Cardstorming Technique

Hardy M¹

1. Twyford Consulting, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

The cardstorming process is a simple and effective collaborative technique that uses 4” x 6” index cards to capture thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, and/or issues. It is effective for facilitating, sharing, and organizing very concrete, practical ideas among participants. It is a good process for the initial engagement of individuals and for assessing and valuing their prior knowledge and expertise on a particular topic. It is also a powerful tool for building consensus and creatively responding to real-world challenges.

Initially, individuals respond to a particular question. Small groups of three or four are formed, and participants share individual ideas and record the group’s ideas on 4” x 6” index cards. The ideas are then sorted, clustered, and categorized in small groups, or depending on the size, with all participants. The process can take from 45 – 90 minutes, depending on the size of the group.

The process builds strong ownership, and unlike more conventional brainstorming techniques, nothing goes to waste. It is flexible, fast and fun. It engages people with different learning preferences, the visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

Even if you have tried versions of cardstorming previously it is worth checking out. There are a number of variations, and there are some handy tricks to making it work well. The facilitator’s attitude of course is perhaps the most important ingredient of all. It’s a proven way of helping a diverse group to think creatively together in a transparent way.