The 5 Brainstorm Archetypes: How to Use Them to Your Advantage

If you’ve ever been in a brainstorm, you’ve definitely encountered these five archetypes: Scientists, Wizards, Captains, Medics, and Judges. And even if you haven’t, they’re everywhere. In this article, you’ll learn to recognize these stereotypes and how to use them to your advantage.

This article introduces the 5 key brainstorm archetypes

1. The Scientist
2. The Wizard
3. The Captain
4. The Medic
5. The Judge

For each archetype, we reveal their personality, the brainstorm roles they shine in, and how to get the most out of working with them.

1. The Scientist ⚗️

Some people tend to stick to the background. Is it insecurity? Did they lose their voice? Do they have top secret information? We don’t know, because we don’t hear them. Don’t be surprised if the group eventually starts ignoring The Scientist. Or maybe, as a facilitator, you’ve already forgotten that The Scientist was even at the table?

It’s a pity, because the quiet thinkers often come up with brilliant ideas that ‘The Captain’ or ‘The Wizard’ would never have dreamed of. Scientists tend to take their time analyzing rather than broadcasting every creative thought. As a facilitator, it’s your job to make sure these insights see the light of day during the session.

How to handle The Scientist

+ Boost their confidence with compliments to create a safe space.
+ Leverage silent and anonymous brainstorming methods, such as brainwriting, letting them jot down ideas before sharing them aloud.
+ Break into smaller groups to help Scientists feel more confident and comfortable.
+ Give them a meaningful role in choosing ideas: this usually fits them better than all the wild creative activities.

2. The Wizard

Wizards tend to come up with far-out ideas out of thin air. Like magic. But not really. Wizards are just not afraid to be creative and their brains are trained to come up with ideas on the spot. Wizards are usually very present and active in a group. They are thrilled to be in a creative setting and they move around like lightning.

In general, Wizards are friendly, but some may fiercely protect their own ‘spells,’ believing they are ‘the most creative ideas ever.’ Whether they’re actually the best solutions? Most Wizards have long forgotten. Don’t be surprised if you need to remind a Wizard what the brainstorm question was. And with multiple Wizards in one group, you’re likely to end up with brilliant ideas that aren’t very useful.

How to handle The Wizard

• In a typical brainstorm, you want creative ideas, which is why you almost always need one or two Wizards per group. So if you have them in your session, be glad! In fact, it’s a good idea to actively seek out Wizards, because creativity is essential in any brainstorm.
• Be careful they do not lose the rest of the group with the far-out ideas. Not everyone can keep up with a Wizard. Make sure Captains and Medics can translate the Wizard’s ideas for the rest of the group so everyone understands.
• Wizards might forget they are brainstorming to get results because they are too occupied with coming up with something creative. Remind them of the challenge we are trying to solve. Creativity is a means, not an end.
• When brainstorming with lots of creativity, make sure to include ‘reality checks’ to keep vague ideas in check.

3. The Captain ⚓

Who’s steering the ship? In a professional brainstorm, the facilitator leads the way. But some participants naturally want the helm. Like Wizards, Captains are easy to spot—and they guard their ideas too, not for creativity’s sake, but because they think they know what’s best for the team and organization. That can be valuable, but in a brainstorm you want everyone to be free to explore creatively. It gets tricky when someone consciously or unconsciously directs the group, especially the Scientists.

A ship needs its captain. Whether framing the challenge or picking ideas, The Captain keeps the big picture in mind. When tough calls are needed, they take the wheel. And when it’s time to pitch to the group, The Captain isn’t shy about stepping up. On the contrary. Need an inspiring pep talk for the crew? They’ve got it covered!

How to handle The Captain

1. Touch base with The Captain before the session. Let them know their leadership can sometimes steer the group a little too much. Most of the time, they’ll see it as a compliment.
2. Recognize the Captain by assigning them a clear role in the session or otherwise showing that their presence matters.
3. Don’t just make eye contact with The Captain when asking the group a question. Keep treating the group as a group.
4. Stay in control. You’re the facilitator, you’re in the lead. Stand firm but stay friendly. You are not a Captain, you are a facilitator.

4. The Medic 🧑‍⚕️

The Medic is kind to everyone: participants, the facilitator, everyone. Sometimes they even forget about themselves. They get the most energy from helping others and are willing to go the extra mile. Need coffee? The Medic’s on it. Someone has to take notes? The Medic again. Clean up after the session? Yep, that’s The Medic too. Simply put, The Medic is a true people person

It’s lovely that The Medic looks after everyone, but who’s looking out for them? They’re so caught up helping others that they barely get a chance to contribute. Imagine the brilliant ideas they could have shared if they weren’t busy taking notes!

At first, Medics can be tricky to notice. They’re not likely to proclaim, ‘I’m amazing because I help everyone,’ since they see it as completely normal. Helping others is just who they are.

How to handle The Medic

1. Make sure The Medic knows they need to think for themselves too. If you see them busy writing sticky notes for others again, step in immediately.
2. In larger, more complex sessions, The Medic can be your best ally or even take on the role of table host. Medics share a lot in common with facilitators, so they can be a big help. Ideally, you’ll already know who the Medics are before the session and have reviewed the agenda with them. Many hands make light work.

5. The Judge 🧑‍⚖️

These are the participants facilitators fear most. The nemesis of every creative session. The Judge doubts the brainstorm, the team, the method, you, the company; basically everything. And they won’t hesitate to say it out loud.

You might ask yourself, ‘Why is The Judge even here?’ And that’s exactly what The Judge is thinking as well. But critical people exist for a reason, right? Right! Flip the challenge into a chance and make the most of The Judge’s talents. Skilled, you ask? Without a doubt.

Even more than The Captain, The Judge’s skills really shine in the second phase of the session, especially when converging and selecting ideas. The more skilled Judges can critically challenge ideas and back up their reasoning. But even in sessions where the challenge is still being defined or refined, a Judge can truly shine

How to handle The Judge

1. Before the session starts, share your credentials as a facilitator. Feel free to sprinkle in some scientifically proven facts along the way.
2. Start the session by explaining that criticism is valuable, but make them ‘save’ it for the second stage of the session.
3. If you really start running into issues, pull The Judges aside and ask about their perspective, how you might convince them, and whether they could hold back their judgment for a while
4. Acknowledge their expertise publicly while still distancing you from their criticism.
5. While preparing your session, think of who will be invited. Make sure not to invite unnecessary Judges.

Are there more Archetypes?

There are many possible combinations of the archetypes. Some occur more frequently, such as a mix of The Wizard and The Medic. We could call it Apprentice! Or what about The Dictator, a combination of The Captain and The Judge?

But maybe there is a hidden gem I have never thought about? But you did? Please let me know!

Want to learn more about brainstorming? In our book The Brainstorm Bible, written by Friso Visser, we explain everything you’ve ever wanted to know about facilitating brainstorming sessions and dive much deeper into these archetypes.