High-Tech Blocks Help Battle Brainstorming Slumps

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By Vignesh Ramachandran2013-08-31 14:59:03 UTC

If sticky notes, whiteboards and yellow legal pads just aren't inspiring your team brainstorming sessions anymore, it's time to break out some toys.

The folks at Smart Design's Smart Interaction Lab designed toy-like TOTEM blocks that can help teams improve idea-generating sessions, as explained in the video above. The creators presented these brainstorming tools at Barcelona's first Maker Faire.

See also: 14 Fantastic Free Tools for Design Collaboration

The three unique blocks — Batón, Echo and Alterego — all have different functions ina team meeting.

The "Batón" is passed around like a talking stick, so whoever is holding it is allowed to speak. The gadget will vibrate when it's time to pass it to the next person. This should help those colleagues who are too shy to speak up and sets a time limit for those who are more chatty.

The "Echo" records background sounds and sound bytes and can play those back. The creators say Echo's intent is to capture "creative conversations, keywords and quirky background noises" we might otherwise not hear. Shake Echo and you'll hear a randomly recorded idea.

The "Alterego" is meant to make the group think outside the comfort zone without biases. Pick up one of the three ring-like devices and it lights up in one of three colors, each one signifying the mindset you must adopt for that session. Green means you must be the optimist, red signifies the pessimist and blue designates you as moderator.

Fast Company notes TOTEM is still "an unproven concept." But if your brainstorming sessions are stale or lack energy, disrputive tools like this could spice things up.

How does your team combat fruitless brainstorming sessions at your workplace? Would gadgets like this help? Share your ideas in the comments.

Image: Smart Interaction Lab

[h/t Fast Company]

Topics: brainstorm, design concept, Design Concepts, Lifestyle, maker faire, Newsy, Startups, team, Work & Play