# Speed Storming

Pairs rapidly brainstorm responses to a central challenge across timed rounds, switching partners each round. Participants capture distinct proposals on sticky notes and cluster them on a shared wall for review.

**Time:** 25 minutes. Participatory Methods specifies 20 to 45 minutes; 25 minutes fits an introduction, 3 three-minute rounds, collection, and debrief.
**People:** 6 to 20. Rotating pairs in two facing lines (if an odd number attends, assign one participant as timekeeper scribe)

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Generate and capture a broad range of peer-tested ideas on a specific challenge in timed rotations.
**Use it when:** Use when a team needs quick, divergent ideas on a focused problem and benefits from cross-pollinating perspectives across pairs.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the task requires deep technical analysis, delicate conflict resolution, or sustained solitary drafting.

## Materials and tools

- 1 pad of sticky notes (3x3 inch) per participant
- 1 fine marker per participant
- 1 digital countdown timer visible to all
- 1 wall space or flip chart board for posting notes

## Before participants arrive

1. Arrange chairs in two parallel facing rows or clear floor space for easy movement between pairs.
2. Write the central prompt in large letters at the top of the collection board.
3. Distribute a sticky pad and marker to each seat.

## Say this to open

Welcome. Today we will generate proposals for our central challenge using quick partner rotations. In each three-minute round, you and your partner will build ideas together. Aim to capture at least one concrete proposal per note. When the timer sounds, one side shifts to meet a new partner.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce challenge and setup rotation (3 minutes)

Read the prompt aloud. Give a concrete example: write 'Hold daily 15-minute standup' rather than 'Improve communication'. Divide the room into two facing lines, Row A and Row B, so each person in Row A faces a partner in Row B. Row A remains stationary, while Row B shifts one chair to the right after each round. If an odd number attends, assign the extra participant as a timekeeper scribe who captures overarching ideas from pairs.

### 2. Run rotating brainstorming rounds (10 minutes)

Run three rounds of three minutes each, allowing 30 seconds for partner shifts after rounds 1 and 2. In each round, partners rapidly propose solutions to the prompt. Each person writes their own concrete ideas on sticky notes. At the 90-second mark, prompt pairs to ensure both people have spoken and recorded thoughts. When the timer rings after rounds 1 and 2, Row B shifts one chair to the right.

### 3. Post and cluster proposals (5 minutes)

Invite all participants to bring their notes to the board. Direct everyone to post notes and cluster similar proposals into thematic groups. Posting is voluntary; participants may retain any note they prefer not to display. Allow quiet sorting until all posted notes are organized into distinct clusters.

### 4. Debrief and select highlights (7 minutes)

Facilitate a short room review of the resulting clusters. Ask two to three participants to highlight an idea that surfaced repeatedly or stands out as feasible. Review the clusters to identify promising items for immediate next steps.


## Debrief questions

- Which ideas appeared across multiple pairs in different rounds?
- Which single proposal looks most viable to test first?
- What novel or surprising angle emerged from the rotations?

**Finished output:** A board of clustered sticky notes documenting specific proposals generated across paired rounds.

## Remote

Create paired breakout rooms in Zoom or Teams for 3-minute rounds. Between rounds, broadcast a warning, recall participants to the main room, and use the platform's automatic recreate breakout rooms function to randomly re-pair participants before opening rooms again. Participants post their notes onto a shared digital board labeled with the prompt.

## Hybrid

Pair remote participants with remote partners in digital breakout rooms and in-person participants with in-person partners. All participants submit ideas directly onto a single shared digital whiteboard using their own devices or laptops, keeping posting and clustering simultaneous across both groups without manual transcription.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants with mobility preferences may sit in Row A, remaining stationary while partners rotate to them.
- Posting notes to the public board is optional; participants may keep any notes private without explanation.

## If the session gets stuck

**One partner dominates the three-minute conversation.**

Call out a 90-second midpoint reminder in each round so both partners have equal time to share and record thoughts.

**Ideas are written too vaguely to interpret on the board.**

Remind participants before round one to use verb-led actions rather than generic buzzwords on their notes.


## Terms used here

- Speed Storming: A structured rapid-ideation dynamic using short partner rotations to generate and cross-pollinate ideas.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in the Participatory Methods library under the title 'Speed Storming'.

Retained the core mechanic of timed partner rotations, individual note recording, and common board collection from Participatory Methods. Clarified the facing-row rotation structure and resolved odd-number handling by designating a timekeeper scribe role. Corrected rotation break timing to exactly two 30-second transitions between three rounds. Clarified remote re-pairing using standard breakout recreation.

[Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/speed-storming/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/speed-storming/