Charette Procedure - Effective idea generation in a group

When it comes to brainstorming and idea generation in a large group, the complexity and difficulty of organization increases exponentially. The Charette procedure proves to be an effective solution to navigate these challenges. Originating in France, this method was originally used by architecture students at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris to meet deadlines. Today, the Charette Procedure is applied in various fields to facilitate idea generation in an organized and productive way.

Procedure Description

The Charette procedure is a method that involves dividing a large group into smaller sub-groups, each with about five members. Each subgroup is given a topic to discuss and generate ideas, which are then transferred to other subgroups for further development. This process continues until all ideas are collected, analyzed and prioritized, resulting in a final solution.

Utility and Application Cases

The Charette procedure is essential in situations where:

• Several topics are discussed simultaneously.
• There are a large number of participants (15-25).
• The time allocated to each topic is limited.
• It is necessary to build on the ideas of others.
• All participants must contribute.

This method allows effective involvement of all participants without compromising the quality of the brainstorming session. Major benefits include efficient use of time, increased opportunities for contribution and refinement of ideas.

Approach

To ensure the success of the Charette method, rigorous preparation is necessary. Steps to follow include:

• Divide participants into small groups of about five people.
• Bringing together people with different skills and backgrounds to stimulate creativity.
• Maintain a constant number of participants in all groups.
• Choose one person in each group to record and document ideas.
• Assign a topic to each group, with the option for two groups to discuss the same topic separately and then combine ideas.
• Set a time (about 10 minutes) to generate ideas.

Steps of the procedure

1. Each group discusses their assigned topic and records their ideas.
2. Ideas generated are transferred to another group for further discussion and development.
3. The process is repeated until all groups have reviewed and discussed all ideas.
4. Each group prioritizes the ideas discussed according to importance and significance.
5. Ideas are centralized and compared to get a full understanding of the topics discussed.
6. The whole group comes together to discuss the results and prioritize decisions, which can then be implemented as an action plan.

The Charette procedure proves to be a highly effective method for brainstorming sessions with a large number of participants and multiple topics. It organizes the meeting to overcome barriers and ensures the active participation of everyone members group. By facilitating the generation of ideas in a convenient and efficient way, the Charette Procedure is ideal for complex multi-level decisions and the development of a viable action plan.