Home A - Z
Page Index

An Otter Wiki

Blame

25ac53 lisa 2026-05-25 22:07:24
SD C04: add Brainstorming, Mind Mapping, Design Sketches how-to pages; link from checkpoint Completes the four C4-1 ideation-tool guides. StudyStreak through-line throughout; Brainstorming/Mind Mapping right-sized (familiar), Design Sketches fuller with an annotated low-fi wireframe modelling the identify/explain/justify ladder. Mind map uses a verified mermaid flowchart. All four now linked from the checkpoint design-pack table. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
1 
> **DRAFT** — under teacher review.
2
3
# Brainstorming
4
5
The Hamilton and Alexandra College · Year 12 · 2026
6
7
Brainstorming is one of the four ideation tools in your [C4-1 design pack](/sd/C04/C4-1%20Checkpoint%20-%20Design%20Pack). You already know *what* it is — the skill that scores marks is doing it **well**: chase quantity, switch your judgement off, then find the themes.
8
9
---
10
11
## What makes a good brainstorm
12
13
- **Quantity over quality** — wild, silly, half-formed ideas are all welcome. Volume is the point.
14
- **No judging during the session** — don't filter, don't say "that won't work." Capture *everything*.
15
- **Build on ideas** — one idea sparks the next.
16
- **Timebox it** — 10–15 minutes of fast output beats an hour of overthinking.
17
- **Then group into themes** — the raw list is only useful once you've organised it.
18
19
---
20
21
## How to run yours
22
23
1. Write your **project goal** as a "How might we…?" question at the top of the page.
24
2. Set a **timer for 10–15 minutes**.
25
3. **Dump every idea.** No filtering, no editing, no "that's silly."
26
4. When the timer stops, **group related ideas** and circle the **2–3 strongest themes** to carry into your mind map.
27
28
Use a mini-whiteboard, A3 paper, or Excalidraw in Obsidian — whatever lets you write fast.
29
30
---
31
32
## StudyStreak example
33
34
**How might we help students keep studying without burning out?**
35
36
*Raw dump (timer on — no filtering):*
37
38
> pomodoro timer · streak counter · a plant that grows as you study · mood check-in · "you've done enough today" nudge · lock-out after 9pm · study-with-friends room · badges · confetti · gentle reminder to take a break · one-tap "start studying" · weekly wind-down summary · soundscapes · leaderboard · screen-time guardrails · reward downtime, not just study
39
40
*Then group into themes (and circle the strongest):*
41
42
- 🟢 **Gentle motivation** — streak counter, growing plant, weekly summary ✅
43
- 🟢 **Low-friction logging** — one-tap start, pomodoro timer ✅
44
- **Wellbeing guardrails** — break reminders, "done enough" nudge, 9pm lock-out
45
- ~~Competition~~ — leaderboard, badges, confetti *(crossed out — clashes with the calm, non-gamified feeling)*
46
47
Notice the last group got **rejected on purpose** — that decision is exactly the kind of thing your C4-1 annotations should justify.
48
49
---
50
51
## Common mistakes
52
53
- **Filtering as you go** — it kills your volume. Judge *after* the timer, not during.
54
- **Stopping at five ideas** — push past the obvious ones; the good stuff usually comes later.
55
- **Skipping the grouping step** — an ungrouped list isn't finished work.
56
57
---
58
59
## Your turn
60
61
1. Write your "How might we…?" question.
62
2. Timer on — 10–15 minutes, maximum ideas, zero filtering.
63
3. Group your ideas; circle 2–3 themes.
64
4. Note one idea you **rejected** and why (great annotation material).
65
66
Commit your raw list **and** your themes to GitHub, and add them to your printed design pack.
67
68
---
69
70
## Check Your Understanding
71
72
1. Why is the rule "quantity over quality"?
73
>| ### Answer
74
>| Volume is where good ideas hide — the obvious ones come first, the strong ones come after you've pushed past them. Judging early stops the flow.
75
76
2. What two things do you do *after* the timer stops?
77
>| ### Answer
78
>| Group related ideas into themes, and circle the 2–3 strongest to carry forward (into your mind map).
79
80
3. Why is it useful to note an idea you *rejected*?
81
>| ### Answer
82
>| Naming what you considered and rejected — and why — is exactly the justify-level thinking C4-1 annotations reward.
83
84
---
85
86
## See also
87
88
- [Mind Mapping](/sd/C04/Mind%20Mapping) — the next step: give your brainstorm themes some shape
89
- [Mood Boards](/sd/C04/Mood%20Boards) · [C4-1 Checkpoint — Your Design Pack](/sd/C04/C4-1%20Checkpoint%20-%20Design%20Pack)
90
91
---
92
93
← Back to [C04 Home](/sd/C04/C04-home) · [VCE Software Development Hub](/sd/VCE%20Software%20Development%20Hub)