When embarking on a new project, it's common to face challenges that can dampen your motivation. There's a powerful tool that can help reignite your creativity in such scenarios: brainstorming.
Brainstorming is a great way to start your next project with ease and maximum creativity. If you need a fast and effective way to generate new ideas, you can rely on Notion.
There's no one right way to brainstorm; you have to experiment and see which method works best for you. To get started, here are four creative ways to brainstorm in Notion.
1. Create an Ideas Folder
Creating an ideas folder is a practical approach to organizing your ideas and keeping your notes accessible inside Notion. Thanks to Notion's simple file structure, you can create an ideas folder in a few simple steps:
- Access the sidebar and click Add a Page.
- Assign the page a title and click Empty Page or press Enter.
- On the new line, type the command /page and press Enter to add a new ideas page.
Over time, you can keep adding pages using the command as you discover new ideas. You can add icons and emoji to your Notion pages for a personalized look. Adding icons can help you identify ideas faster and provide visual breaks between large blocks of text.
Advantages of Creating an Ideas Folder
Creating an ideas folder gives you the flexibility to organize your ideas however you wish. To rearrange an idea in the list, simply hold and drag an idea to any new position. You should see a blue horizontal line indicating where the item will be placed.
By using two of Notion's favored features—subpages and backlinks—you can quickly expand on ideas and create connections between them. Within a page, type the /page command to add a subpage. This helps expand on smaller ideas as you brainstorm. You can also link to an existing Notion page by typing the @ symbol, followed by the page's name.
Disadvantages of Creating an Ideas Folder
While it's an excellent method for creatives, this method does require you to start from scratch, so it isn't the fastest solution if you're optimizing speed. After frequent use, your ideas may also become cluttered and more difficult to manage. A potential solution to this is to add sub-folders or use headings to help break up information.
2. Use Notion AI
Notion is one of the many productivity apps integrating AI for faster content creation. This method is great for gaining initial inspiration as you begin brainstorming.
To activate Notion AI, use the shortcut Ctrl + J on a new line. One of the easiest ways to brainstorm ideas is to use Notion's AI brainstorming template, which you can access with the steps below:
- Type Brainstorm and click the Brainstorm Ideas button that appears.
- Type in your response and press Enter.
- Hit Done if you've finished, or select Continue Writing to gather more ideas.
Advantages of Notion AI
Whether you're brainstorming with your team or trying to conquer writer's block, the brainstorming options with Notion AI are endless. Having an AI tool built into your note-taking app means you can directly ask it queries based on your notes' contents. This would be difficult to achieve using a separate chatbot such as ChatGTP, not to mention more time-consuming.
Disadvantages of Notion AI
Unfortunately, there is a limited number of responses you can generate per month on Notion's free plan (up to 20 free responses per month). Despite the limitation, this is useful to grasp a good understanding of the feature before you consider upgrading to a paid Notion plan.
3. Use a Notion Template
If you're looking for a way to map out ideas visually and also save time, you can explore Notion's free brainstorming templates for fast idea generation. You can explore brainstorming templates in Notion's template gallery, where there are dozens of free and paid templates to pick from.
You can preview templates before applying them to your workspace. If you're happy with a template, click the Duplicate button in the top right corner of the template to add it to your workspace.
Advantages of Using a Notion Template
Using a template saves plenty of time when typing up ideas. With a variety of templates available, you can easily find one that suits your needs, whether you're brainstorming alone or with your work pals.
Many templates, including Notion's free remote brainstorming template, incorporate features like Notion buttons. This feature allows you to perform immediate actions, such as adding an idea tagged with your name. Templates like this also offer helpful prompts and questions to kickstart your brainstorming session.
Disadvantages of Using a Notion Template
When using a template, you may find that not all its features are necessary. This superfluous space can become a distraction from the critical components of your brainstorming page. To mitigate this, you can reorder the blocks or delete them by hitting the Del key.
4. Create a Custom Template
Another alternative you can try is to create your own templates. This is valuable if you're seeking a personalized approach for smaller brainstorming sessions that require little depth. You can create a custom template using Notion's buttons:
- Type the command /button on a new line.
- Give your template a name and select Insert Blocks from the list of options.
- Add new content for the template in the editing box or drag existing blocks inside.
Whenever you click the button, it will generate a new template of the contents you've placed inside.
Advantages of Creating a Custom Template
Using a custom template will help you commit to your own routine without having to remove irrelevant elements from a premade template. It also gives you the creative freedom to design your template however you wish without being confined to the style of pre-made templates.
The editing window inside the template button offers all the features seen in the regular editor, including headings, checklists, tables, and more.
Disadvantages of Creating a Custom Template
Despite this method's strong customization abilities, it can be difficult to manage. Unlike regular templates accessible from the sidebar, you'll need to manually copy and paste the template button if you want to use your custom template in different locations. Notion has a nice shortcut to simplify this process: hold Alt and drag the button to create a duplicate.
Take Brainstorming to the Next Level with Notion
Notion provides a range of powerful tools to help you brainstorm quickly and effectively. Whether you're working with a team or brainstorming for a personal project, with Notion, you can tailor your brainstorming approach to suit your specific needs.
So why not invite Notion to your next brainstorming session and unleash your creativity?