Brainwriting 6-3-5

Brainwriting 6-3-5 is a written creativity method proposed by Bernd Rohrbach in 1968. It involves exactly 6 participants: each writes 3 ideas in 5 minutes, then passes their sheet to their neighbour. After 6 rounds, the group can generate up to 108 ideas, which are then sorted and voted on. The game facilitates a silent, equitable, and cumulative ideation process, useful when wanting to avoid the dominance effects of oral brainstorming.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Set the framework and the creative challenge

   5 min

   The facilitator sets up 6 participants around a table or in a space where the sheets can circulate easily. They present the principle: "We will produce ideas in writing, silently, each at the same pace." They formulate the creative challenge visibly and check that it is understood by all. They remind everyone of the objective: to generate many options, without discussing or judging during writing.

   Tip — Write the challenge in a short sentence starting with "How might we…?"; if participants already ask if an idea is realistic, respond that sorting will come only after the 6 rounds.

2. 2

   Prepare the 6-3-5 sheets

   3 min

   The facilitator gives each participant a sheet with three columns, designed to note 3 ideas per round. They explain: "In each round, you fill in a line or space with 3 ideas, one per column." Each sheet will be passed hand to hand, always in the same direction. Participants may write their name only if the facilitator wishes to track the circulation, but the ideas remain the main focus.

   Tip — Prepare the sheets before the workshop with 6 successive zones and 3 columns: this avoids layout questions and protects the 5 minutes of writing.

3. 3

   Launch the first writing round

   5 min

   The facilitator starts the timer for 5 minutes and says: "Now write down 3 ideas, each in a column. Write legibly, in a few words or a short sentence." Participants work silently, without commenting or seeking group agreement. The facilitator discreetly circulates and only reminds them of the remaining time. The goal is for everyone to contribute from the start, with exactly 3 proposals.

   Tip — Announce halfway through, "there are 2 minutes 30 left" and then at 30 seconds to go; this rhythm helps participants to put down a third idea even if it is imperfect.

4. 4

   Rotate the sheets and enrich

   25 min

   At the signal, everyone passes their sheet to their neighbour, still in the same direction. The facilitator says: "Read the ideas already noted, then add 3 new ideas in 5 minutes, drawing inspiration from them or not." Participants can bounce off, combine, or propose something else, but remain silent. The facilitator repeats the process until reaching 6 rounds in total, which is 30 minutes of writing.

   Tip — Keep the direction of rotation constant and materialise it with a gesture or an arrow on the table; the mechanics should become automatic to avoid breaking concentration.

5. 5

   Conclude the production and gather the ideas

   5 min

   After the sixth round, the facilitator stops the writing and collects the 6 sheets. They remind everyone of the expected result: with 6 participants, 3 ideas per person and per round, over 6 rounds, the group can reach up to 108 ideas. They ask participants to breathe and come out of silence. The sheets are displayed, placed in the centre, or shared on screen depending on the chosen format.

   Tip — Do not immediately start the debate: allow a minute of silent reading of the displayed sheets so that everyone can discover the overall output without defending their own ideas.

6. 6

   Sort the ideas

   10 à 20 min

   The facilitator guides a quick sorting after the generation phase. They say: "We will group similar ideas, without yet choosing the winners too quickly." Participants bring together duplicates, identify families of ideas, and clarify ambiguous formulations. The facilitator ensures that no original idea is removed simply because it seems minority or unusual.

   Tip — When two ideas seem close, ask "is it the same lever or just the same theme?"; this avoids merging proposals too early that open different avenues.

7. 7

   Vote and decide on the next steps

   10 min

   The facilitator organises a vote on the ideas or families of ideas resulting from the sorting. They specify: "Vote for the options that seem most useful to explore now." Participants vote according to the modality chosen by the facilitator, then the group observes the results. The workshop ends with a clear decision: selected ideas, next steps, responsible person, or further exploration to be planned.

   Tip — Clearly separate the vote from detailed feasibility: the vote serves to identify the energy and interest of the group, not to immediately draft a complete project plan.

Variants

• In a remote setting, use a shared document prepared with 6 sections and 3 columns per round. Every 5 minutes, the facilitator indicates to each participant the next section to complete, always in the same order.
• For a more reserved group, maintain strict silence until the end of the 6 rounds, then allow for individual reading before any oral exchange. This reinforces the advantage of the method: everyone contributes without dominance effects.
• To speed up the exploitation, ask the group to sort only by grouping similar ideas first, then to vote in a second step. This separation prevents early opinions from overly influencing the selection.