Creative Prompts for Brainstorming and Innovation

AI isn't just for analysis and coding—it's a powerful brainstorming partner. The right prompts can help you break through creative blocks, generate novel ideas, and explore possibilities you wouldn't have considered. For complete content creation workflows, see our writing prompts for content creators.

Why AI for Brainstorming?

AI's Creative Strengths

• No judgment: Won't dismiss "weird" ideas
• Rapid quantity: Can generate dozens of ideas in seconds
• Cross-domain: Draws unexpected connections
• Always available: Ready when inspiration strikes
• Tireless: Keeps going when you're stuck

The Productivity Gap

Studies show that teams spend 50-70% of brainstorming time on ideas they've already considered. AI can push past familiar territory.

Brainstorming Prompt Frameworks

The "What If" Engine

Generate 20 "What if..." scenarios for [TOPIC/PROBLEM].

Context: [CURRENT SITUATION]

Range of ideas:
- 5 conservative (small changes)
- 10 moderate (significant changes)
- 5 wild (seemingly impossible)

Don't evaluate—just generate ideas freely.

Perspective Shift

I'm stuck on [PROBLEM]. Help me see it from new angles.

View this problem as if you were:
1. A 10-year-old child
2. An alien seeing humans for the first time
3. Someone from 100 years ago
4. Someone from 100 years in the future
5. A competitor trying to solve the same problem
6. A customer who's frustrated

What would each perspective suggest?

Constraint Flipping

I'm working on [IDEA/PROJECT].

Current constraints I'm accepting:
- [Constraint 1]
- [Constraint 2]
- [Constraint 3]

For each constraint:
1. What if it didn't exist?
2. What if we made it 10x more extreme?
3. What if we made it the core feature instead of a limitation?

Generate ideas based on each flipped constraint.

The Combination Generator

Help me combine unexpected elements:

Domain A: [YOUR DOMAIN]
Domain B: [UNRELATED DOMAIN - e.g., gaming, hospitality, nature]

Generate 10 ideas that combine concepts from both domains.
Make connections that wouldn't be obvious.

Example format:
"What if [concept from A] worked like [concept from B]?"

Ideation Session Prompts

Opening a Session

We're brainstorming solutions for: [CHALLENGE]

Context:
- Current situation: [DESCRIBE]
- Failed approaches: [WHAT WE'VE TRIED]
- Stakeholders: [WHO CARES ABOUT THIS]
- Constraints: [REAL CONSTRAINTS TO RESPECT]

Start by generating 15 rapid-fire ideas with no filtering.
Include some that feel unrealistic—we'll evaluate later.

Excavating Deeper

This initial idea is interesting: [IDEA]

Help me explore it deeper:
1. What's the core insight here?
2. How could we implement this in 3 different ways?
3. What would a minimal version look like?
4. What would an ambitious version look like?
5. Who else has done something similar we could learn from?
6. What's the first step to test this?

Combining and Evolving Ideas

Here are our top 5 ideas from brainstorming:
1. [Idea 1]
2. [Idea 2]
3. [Idea 3]
4. [Idea 4]
5. [Idea 5]

Now:
1. Find 3 ways to combine ideas from the list
2. For each idea, suggest 2 variations that strengthen it
3. Identify elements that appear in multiple ideas (these might be key)
4. Which idea has the most potential, and why?

Closing a Session

Here are the ideas we're considering taking forward:
[LIST OF IDEAS]

For each, create a brief summary:
- One sentence description
- Key strengths
- Key risks/challenges
- Who should champion this
- Next step to move forward

Format as a decision document we can share with the team.

Browse our creative prompts collection for more ideation templates.

Overcoming Creative Blocks

When You're Stuck

I'm feeling stuck on [CREATIVE PROJECT].

Current state: [WHAT I HAVE]
Where I'm blocked: [THE STICKING POINT]
What I've tried: [APPROACHES THAT DIDN'T WORK]

Help me get unstuck by:
1. Reframing the problem differently
2. Suggesting 5 unexpected starting points
3. Recommending a constraint to add (sometimes limits help)
4. Proposing a completely different approach

Fresh Perspectives

I've been working on [PROJECT] too long and can't see it clearly anymore.

Act as if you're seeing this for the first time:
[DESCRIBE PROJECT]

Tell me:
1. What stands out immediately (good or bad)?
2. What's confusing or unclear?
3. What's missing that you expected?
4. What's the strongest element to build on?
5. If you had to change one thing, what would it be?

The Opposite Game

I'm considering this approach:
[YOUR APPROACH]

Generate the opposite approach. Then identify:
1. What does the opposite make you realize about the original?
2. Is there something valuable in the opposite?
3. Could you combine elements of both?

Innovation Prompts

Problem Reframing

We're trying to solve: [PROBLEM STATEMENT]

But are we solving the right problem? Help me question assumptions:

1. Rephrase this problem 5 different ways
2. What's the problem behind the problem?
3. Who defined this as the problem? Could they be wrong?
4. If this problem magically disappeared, what would the new world look like?
5. What if this isn't a problem but an opportunity?

First Principles Thinking

Help me think about [TOPIC] from first principles.

Current approach: [HOW IT'S USUALLY DONE]

1. What are the fundamental truths we can't argue with?
2. Strip away conventions—what remains?
3. If we started from scratch today, what would we build?
4. What would [Elon Musk / Jeff Bezos / nature] do?

Trend Synthesis

I want to innovate in [INDUSTRY/DOMAIN].

Relevant trends:
- [Trend 1]
- [Trend 2]
- [Trend 3]

For each trend:
1. How could this fundamentally change our space?
2. What new opportunities does it create?
3. What current practices will it make obsolete?

Then: What happens when we combine these trends?

Competitor Disruption

If I were a competitor trying to disrupt [MY COMPANY/PRODUCT]:

Current offering: [DESCRIBE]
Apparent weaknesses: [KNOWN WEAKNESSES]

1. Where would I attack?
2. What would I build to take customers?
3. What pricing model would undercut you?
4. What segment would I capture first?
5. What marketing message would I use?

Now: How do we do this to ourselves before someone else does?

Content Creation Prompts

Story Ideation

I need ideas for a [STORY TYPE - blog post series, video series, podcast, etc.].

Topic area: [BROAD TOPIC]
Audience: [WHO WILL CONSUME THIS]
Unique angle we have: [OUR EXPERTISE/PERSPECTIVE]

Generate:
- 10 evergreen topic ideas
- 5 timely/trending angles
- 3 controversial takes (that we could defend)
- 2 series concepts (multi-part content)

Title/Hook Generation

I'm creating content about: [TOPIC]

Core message: [WHAT I WANT TO SAY]
Audience: [WHO I'M SPEAKING TO]

Generate:
- 10 headline options
- 5 hook/opening lines
- 3 frameworks to structure the piece

Make them specific and avoid generic patterns.

Visual Concept Ideation

I need visual concepts for [PROJECT].

Purpose: [WHAT IT'S FOR]
Brand personality: [DESCRIBE BRAND]
Must convey: [KEY MESSAGES]

Generate 5 distinct visual directions:
- Concept description
- Key visual elements
- Color mood
- Photography/illustration style
- What makes it unique

Product Ideation Prompts

Feature Brainstorm

We're adding features to [PRODUCT].

Current product: [DESCRIBE]
Target users: [WHO]
Competitive gap: [WHAT WE'RE MISSING]

Generate feature ideas in categories:
1. Quick wins (low effort, high impact)
2. Differentiators (unique to us)
3. Table stakes (must-haves we lack)
4. Moonshots (ambitious bets)

For each, one line: what it is and why it matters.

New Product Concepts

Explore new product ideas in [SPACE].

Market context: [DESCRIBE THE MARKET]
Our strengths: [WHAT WE'RE GOOD AT]
Unmet needs we've observed: [CUSTOMER PROBLEMS]

Generate 10 product concepts:
- Name (can be playful/temporary)
- One-sentence description
- Target customer
- Key value proposition
- Why we could execute this

Naming Brainstorm

I need name ideas for [PRODUCT/FEATURE/COMPANY].

It should convey: [KEY ATTRIBUTES]
Tone: [SERIOUS / PLAYFUL / TECHNICAL / ETC.]
Considerations: [DOMAIN AVAILABILITY, TRADEMARK, ETC.]

Generate:
- 10 invented words
- 10 real-word names
- 5 combination/compound names
- 5 acronym options

For each, note the feeling/association it creates.

Making Ideas Actionable

Idea Evaluation

Evaluate this idea against criteria:

Idea: [DESCRIBE IDEA]

Criteria:
- Feasibility (can we do it?)
- Impact (does it matter?)
- Fit (does it align with our strategy?)
- Timing (is now right?)
- Resources (do we have what we need?)

Score 1-5 on each. Identify the biggest risk.

Rapid Prototyping Guide

I want to test this idea quickly:
[IDEA]

Design a minimum viable test:
1. What's the core hypothesis?
2. What's the smallest thing we can build to test it?
3. What would success look like?
4. What would failure look like?
5. How long should we run the test?
6. What do we do next if it works? If it doesn't?

Pitch Preparation

I need to pitch this idea:
[IDEA]

Audience: [WHO YOU'RE PITCHING TO]
Their concerns: [WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT]
Time available: [PITCH LENGTH]

Create:
1. Opening hook (15 seconds)
2. Problem statement (30 seconds)
3. Solution overview (1 minute)
4. Why now? (30 seconds)
5. Ask (what you need)

Also suggest 3 questions they might ask and how to answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get less generic AI ideas?

Include specific context, constraints, and examples. Generic prompts = generic ideas. The more specific your input, the more specific and useful the output. Our guide on how to write better AI prompts covers techniques for getting more targeted results.

Should I use AI ideas directly?

Use AI as a starting point. The best ideas often come from your reaction to AI suggestions—what you disagree with, want to modify, or get inspired by.

How many ideas should I generate?

More is better in early stages. Aim for 20-50 ideas before filtering. Often the best ideas come late, after obvious ones are exhausted.

Can AI be truly creative?

AI remixes and recombines; humans create meaning. AI is excellent for generating raw material; humans add the judgment about what's valuable.

What if my team resists AI brainstorming?

Position it as a tool, not a replacement. Show how it accelerates the process. Let skeptics verify that human judgment remains essential.

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Explore our creative prompts library for 150+ brainstorming and ideation templates.