Process improvement project - Improve -
STARBUSTING
What is Starbursting used for?
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Brainstorming questions to understand new ideas
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When a colleague suggests a new idea, and you're trying to understand it and how it works, a typical response is to bombard the other person with questions
What features would it have?
How much would it cost?
Where would we market it?
Who would buy it?
And so on
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It's important that the questions are asked in a systematic and comprehensive way
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Use Starbursting exercise every time you explore a new idea
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Starbursting focuses on generating questions rather than answers
Step 1
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Take a large sheet of blank paper
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Draw a large six-pointed star in the middle, or contact us at info@flmlean.com if you are interested in receiving a template
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Write your idea, product or challenge in the centre of the star
Step 3
Step 2
Write these words at the tip of each star
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"Who"
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"What"
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"Why"
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"Where"
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"When" and
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"How"
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Brainstorm questions about the idea or product starting with each of these words
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The questions radiate out from the central star
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Don't try to answer any of the questions as you go along
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Instead, concentrate on thinking up as many questions as you can
Step 4
Depending on the scope of the exercise, you may want to have further starbursting sessions to explore the answers to these initial questions further.
Summary - Learning from your Starbursting exercise
Results will provide you with a good set of questions for reviewing your product, issue or project requirement.
You can use these then as an individual or project group to work on the answers more effectively, in more detail and with more informative responses.