5 Tools for Better Async Brainstorming and Whiteboarding

Brainstorming is usually synchronous: everyone on a call, someone shares a screen, ideas flow, someone takes notes. Remote? Still synchronous, just in Zoom. The result is worse (fewer ideas, less participation) and more exhausting (video fatigue).

The alternative: async brainstorming. Let people contribute ideas when they’re thinking clearly. Give them time to develop thoughts. Let the conversation happen over a day or two instead of an hour. Research shows async brainstorming produces more ideas and better quality thinking.

Here are five tools that make async brainstorming actually work.

1. Miro (Async Whiteboarding + Collaboration)

Miro is a digital whiteboard tool that works both synchronously and asynchronously. For async brainstorming, it’s the most capable option.

How to use it for async brainstorming:

1. Create a Miro board with a simple structure (sticky note areas, research zone, voting area)
2. Invite team members with a deadline (“add ideas by EOD Thursday”)
3. People add sticky notes asynchronously (can be text, images, links)
4. Thursday evening: you review all ideas
5. Friday morning: live 30-minute session to discuss and narrow down

What works:

• Sticky notes are lightweight; low friction to contribute
• You can add images and links, so ideas can be rich (not just text)
• Voting/prioritization tools let ideas surface naturally
• The interface encourages visual thinking
• Integrations with Slack mean notifications are easy

What doesn’t work:

• Miro is designed for real-time collaboration. The async experience feels like an afterthought.
• If many people edit simultaneously, the board gets cluttered
• Large boards (500+ sticky notes) become unwieldy

Pricing: Free tier is decent. Pro ($16/user/month) for better features.

2. Figma (For Design-Focused Brainstorming)

If your brainstorming is design-focused (new product feature, UI direction, visual exploration), Figma is better than Miro because it’s designed for design iteration.

How to use it for async brainstorming:

1. Create a Figma file with a frame structure (each person gets a frame)
2. Each designer explores concepts asynchronously
3. Comments and feedback happen on each concept
4. After 24-48 hours, ideas are reviewed and direction is chosen

What works:

• Figma is more powerful for visual work than Miro
• Comments are contextual and threaded
• Version history lets you see how ideas evolved
• It’s familiar to designers

What doesn’t work:

• Figma is expensive for non-designers ($12/month/editor)
• It’s less useful for non-design brainstorming
• Real-time collaboration is where Figma shines, so async feels like using a boat to drive a car

Pricing: Free for basics, $12/user/month for team features

3. Notion (Brainstorming + Documentation)

Notion is less specialized than Miro but better integrated with your workflow if you’re already using it.

How to use it for async brainstorming:

1. Create a Notion database for ideas with fields: Idea, Owner, Status, Comments, Category
2. Each person adds ideas as database entries
3. Comments on each idea create discussion
4. Filter and sort to find themes and winners

What works:

• If you’re already using Notion for docs, this integrates cleanly
• Comments are great for async discussion
• You can tag ideas, link them to projects, embed research
• Free tier is actually functional
• It’s lightweight compared to specialized tools

What doesn’t work:

• It’s not visual. Ideas are text-based (though you can embed images)
• It’s not designed for brainstorming specifically, so you have to build the structure yourself
• Large brainstorms (100+ ideas) can be hard to navigate

Pricing: Free tier is solid, paid tiers start at $10/month

4. Padlet (Simple, Fast Brainstorming)

Padlet is the simplest option: a digital bulletin board where people add ideas.

How to use it for async brainstorming:

1. Create a Padlet board
2. Set it to “moderation off” (ideas post immediately, no approval needed)
3. Share the link with the team
4. People add ideas as posts (text, images, links)
5. Others react and comment on ideas

What works:

• Extremely simple. If someone hasn’t used Padlet before, they “get it” in 30 seconds
• Fast. People can contribute in 10 seconds
• Comments and reactions happen naturally
• Mobile-friendly, so people can contribute from anywhere
• Pricing is cheap

What doesn’t work:

• No sophisticated voting or prioritization (just reactions)
• No organization beyond one board. If you want to brainstorm multiple topics, you need multiple Padlets
• Large brainstorms (200+ ideas) look chaotic
• It feels playful, which can undermine serious work

Pricing: Free version is actually functional, paid ($14/month) removes ads

5. Google Docs + Google Keep (Ultra-Simple, Already Free)

If you want zero additional tools, use what you already have.

How to do it:

1. Create a Google Doc with sections for ideas
2. Share it with the team
3. People add ideas as bullet points or comments
4. Discussion happens in comment threads
5. You synthesize at the end

OR:

Use Google Keep to collect ideas as notes, then move them to a Doc for synthesis.

What works:

• Everyone already has Google Drive
• Commenting in Docs creates natural discussion
• Zero learning curve
• Real-time collaboration if people want it

What doesn’t work:

• Not designed for brainstorming, so it feels clunky
• No voting or prioritization
• It’s text-only (no visual elements)
• Large brainstorms are hard to navigate

Pricing: Free (if you’re already using Google Workspace)

How to Choose

Use Miro if: Your team is visual, you’re doing serious brainstorming regularly, and design/product exploration is core.

Use Figma if: The brainstorm is design-focused and your team is already on Figma.

Use Notion if: You’re already using Notion and want to keep ideas integrated with your docs.

Use Padlet if: You want maximum simplicity and fast participation from non-technical people.

Use Google Docs if: You want zero new tools and the brainstorm is small/text-focused.

The Async Brainstorming Workflow (That Actually Works)

Regardless of tool:

1. Set clear scope: “We’re brainstorming new ways to onboard customers. Focus on activation steps.” Not “ideas for the business.”

2. Set a deadline: “Post ideas by Thursday 2 PM.” Deadlines create urgency.

3. Prime with a few seed ideas: Post 2-3 starting points so people have something to riff on.

4. Encourage quantity over quality: Say “add every idea, even rough ones.” Filtering happens later.

5. Review async first: Spend 2-3 hours Thursday evening reading ideas and leaving comments.

6. Optional: short sync discussion: If needed, have a 30-minute call Friday morning to discuss and decide. But decisions don’t require it.

The Time Math

Synchronous brainstorm: 8 people × 1.5 hours = 12 person-hours

Async brainstorm: 8 people × 20 minutes contribution + 2 hours manager synthesis + 30 minutes discussion = ~5 person-hours (and better ideas)

Async is faster and produces better results because people think instead of perform.

The Bottom Line

Async brainstorming works. It produces more ideas, higher quality thinking, and fewer exhausted participants. The tool matters less than the discipline to do it async.

If you’re tired of synchronous brainstorm calls, try async for a month. You’ll likely never go back.

Remote Work Picks prioritizes async when it actually works better. Brainstorming is one area where it consistently does.