Brainstorming Tool: Starbursting Technique

Starbursting is a brainstorming technique that focuses on generating questions to explore an idea from multiple perspectives. This method is designed to ensure that all aspects of an idea or project are comprehensively considered.

Steps for Starbursting:

1. Identify the Core Idea: Begin by writing down the main idea or problem you want to explore in the center of a star-shaped diagram.
2. Create Six Key Questions: Surround the core idea with six main branches, each representing one of the fundamental questions: What, Why, When, Where, Who, and How.
3. Develop Further Questions: From each main branch, develop additional questions. For example, under the "What" branch, you might ask, "What is the goal of this project?" or "What resources are needed?"
4. Analyze and Discuss: Once all the questions are identified, discuss and analyze each question to find answers that help clarify and deepen the understanding of the idea.

Example of Starbursting:

Suppose the core idea is "Launching a New Product."

1. What:
   • What is the purpose of this product?
   • What are the key features of this product?
   • What market need does this product fulfill?
2. Why:
   • Why will customers choose this product?
   • Why is this product better than existing ones in the market?
   • Why are we choosing this time to launch?
3. When:
   • When will the product be launched?
   • When will the promotions begin?
   • When can we measure the success of the launch?
4. Where:
   • Where will this product be manufactured?
   • Where will this product be sold?
   • Where will we advertise this product?
5. Who:
   • Who is the target market for this product?
   • Who will be responsible for product development?
   • Who are our main competitors?
6. How:
   • How will we produce this product?
   • How will our marketing strategy look?
   • How will we measure the product's success?

Using the starbursting technique, teams can explore every aspect of an idea or project in-depth, ensuring that all critical questions are considered and answered before proceeding further.