Vital Brainstorming Prompt Questions

Brainstorming questions are the fuel that drives innovation. They spark curiosity, uncover assumptions, and inspire new perspectives. Yet coming up with good questions doesn’t always come naturally. That’s why building a framework for asking better brainstorming questions is so vital.

In my experience facilitating creative sessions, the quality of questions asked directly impacts the quality of ideas generated. Great questions open up possibilities while poor questions lead to dead ends. So how do you formulate questions that ignite engaging discussions and drive creativity? Here I’ll share my top tips.

Start by Defining The Goal

Having a clearly defined problem statement or objective is crucial. This gives you focus when creating relevant questions. Ask yourself:

What specific problem are we trying to solve?
What do we want to achieve in this brainstorm?

With clarity of purpose, it becomes easier to frame practical questions that move the conversation forward.

Use Open-Ended Question Stems

Closed-ended questions that can be answered with just “yes” or “no” rarely spur creative thinking. Open-ended questions starting with “What if…”, “How might we…”, or “In what ways…” give space for imagination. For example:

What if we eliminated this assumption?
How might we make this process more efficient?
In what ways could we improve the customer experience?

Word choices matter too. “In what ways” invites more possibilities than just asking “How can we…”. Test different open-ended stems and see which resonate best with your group.

Types of Brainstorming Questions

Here are four key types of questions I incorporate when leading a brainstorm:

1. Observational Questions

These take stock of current realities. For example:

What do we know about customer needs?
What’s working well and what’s not?
Where are the biggest pain points?

Solid observational questions uncover insights you can build on.

2. Interpretive Questions

Next, have the group reflect on the meaning behind observations using questions like:

Why does this problem exist?
What patterns or themes emerge?
What theories or assumptions does this challenge or validate?

Interpretive questions reveal connections and test hypotheses.

3. Imaginative Questions

This type sparks creativity by inviting participants to envision possibilities, for instance:

In an ideal world, what should the customer experience be?
If anything were possible, what bold ideas might we explore?
How can we think differently about this?

Imaginative prompts get creative juices flowing.

4. Strategic Questions

Finally, bring the conversation back to practical next steps:

What ideas seem most promising?
What can we do right now to test assumptions?
What’s our next level experiment?

Strategic questions drive action.

Resources for Better Brainstorming Questions

Here are a few websites with more examples of excellent brainstorming questions:

The art of asking thought-provoking questions takes practice. But frame your inquiries using the types of questions above and watch how quickly your sessions move from stuck to inspired. What brainstorming questions ignite your creativity? I welcome your insights in the comments.