in this way allows everyone to get involved and work together.

Each of the six sides can illustrate or describe an idea, a thing or action. Placed together you can build up different narratives and explore relationships between them – a powerful technique to motivate teams.

The image below illustrates Kevin Hamilton’s (of University of Illinois) use of the brainstorming StoryCubes concept in his ‘Critique, Collaboration, Prototyping’ workshop.

Buy blank StoryCube packs, or create your own personalised cubes on bookleter and inject some fun into those boring meetings.

This same concept can be used in schools or for pupils to use as a revision technique or a different way to present their projects or coursework.