Overview
Starbursting is a type of brainstorming which focusses on generating questions. You can use it when developing ideas, projects, or policies.
The tool
Asking questions is a useful way to understand new ideas.
By developing a comprehensive list of questions, and then answering them, you can understand the issue you are investigating as fully as possible. By taking time to generate questions, you are likely to consider your issue in more systematic and comprehensive ways than otherwise.
Starbursting can be used iteratively. Once one set of questions has been answered, the answers can be used as prompts to generate a new set of questions.
How to use it
To starburst your ideas:
- Draw a six pointed star.
- The issue you wish to consider is placed in the middle of the star.
- Six question words are put at each of its points (who, what, where, when, why, how).
- The specific questions you come up with are written around the star, alongside the appropriate question word.