Character Profile

What is a character profile template

Аnd why do you need it to create a character that will be magnetic, realistic, and will raise readers’ interest without putting a tremendous effort into it? You may never have heard about these templates if you’re new to writing. However, even those who do it for a living sometimes might not know about them and the advantages they offer.

We all can agree that sometimes a realistic, well-developed character will be enough to win hearts and save the story. Sometimes they even outgrow the whole story and get their own lives in other people’s work. Creating a whole new person using just your imagination may be a tough and tricky process. Whether you want to make your readers exclaim “literally me” every time a character says something or make them feel hatred/affection/jealousy/pity (underline what you prefer), you will need a strict plan.

Thankfully, character profile templates are an easy way to have all the needed information at hand. They are basically a biography of your character, their social media profile (only you have full access) with their age, the most important information, cute (or not) background stories to give them more depth, their appearance, representing their relationships with others, and with everything you consider important for your story development and your character motivation revealing.

In this article, we’ll learn how to create a sharp character profile and present you with a character profile template you can use for any of your future and current projects.

Why are character profile templates important for a writer?

Have you ever met “flat” characters? They may be so boring that you can’t stand another sentence about them. Have you ever thought about what could change things and give them depth? What do all these poor characters lack? An interesting character that engages the audience in your writing is a collection of different features, ideas, thoughts, and details. If all of these combine successfully, you’ve succeeded. But how can one find suitable characteristics and mix them correctly? There’s no answer, only approaches you can try.

Generations and generations of authors did their best to give us a push and make the ideation process easier for us. We have many examples, other people’s experiences, and successes and failures to learn from. So, why not use others’ developments to reach your desired point faster? They had to use boards with cards, folders, lists, and bulky notebooks to have all the needed information about their characters in one place. Today, we can skip this time-consuming routine and go straight to the good part – creating.

A detailed character profile template is the first step to creating a character that will be “alive” and develop naturally throughout the story. Moreover, it’s the place you can return to anytime you have doubts about what your character would do or say under given circumstances.

When do I need a character profile template?

The person you know the best is you. And still, we keep forgetting facts about ourselves. How many times have others’ questions about you left you speechless? It is almost impossible to create a whole new person and keep their biography in mind without mixing things up. Whether you work on a fantasy, anime, or toyhouse character profile, a template will give you a better understanding of your character, so you will be able to better introduce them to the readers.

Definitely, it’s 99,9% that you won’t use all the stuff from your character profile (unless you work on a very detailed biography). Still, you need all this information to understand the person you’re writing about. What the reader gets is only the tip of the iceberg. However, what is underneath the water is the base you can’t neglect in an attempt to create a character that is likable and interesting.

There will be a point when you need to introduce your character to the public. That will be where you may use most of the information you put on the profile. However, you can’t use all of it in one place for the character’s and readers’ sake. When you have a profile, it will be easier to put these facts evenly through the text when you have a profile. You won’t overwhelm one chapter with all of them, leaving the rest with no character-revealing approaches.

Characters need to have their own voices and styles, so people can believe them, whether they are good boys or villains. What helps to reach that effect and make your character unforgettable? Tiny details. Their childhood memories, favorite songs, colors, a piece of clothes they wear all the time, etc. Pick something and put it into your character profile to find out how this detail works with other characteristics. Does it help to reveal the person or story? The detail may be there from the beginning and be a gun that will shoot at the end or emerge later just to represent your character changes.

When creating a character with many layers, you may need to conduct research and look for references. There are archetypes that work with appropriate kinds of stories. Define what is yours, and look through the popular culture to get what will be workable for your case. Check how they may behave and react. Such research also may be very helpful if you struggle with writer’s block.

So, as you can see, you may get a great deal of profit using a character profile template whenever you create something with characters in it. However, they are also good if you are stuck and can’t move any further in your story. Have you ever experienced the feeling that your story is leading you and then, all of a sudden, escapes, so now you’re the one who has to deal with everything? Character templates may help you gather all the facts you already know, reconsider them and your character motivations, take one more look at the current situation, and try to find the best solution.

How to use the xTiles character profile template to create an interesting and likable character?

Here, you can find a character profile template based on many researches and compilations. In an attempt to present you with something that will work, we checked dozens and dozens of them. So, let’s start creating your next character together. But first, here are a couple of suggestions about using the template.

Put everything in. Now, when you’re at the beginning of creating your character, you can’t precisely know what will be helpful and what won’t. So, put everything that seems at least interesting or worth a second glance in your character profile. By working on it later and developing it, you will see what is worth using and what is unsuitable.
If you use the xTiles character profile, it will be easy to rearrange everything later when you’re more aware of how your character should look. You can delete anything you want without any harm to the whole picture. And if you decide that your character doesn’t need something that you thought to be crucial earlier, just delete it. No crossings. The profile won’t be ruined as if you would use a paper notebook or a character profile template for Google Docs, where one accidental movement might spoil lining, tables, justifying, etc.
Additionally, if you want to develop some aspect of your character better and think about it more carefully, you may go deeper and create a sub-document. You may dive into your characters, giving them everything they need to look real to a reader. Besides, your ideation process won’t be limited because you can freely add textual content, rich content, links, etc., to get a better understanding of the person you’re writing about, therefore, better represent them to others.
Make a separate profile for every important character. If you want to be convincing, you need to pay attention to every character in your story. Even those who shortly emerge for a few pages must be interesting. Don’t deprive them of background stories, memories, and curious little details. Naturally, you don’t need to put as much effort into them as the main characters require, but their role is still hugely important for the picture in general. Think about them as supporting roles, and remember that those get Oscars and Golden Globes too.

Now, let’s switch to more specific suggestions and start outlining a character we want to get in the end.

Decide on what character you will work on – protagonist (the main character in your story), antagonist (a character or group of characters that stand opposite your protagonist), anti-hero (may still be your central character but without traditional heroic attributes), foil (a character who will make your main hero features more noticeable), or confidante (a character what will know your main hero the best).

Before you decide on this one, please remember that every story is unique, and there are no rules that can force you to create characters of the needed types only so that the story will work. Whether it works or not depends on many factors and their combinations. So, be inventive. Let your imagination free and enjoy.

Now, we need to get the main information about your character – name, age, place of birth, current place of residence, nationality, marital status, education, etc. These formal details are needed to put your character in a frame where they will develop further and, maybe, go beyond it during the process or as a catharsis in the end.

Guides on character profile creation often claim this part is the easiest one. Well, it may be if you already have some ideas about your character profile. However, they are starting points, so please don’t neglect them. The person’s nationality, education, or social status are often catalysts for a story’s development, so they should be polished and well-thought-out.

The next step is to imagine how your characters look. Their height, eyes color, hair color, etc. You may find someone whose physical appearance matches your character on the internet and put their photo in the profile. It may be a celebrity or a person you know.

What is important about this step, you need to think about whether your character will have distinguishing marks or not. Do you want them to have scars or tattoos, for example? Will it help to represent them better and show their individuality? Do they wear a certain piece of clothing or accessories constantly? All these small details make a character alive.

Now, let’s decide on your character’s main characteristics. Are they soft, scared, brave, ignorant, funny, self-destructive, boring, tired, depressed, curious….? You may try to combine a couple of characteristics if you want to create a complicated multi-layer character. Don’t be scared to blend those that don’t combine at first glance. For example, it may seem that a person can’t be funny and depressed at the same time, but it may be their inner struggle.
It’s time to come up with the character’s backstory and biography before the story begins or they emerge in it. Did they love their parents? How did their school years pass? What music did they like when they were younger? Remember to use your imagination and use little accents every now and then to make the character seem real.
What can make a fictional character seem even more real? Think about their quirks and flaws. What do they like or dislike doing? What can’t they stop doing? Maybe there is something strange about the character’s behavior that even you can’t understand fully. All details are important.
Finally, outline who your character is in the beginning and whom you would like them to see at the end of the story. Everything in the middle will be the work to do, but at least you will see where to move. However, remember that everything may change. You don’t have to stick to your initial idea if you see that your character moves in other directions.
And one last time, we would like to remember that let no rules or conventional ideas limit your imagination. Create freely using the xTiles character template!

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Campaign Brief

Campaign brief template

Marketing plays a vital role in communicating a business’s offerings to consumers. It has numerous tools and approaches to help businesses reach their goals, and new ones are being invented constantly. One of them is a campaign brief that helps companies to establish a connection with their target audience.

By crafting a campaign brief, companies ensure that their communication and advertising materials effectively resonate with potential customers. As a rule, it provides detailed information about a specific campaign’s goals, target audience, messaging, creative concepts, media channels, budget, timeline, and other tactical elements.

Having a clear understanding of what a campaign briefing entails and what elements to include is key to delivering a compelling marketing campaign. A campaign brief template is a shortcut with a guarantee that no point will be missed among the unstoppable stream of information.

In this article, we will explore the concept of a campaign briefing, highlight essential components to include, and provide guidance on writing one effectively using the xTiles Campaign Brief Template. We also offer you a campaign brief example to show you what you can get using the template.

What is a campaign brief?

A campaign brief serves as a foundational document that establishes your marketing campaign’s fundamental guidelines and objectives. Whether your company uses email marketing, telemarketing, or advertisements, the campaign brief outlines what you aim to achieve through these efforts.

The document’s significance extends beyond in-house campaigns, as it plays a crucial role when collaborating with agencies or other third parties. By clearly communicating your objectives, a campaign brief empowers companies to align their expectations and ensure everyone involved understands the desired outcomes.

This comprehensive document covers various aspects of the campaign, including identifying the target audience, specifying the desired audience actions, and determining the project budget. By addressing these key elements, the campaign brief ensures that all contributors involved have a shared understanding of its purpose and can collectively work towards achieving the defined goals.

Why do companies need campaign briefs?

Crafting an effective campaign brief is crucial for establishing the purpose and scope of any marketing campaign in accordance with the available resources and capacities of the company and/or team. These briefs serve several important functions, including:

1. Providing key product information

Campaign briefings communicate essential product information to creative teams, enabling them to gain a better understanding of company expectations. This information empowers the creative team to develop relevant and impactful marketing materials that will be in alignment with the initial idea.

2. Setting clear campaign goals

The opportunity to clearly explain works in both directions. By outlining campaign objectives and desired outcomes, briefings help companies set clear goals. This clarity ensures that everyone involved in the campaign understands the intended direction and can work towards achieving the defined objectives.

3. Aligning with a brand image

Campaign briefings ensure the planned campaigns align with the established brand image and messaging. This alignment helps maintain brand consistency throughout the whole campaign/project and reinforces the desired brand perception among the target audience.

4. Decreasing approval time

With a comprehensive briefing, the decision-making and approval processes become more efficient. Stakeholders can review the campaign details, provide feedback, and make informed decisions more swiftly, reducing project approval time.

5. Establishing evaluation measures

Effective campaign briefings include measures to evaluate the success of the campaign. That allows companies to track key performance indicators, monitor the campaign’s impact, and make data-driven adjustments to optimize results.

6. Creating a streamlined overview

Campaign briefings provide a concise and organized overview of the intended campaign. That allows stakeholders to grasp the campaign’s strategy, target audience, messaging, channels, and budget at a glance, facilitating effective communication and coordination among teams.

What aspects to consider when crafting a campaign brief when you’re a client?

An effective campaign brief encompasses key elements that provide a clear outline of a marketing campaign. As with any other concise document, a campaign brief needs thorough consideration. Otherwise, its content might not be fully representative.

Here are the essential components to discuss before you start crafting the document:

1. Target audience

Clearly define the intended audience, providing detailed information to help the creative team understand who they’re targeting. Be very specific because usually, when trying to cover as many different groups of people as possible, companies actually cover no audience as no one understands what the product is for.

2. Product information

Highlight key aspects and unique selling points of the product or service being promoted. Let the creative team knows what you want to emphasize about your product and devote all their attention and creativity to these points.

3. Commercial context

Provide relevant market context, including competitor analysis and market trends, to help shape the campaign strategy. Name your main competitors and what you particularly like about their products or services and how they advertise them. That information may help a creative team to find the needed direction for work.

4. Proposed budget

Specify the budgetary constraints to guide creative teams in developing ideas within the financial resources. Even though this part is probably the most boring for creative teams, it is highly important to let them know their budgetary frames.

5. Company and brand guidelines

Share information about the company’s brand tone, image, and existing guidelines to ensure campaign consistency. The more information you can provide about all the previous projects, campaigns, and decisions, the better. Great ideas rarely emerge out of nowhere.

6. Preferred channels

Communicate any preferred marketing channels or platforms that should be considered for the campaign. You may like some platforms and dislike others. You may have previous unpleasant experiences with some platforms. Let the creative team knows that to craft the best campaign for your product or service.

7. Analysis of previous campaigns

Provide insights into the performance of previous campaigns to help identify effective marketing methods. Previous mistakes or successes are always great ways to learn and build new strategies.

8. Desired audience outcome or action

Clearly state the desired action or outcome expected from the target audience and define metrics for measuring campaign success. If a creative team knows what you expect, it will be easier for them to create a specific strategy that will convince people to do what you exactly want them to.

9. Mandatory elements

Identify any essential product details or key messages that must be included in the campaign. They will be organically built within the campaign, or the campaign will be built around them.

10. Campaign duration

Outline the campaign’s start and end dates, along with any project deadlines or milestones.

Campaign brief templates

When writing a clear and engaging overview of your ideas, using a marketing campaign brief template can greatly simplify the process.

By selecting the appropriate creative brief template that aligns with your marketing program or campaign, you can easily structure your ideas and ensure all relevant information is captured effectively. Besides that, using campaign brief templates offers several benefits for marketers and businesses.

1. Consistency

Templates provide a standardized structure for campaign briefs, ensuring consistency across different projects. This consistency helps maintain brand identity, messaging, and overall marketing strategy.

2. Time-saving

Templates save time by providing pre-designed sections and prompts, allowing marketers to focus on filling in the specific details relevant to their campaign.

3. Comprehensive coverage

Templates often include key elements and sections that need to be addressed in a campaign brief, ensuring that critical information is not overlooked.

4. Improved organization

By providing designated sections and fields for different aspects of the brief, templates help marketers structure their thoughts and information in a clear and organized manner.

5. Collaboration and communication

With a standardized format, it becomes easier to share and discuss the campaign brief across teams, agencies, or clients, fostering better communication and understanding.

6. Efficiency and productivity

By streamlining the briefing process and providing a framework to follow, templates help improve overall efficiency and productivity. Marketers can focus on filling in the specific campaign details rather than spending excessive time on formatting or structuring the brief.

7. Adaptability

Templates can be customized and adapted to suit different types of campaigns or marketing initiatives. They can be modified based on the specific requirements, goals, and channels relevant to each campaign, ensuring flexibility in their usage.

How to write an effective marketing campaign brief using the xTiles Campaign Brief Template?

Writing an effective marketing campaign brief involves carefully planning and considering key elements. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to write an effective marketing campaign brief using the xTiles template.

1. Tell a bit about the company

Provide a short bio of your company, its values, history, important moments, key aspects, etc. Also, you add all the relevant links to social media and a website if there are some. Explain who is your target audience.

You can add some pictures or photos to describe your company/product/service visually.

2. Establish schedule

Define the campaign timeline, including important milestones and deadlines, to ensure smooth execution. Tell how often you want to see new content, when you want to get the finished campaign plan, etc.

3. Provide a company summary

Use this section to summarize what you want to see during the campaign and what you prefer to avoid. That information will help a creative team to provide results in alignment with your expectations.

4. Provide details of content execution

Consider digital platforms, social media, email marketing, traditional media, or a combination of channels. Align the channel selection with the campaign objectives and target audience preferences.

Tell what kind of content you need, for what you need it, and how often you need it. Include all the important details, such as the hashtags you want to be used, specific keywords, calls to action, etc.

Outline the desired look and feel, brand guidelines, tone of voice, and any specific visual elements to be incorporated.

5. Provide deliverables

Outline what you expect from the campaign. You may determine the metrics that will be used to evaluate the success of the campaign.

6. Plan your budget

Establish the budget available for the campaign and allocate resources accordingly.

7. Share the content you want to see or references

You may provide a creative team with photos of your business or product you want to see published during the campaign. Or, if you have no visual content, you may provide references so that the created content will meet your expectations.

Buyer Persona

Business Proposal

Business Model Canvas

Business Model Canvas Template (BMC)

Entrepreneurs and companies need tools to plan, analyze and optimize their strategies. One of those tools is the Business Model Canvas (BMC), a visual tool for business model generation and optimization. This article is a continuation of our BMC planner to explain what the BMC is, its benefits and potential, and how to use it.

What is the Business Model Canvas template?

The Business Model Canvas is one of the strategic marketing templates to visualize, design, and pivot your business model, whether you’re a startup or a seasoned business with many devoted clients. It is a tool for business model generation, simplifying the creation and testing of business ideas.

Created by Alex Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur, this template gives you an overview of your business on one page, allowing you to look at everything important for decision-making at once. Imagine standing on a rock and admiring your land beneath it. BMC gives exactly this opportunity.

It has 9 blocks covering all the essential elements of a business model (a bit more on each below). Offering a very basic structure doesn’t eliminate any aspects of your business; quite the opposite, it makes your life easier, which is especially important when you don’t have a huge team that takes care of analyzing data, trends, planning, etc.

Benefits of creating a Business Model Canvas online

Business model canvas template offers many benefits, but you can multiply them by doing it online. A digital tool to build your new business models allows you to be strategically flexible.

Fast

Online Business Model Canvas tools are quick to create and iterate. You can input ideas, edit elements, and update your canvas as your business model changes. No need to start all over again when you need to delete or add something.

Speed is key for startups and businesses in fast-moving markets. Digital tools eliminate the need for physical materials and allow instant changes, reducing the time it takes to develop and refine your business model to withstand new challenges, open new channels, and make cost-efficient decisions.

Structure

Online Business Model Canvas templates give you a clear pre-defined structure to ensure you cover all the essential parts of your business model. These digital templates are based on the original 9 building blocks developed by Alex Osterwalder: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships and cost structure.

This structured approach helps you think through each element of your business model systematically, reducing the risk of missing out on critical parts.

Ability to work with a team

Online Business Model Canvas platforms are great for collaboration. Team members can work on the canvas at the same time, no matter where they are in the world. This is especially useful for distributed teams or when involving external stakeholders.

Collaborative online tools allow real-time editing, commenting, and idea sharing, enhancing your brainstorming sessions and allowing diverse perspectives to contribute to the business model development process. Additionally, many editors can work together without fear of ruining the layout, as digital BMC templates are flexible and fully customizable.

This collaboration can lead to more robust, well-thought-out business models that benefit from collective expertise and insights.

Which businesses are suitable for a Business Canvas Model (BMC) template?

The Business Model Canvas template is a versatile tool for businesses at any stage, from startups to well-known companies, to become/stay competitive and innovative in their market.

Businesses can use the BMC to:

Identify key partnerships and customer relationships
Analyse cost structure and operations
Align value proposition to customer segments
Get new distribution channels and revenue streams
Enhance innovation and strategic thinking

Generally speaking, a free Business Model Canvas template is one of the easiest tools in strategic management available even to people with no previous experience to build a working strategy for developing the company.

Startups

Startups can test and refine different types of business models using the Business Model Canvas template, gather feedback from the market, and quickly and organically implement it into their business strategy.

The structured approach helps founders clarify many aspects of their new enterprise. They can use it to estimate their value proposition and target market. They can identify key resources and activities essential for resource and strategic management using a BMC. Additionally, new ventures can explore different revenue models early on.

Finally, the BMC may become a summary of the business model for pitching to investors or finding key partners. Due to its concise structure, it won’t bore your potential investors with unnecessary details while providing them with the data they need to make a decision.

Established businesses

Companies can use a Business Canvas Model template to find new opportunities or refresh existing business models. The template will also help visualize your current business model and identify areas to improve. It will show whether you lack some services your competitors offer and customers seek, slightly change your value proposition to be more attractive for your target market, etc.

A BMC is a shared language and framework for different departments to talk about strategy. That is how you can ensure your employees understand your goal.

Business Model Canvas template key elements and key resources

In his book Business Model Ontology, Alexander Osterwalder offers these key elements of a Business Canvas Model Canvas:

Customer Segments – the most important customers your business aims to serve
Value Propositions – the unique value your business provides to customers
Channels – how you will deliver your value propositions to your customers
Customer Relationships – relationships with customer segments
Revenue Streams – how customer segments will contribute to your overall revenue stream
Key Resources – the most important assets required to make your business model work
Key Activities – the most important actions your company must take to operate successfully
Key Partners – a network of suppliers and partners that make your business model work
Cost Structure – all costs incurred to operate your business model

These 9 elements help businesses to provide a comprehensive overview of their operations, value creation, and revenue generation processes. This structured approach helps entrepreneurs and managers visualize, analyze, and optimize their business strategies effectively.

When used online, BMC helps with these tasks without piles of paperwork, sticky notes attached to every surface in the office, and hours spent on organizing the information in an easy-to-read way.

How to use a Business Model Canvas template by xTiles

Start with the xTiles Business Model Canvas template. It is customizable and flexible, eliminating the risk of messing up the layout. All you need to do is click on the “Use a free template” button, and it will be added to your workspace.
Get familiar with the structure. The xTiles BMC template follows the standard 9-block structure of the Business Model Canvas. Take a minute to read each section. We offer you an example of our Business Model Canvas so you can better understand what type of data to put into each section.
Prepare your info. Before you start filling in the template, gather all the info about your business model. This will make it much faster.
Fill in each block. Work through each of the 9 blocks, inputting your business’s details.

Key partners: Who will help you to promote/develop your business? Determine the network of suppliers and partners that make your business model work.
Key activities: What are the most important activities (steps) for your business right now in order to reach your main goal? These activities are crucial to deliver your value proposition.
Key resources: What do you have at your disposal to reach your goal? These resources enable you to create and deliver your value proposition.
Value proposition: What is so special about your business? What can you offer your customers your competitors don’t have? This is the core reason why customers choose your product or service over competitors.
Customer relationships: What type of relationships do you have with your customers? It’s important to establish and maintain relationships with all customer segments. This can range from personal assistance to automated services.
Channels: What channels are you planning to use to deliver your product to customers and achieve success? This includes communication, distribution, and sales channels.
Customer segments: Who are your most important customers right now? Focus on understanding their needs and behaviors to tailor your offerings effectively. Every customer segment is important, however, when trying to satisfy everyone, you risk to frustrate everyone. So, be very careful when deciding on your target market.
Cost structure: What are the main costs in your business model? This helps you understand the financial implications of your strategy.
Revenue streams: What portion of your total income is generated by each distinct group of customers? Consider various pricing mechanisms and payment structures to be flexible when a customer is wondering whether they are ready to spend money on your service or product. Remember, each revenue stream contributes to overall revenues.

Customize as you like. Use xTiles customization options to make your BMC look good and easy to read. You can add new sections if needed, but if you need space for brainstorming, you can add a new page to keep all the data there while keeping your BMC neat and clear.
Share with your team. xTiles allows for easy collaboration. Invite team members to add their thoughts and ideas.
Review and update. Remember your BMC is not a static document. Review and update it as your business changes or faces new challenges. This is the only way to be always a few steps ahead of your competitors.
Share with others. xTiles makes it easy to share your completed BMC with stakeholders, investors, or anyone who needs to understand your business model. You can grant them the needed level of access if you don’t want to allow some people to edit your BMC document.
Use with your business plan. While the BMC is a quick overview, it’s not a replacement for a full business plan.Use both together for a complete business strategy. Also, it’s important to develop both of them together. Missing one part of this system might lead to lower revenue streams, decreased number of customers, etc.
Use in strategy meetings. Use your xTiles BMC as a visual aid in strategy meetings, brainstorming sessions, or when explaining your business model to others.

The Business Model Canvas template from xTiles is a lean and effective tool for gathering the most important insights into your business strategy. Use it whether you need to rethink your plans, attract new customers, or attract investors.

An actual business plan is a large document that can be quite complicated to use whenever you need to check something. That’s why businesses need a MBC to make fast decisions when the situation requires them to stay on top.

FAQ

When do I need to use a Business Model Canvas Template?

Use a Business Model Canvas when starting a new business, analyzing an existing one, or exploring new opportunities. It’s great for startups to clarify their business model and for established companies to innovate or refresh their strategy.

What are the components of the business model canvas?

The Business Model Canvas has 9 components: Customer Segments, Value Propositions, Channels, Customer Relationships, Revenue Streams, Key Resources, Key Activities, Key Partnerships and Cost Structure. It covers everything you need to know about a business model on one page.

How do I create a Business Canvas Model for my business?

Access a template like xTiles to create a business model canvas. Prepare your information in advance, then fill in each of the 9 blocks with your business details. Customize as needed, collaborate with your team, and review and update regularly as your business changes.

Business Case Canvas

Budget Tracker

Bucket List

Free Bucket List Template universal for any ideas | xTiles

Bucket list template

A bucket list compiles everything you want to achieve, see, learn, fulfill, visit, and become aware of. All the bizarre things that require bravery to start, all that stands out from your established course of action, everything you dream about yet keep postponing for the better times should be there. In other words, a list of things you must do before you die is a powerful stimulus to do them.

For some, struggling starts on the stage of creating such a list, not to mention bringing to life what is there. People don’t know where to start, what is okay to include, and what doesn’t deserve to be a part of a bucket list (spoiler: almost everything deserves it). That’s why, except for a ready-to-use template, we have many ideas for you to include in your first bucket list. Why “first”? Because it may change over the years because you grow as a personality.

The xTiles Bucket List template is the perfect place to put your ideas and desires to pursue them. It is divided into categories and easy to fill to help you organize your cherished dreams.

What is a bucket list?

Which among all of your to-do lists and life goals are the most important? The one about your job and current projects? That’s a bad choice. However, if you have a bucket list, your work to-dos will have no chance to become the most important thing in your life. That’s why bucket lists help to establish healthy borders between work and personal lives.

A bucket list lists everything one wants to manage before one dies. The name derives from the famous phrase “to kick the bucket,” standing for “to die.” For many, this bucket list meaning may sound scary and pushy. People may think that creating a list of things to manage before death is like preparing for death. The eponymous film with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman helped to consolidate this idea.

In reality, a bucket list is only to help you understand what you wan, find fulfillment, show you that to dream big isn’t something to be scarred of, and move in that direction to make your life more enjoyable. It helps you to engrave, at least on paper, your wildest dreams.

A bucket list often includes incredibly different things, from “buy a new smartphone” to “Italy visit.” All the things that don’t suit your regular to-do lists should become parts of your bucket lists. Everything that stands out of your regular activity and goals shouldn’t be left behind, it may become an organic part of your bucket list.

The most important thing you need to know is that a bucket list is highly personal. The only person it has to satisfy is you.

A bucket list concept for many keeps being strange. People don’t know what to put there. Some doubt their dreams are worthy and cool enough to be on a bucket list. The short answer is – yes, your dreams and values are definitely worthy, and you can put everything you want. Now, let’s check some bucket list examples to figure out what a bucket list is and how it works in practice.

And the last thing before we start, there’s no such thing as “a good bucket list” because it isn’t about perfection. Your bucket list should know no limit. It has to be unique and tailored to your own personal goals and aspirations.

Basic bucket list ideas

Bucket list items may be of any kind. Your bucket list will likely mix many different things. Some basic things almost everyone strives to achieve and very personal and significant achievements.

Let’s focus on things that are natural for the course of life of many of us. They are basic for most societies, but if something on the following list doesn’t seem good for you – skip it (except for school, maybe).

Graduate from high school.
Go to college or university to pursue higher education.
Learn a new language.
Find the love of your life.
Have children.
Buy a house.
Buy a car.
Get a perfect job.
Have a successful career or establish a successful business.
Be the best version of yourself.

Summer bucket list ideas

Your bucket list may be for a shorter term than a lifetime. After our childhood, when summer was our most beloved time of the year because of school vacations, the only time we belonged to ourselves, we keep postponing all plans to summer. That’s why having a little bucket list for this time may be a good idea. Some of these things may seem too insignificant compared to your life-long goals. Or they may be relevant only for these three months, but it will be a sin not to do them.

So, what can one put on their summer bucket list? Here are some ideas to use or develop.

Go on a road trip with friends.
Attend a music festival or concert.
Go camping or hiking.
Visit a new city or country.
Attend an outdoor movie screening.
Watch the stars in the night sky.
Explore new places in your own city or country.
Visit a museum or exhibition.
Watch sunsets and sundowns on the roof.
Try yourself in extreme sport (but carefully).
Discover new passion.
Plan an event with your friends to summarise you beautiful summer.
Gain new experiences.
Find new hobbies.
Go on small adventures with your best friend.

Family bucket list ideas

Spending more time with your family is always an admirable goal. Building plans together keeps you closer to your relatives. You have a subject to discuss, and then you have memories to reflect upon together. That’s why a separate bucket list for your family is a good idea as well.

We have a couple of ideas to help you create your own.

Go on a family camping trip.
Have family game nights.
Start to grow vegetables and fruits together.
Create a family time capsule.
Have family movie nights.
Capture all special moments together.
Visit new cities or countries together.
Have regular dinners out every time in new places.
Go on a hot air balloon ride.
Take a dog or cat from a shelter.
Cook food you all like together.
Travel around the world with your loved ones.
Transform your yard or living room into a cozy space for all of you.
Prepare a bag of care packages and deliver them to a homeless shelter.
Celebrate another country’s holiday in this country.

Travel bucket list ideas

For many, a bucket list is about traveling only. Exploring new places is in people’s blood. Thankfully, we don’t have to spend months on a ship to get to another continent anymore. That’s why “Visit Antarctica” is a pretty achievable goal today.

However, a travel bucket list idea like visiting Paris or taking a gondola ride in Venice may sound so boring that people prefer not to create such a list at all. We offer a bit of a different approach and hope that the ideas we’re about to suggest will help you come up with something really special and memorable.

Give a hug to a thousand-year-old sequoia.
See the northern lights.
Take a trip in a cabriolet car in the Tuscany countryside.
Take a waterfall shower.
Take a cooking class in a county you’re visiting to learn how to cook local cuisine.
Go to at least the most famous museum and gallery in every city you visit.
Go on treasure hunt.
See Great Barrier Reef
Walk down the Great Wall
Eat a croissant beneath Eiffel Tower.
Visit an Ancient City.
Take a swim in Dead Sea.
Take a picture of Taj Mahal on your plum.
Climb a mountain.
Take a picture in front of White House.

Learning bucket list ideas

Wait, what? Learning? But a bucket list is supposed to be about fun. Don’t worry. It still will be about fun, as long as you don’t add trigonometry.

There are so many interesting things to learn. Each of them may become a thrilling experience to change your life. Many of us don’t know how to swim or ride a bike. However, it’s never too late to learn how to do things we didn’t learn when we were kids.

Here are a couple of suggestions to get you inspired.

Learn how to cook your favorite meal.
Learn how to sculpt with clay or make pottery.
Learn how to take analog photographs.
Learn to play a musical instrument.
Learn to dance.
Learn how to drive a car or motorcycle.
Learn how to grow your own fruits and vegetables
Learn how to fight.
Learn a new language.
Learn how to make your own beer or wine.
Learn basic woodworking skills.
Learn how to code or program.
Learn the basics of astronomy and stargazing.
Learn how to perform basic car maintenance.
Learn how to meditate or practice mindfulness.

Creating things bucket list ideas

Even a small, far-from-perfection thing made by our hands has a special vibe and place in our homes and hearts. The fear of failing may stop us from attending some classes or trying DIY methodologies. That’s why a bucket list is also about the bravery to try things you have never done before.

Here are ten fun things you may consider adding to your bucket list.

Write and publish a book.
Paint your self-portrait.
Make your own jewelry.
Create a piece of furniture.
Make a short film about something you adore.
Design your home interior.
Create your own podcast.
Make a cup to drink your morning coffee or tea.
Make a family recipe book.
Paint your house walls with your favorite colors.
Compose and record an original song.
Design and sew your own clothing item.
Create a mosaic art piece for your garden or patio.
Build a unique terrarium or miniature garden.
Design and code your own website or app.

Reading bucket list ideas

Look at that pile of unfinished books near your bed. Maybe, you should start with them. There are many lists of books you need to read before you die. For example, 100 All-time books by Times is a great basis to start with and with many options to choose from.

We would like to take the liberty of suggesting some more books for your reading bucket list.

The Incorrigible Optimists Club by Jean-Michel Guenassia.
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie.
Sweetness by Torgny Lindgren.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.
The Hive by Camilo José Cela.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.
Beauty Is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan.
If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.
My Life in France by Julia Child, Alex Prud’Homme.
4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster.

Shopping bucket list ideas

Without no one’s help, we can quickly spit out ten things we would like to buy. It may be a very different staff. Something may take years to save enough money, while something may be relatively cheap, yet still, you were forbidding yourself to buy it. A shopping bucket list doesn’t necessarily mean you will have to buy all items. Since a bucket list is about long-time planning, you may change your mind over time. However, it’s good to have your wishes documented somewhere, so you won’t forget about any of them.

Here are some things to purchase you may want to add to your shopping bucket list.

A house or apartment.
A vintage car.
A designer bag.
A vintage analog camera.
A luxurious set of bedding.
A collection of rare or antique books.
A powerful computer or laptop.
A ukulele.
A piece of artwork.
A telescope.
A high-end chef’s knife set.
A luxury watch or timepiece.
A professional-grade camera or drone.
A set of noise-cancelling headphones.
An electric bicycle or scooter.

xTiles Bucket List Template

The xTiles Bucket List Template will help you not only to write down all of your cherished dreams but also to keep them organized. Let your list manifest everything you want to achieve and experience. Add even things that seem crazy. Who knows, maybe after a few years of having them on your bucket list in front of your eyes, you will accumulate enough courage to try.

Put as many ticks as possible while having the best time of your life!

Brainstorm Ideas

Best Brainstorming Templates Online Web Tool or App for Free – xTiles

What is team brainstorming for you?

All your team is sitting next to a whiteboard and throwing ideas? We all have seen that concept dozens of times in movies, TV series, and memes. However, it’s only one option.

Will the fact that a team doesn’t even have to be in one room, in one building, or even on one continent to brainstorm together shock you? A free brainstorming template helps a team be a team on distance.

There may still be no homage to brainstorming templates in popular culture because they leave less time for interaction and arguments, so there will be fewer funny situations, and more work will be done.

Offices’ workflow has changed dramatically over the past few years. Some teams got used to it quickly and have already made different features and tools a part of their daily work routine. Some are still learning. And some are only trying to find their way through all the challenges the modern world has for businesses, teams, projects, and individuals.

Ready-made brainstorming templates may not be the panacea for these challenges, but they make generating ideas and finding solutions easier. Additionally, they allow you to put together a team of professionals from all over the world to generate ideas that can make a change.

What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is an approach by which you’re looking for possible solutions to your issue. In a narrow sense, it’s that process where you sit near the whiteboard with your team, and your manager tries to squeeze ideas out of you. In the end, you have a board full of unstructured ideas, a bit of gibberish, and something no one can remember. Usually, the desk stays like that for weeks because it’s supposed to help, but it won’t. In the end, the bravest one will erase everything.

If you have ever worked in an office, you probably can relate to that description of brainstorming. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. Creative ideas can be born in a different way, easier and less painfull for your team.

In a broad sense, brainstorming is just the process of finding solutions to problems. You don’t have to be an office worker to use it. When you and your friends are trying to decide together where to have dinner tonight, you may call it brainstorming too.

The thing is, like any other creative thinking technique, brainstorming has its rules, especially when it comes to a team’s work and different projects. A badly chosen restaurant is one-evening trouble, while a wrong solution for a business might lead to a tremendous loss.

Let’s take a closer look at how you and your team members can brainstorm and, more importantly, how to make your brainstorming sessions successful with a good brainstorming template.

The most popular free brainstorming templates and how to use them

There are many brainstorming templates approaches to encourage team members to be active participants of ideation process. So, no matter what you do or what your project or purpose is, there definitely will be one for your specific needs. The first step is to find it so that you will ease the process, avoid unnecessary steps and questions, and get the most out of it.

Not all techniques are equal when you need to generate ideas. Some of them may not work for you, and if so, please, don’t think that all of them won’t. Also, some of them are good if you’re in the beginning, some are good if you’ve stuck somewhere in the middle, and some will help you structure all of your achievements and make the final push.

Below you will find the most popular brainstorming techniques, from those that are good for the start to those that help you keep moving when a lot has been done already. However, remember that each case and, most importantly, each team is unique, and sometimes you need to try a couple of them to find what will work best for you.

1. Brainwriting

That technique is great for the team, who might not feel comfortable working together yet. If there’s a shy person too scared to share their ideas even though they are usually great, brainwriting may help. Or if you don’t want to turn your brainstorming session into an endless chit-chat, this technique may come in handy too.

How to use Brainwriting?

Just give each team member a list of paper and ask them to write down three (or less or more, or as many ideas as you want) ideas regarding your task. Encourage free thinking. Otherwise, team collaboration won’t be successful. Then, after a few minutes, collect the pages and start working on each together to find those worthy of further consideration and give up on those that are meaningless.

If your team works remotely, you can send emails asking them to come up with several ideas and opinions and then organize a meeting to consider the results. Brainwriting will save you time for discussion-worthy ideas and will ensure everyone is on the same page.

2. Mind mapping

This approach is great if you already have something to work with. It helps you organize existing ideas, connect related ones, and deepen your understanding of the current problem. Additionally, it helps you not to miss anything during the sessions.

How to use Mind Mapping?

Put the main problem or concept in the center of your mind map and provide your teammates with all the background information on the subject you possess. Now, start with sub-ideas related to your topic and write them down around the main problem. At this stage, we don’t waste time filtering ideas. All of them will be reconsidered later.

When your central topic is surrounded by many ideas and the team is done with creating new ones, review the content of your board or page and try to find the connection between what is written. It’s important to discuss everything with your teammates. Maybe someone will see something strange or interesting or produce one more fresh idea you need.

3. Lotus diagram template or Lotus blossom technique

When you have lots of creative or business ideas but nothing is organized, the brainstorming session might turn into torment. If mind mapping seems unattractive or you’ve already tried it and got nothing, you may try this technique. A lotus diagram is another helpful brainstorming template to structure your team’s previous ideas and define what is important.

How to use the Lotus diagram technique or Lotus blossom technique?

Think of the main idea/concept/question and put it in the center of your lotus diagram. Then, define 8 issues that are related to your center topic. The secret is that the issue you’re trying to resolve rarely stands alone. Going away from the center, think of 16 possible solutions to your issues. You can go further or stop at this stage. Review what you’ve got and discuss it with the team when you’re done.

4. Affinity diagram technique or Affinity mapping

Sometimes, your brainstorming session is so effective that you end up with tons of innovative ideas, and you need more sessions to organize everything or look on what you have from different perspectives. That’s when an affinity diagram may help you put your developments in order. The affinity diagram is often used to summarize the initial brainstorming rather than the actual brainstorming tool.

How to use the Affinity diagram technique or Affinity mapping?

The diagram structure allows you to categorize all your ideas so that you don’t get stuck only on a couple of standouts but analyze all of them before rejecting some. It consists of a few separate blocks. Each one is for ideas that are connected or similar.

Start with noting all the ideas your team comes up with. Put those related closer to one another or at a similar part of your whiteboard or page. When you’re done, give each category a name that will briefly yet precisely summarize its content. Now, analyze each category with your team. If there are too many categories or each is full of ideas, you may organize separate sessions for each category.

5. S.C.A.M.P.E.R techniques

Each letter in this acronym represents a unique technique to see the problem from a different point of view and stimulate your and your team’s lateral thinking for collaborative problem solving. The template has 7 blocks, with the main issue in the center. When working on each block, ask your teammates to come up with the solution according to these parameters.

How to use S.C.A.M.P.E.R techniques?

Let the acronym lead your idea generation:

S – Substitute. Think about what can be changed to get a better result. Maybe the process has some blockers, or your product needs to be improved.

C – Combine. Review your ideas and think whether some can be combined into one but brilliant.

A – Adapt. Check if there’s something you can add to get a better result.

M – Modify. Check if there’s something you can change to get a better result or if your product or service will be better.

P – Put to another use. Imagine ways to use your product/service that differ from their initial purpose.

E – Eliminate. Check if there’s something in your product/service that you can remove.

R – Reverse. Think about what can be rearranged in your product/service to make it better.

6. How Now Wow matrix

Another hard but important part of ideation is deciding which idea or ideas are the best and need to be brought to life. Sometimes, during a brainstorming session, teams come up with numerous ideas but even a super huge and passionate team won’t be able to take care of them. We need all the resources available to focus on what is the most important to get the desired results.

How Now Wow matrix is a template for brainstorming to help you decide what would work best now and what should wait till next time.

How to use the How Now Wow matrix?

Let’s imagine that you’ve already generated all the ideas possible regarding your subject. Now, you need to order them on your board or template according to the next filters.

HOW. The ideas to reconsider in the future or something hard to implement right now due to lack of tools, people, etc. (usually, this block consists of the most innovative and risky ideas).

NOW. Here should be the ideas that are easy to implement now (usually, this block consists of the not-that-original and interesting ideas).

WOW. The ideas that are innovative yet possible to implement. Try to produce as many as possible.

We hope the work inside your team is built upon democratic ideas because you need to choose the concepts of every category. Sometimes, people tend to choose the ideas they produce, so this part might be challenging.

7. Disney creative diagram

The purpose of this brainstorming session template is quite similar to that of the previous one. Originally used to generate and evaluate film and script ideas on Walt Disney Studios, now it’s a useful tool to evaluate your ideas from three perspectives – dreamers, realizers, and critics.

How to use Disney creative diagram?

Don’t divide your team into three categories. Let the whole team think about the problem from the same perspective simultaneously.

Start with the dreamer’s point of view. Allow your team to come up with the craziest ideas without thinking about whether it’s real to implement them or not.

Then, switch to the realistic point of view and go over dreamers’ ideas to find those that may be easily implemented, attractive to customers, or generate revenue. Finally, become a critic and analyze what realists developed.

8. Reverse brainstorming technique

If traditional brainstorming sessions don’t work for your team or they are already bored with them, you may try a Reverse brainstorming template. The method is more of a trick to make your brain work in a different way.

Maybe you have noticed during your brainstorming sessions that people tend to focus on the problem more than on a solution. That feature may not be that bad and allows us to see the subject from the opposite perspective and spark creativity.

How to use the Reverse brainstorming technique?

Determine the area that needs improvement or new ideas. Now, put the problem upside down. For example, if you intend to increase sales, consider what can decrease them. Then, reverse the ideas you have one more time and think of how to bring them to life.

9. Mood board

Creating a mood board is more of a long-term preparation process for effective brainstorming. It’s a powerful creative technique that facilitates visual collaboration and visual representation of your big ideas.

You carefully put together everything you consider important and what inspires you to come up with the ideas later. Mood boards help visualize what you want to see using rich content.

A mood board can be individual or shared within a team. However, it’s advisable to have different boards for different subjects so that won’t be too much of everything.

How to use a Mood board?

To use a mood board effectively, gather inspiring images, colors, textures, and materials that represent the desired mood or aesthetic. Arrange these elements cohesively on a physical or digital canvas. Include notes and keywords to provide context.

The mood board should reflect your best ideas and serve as a reference throughout the creative process. Share it with stakeholders to align everyone’s vision for the internal business initiative. Regularly update the mood board as great ideas evolve. This visual tool sparks inspiration, communicates your concept clearly, and ensures your work stays true to the established direction. Leverage mood boards to bring your creative visions to life effectively.

10. The 5-Why diagram technique

Some problems being hard to understand might turn into serious blockers. You may use a 5-Why diagram brainstorming template to figure everything out and keep moving.

How to use the 5-Why diagram technique?

As you’ve already guessed, you will need to answer 5 questions to get to the heart of your problem, but first, you need to specify what you want/need to resolve.

Start with asking the broadest questions. Sometimes the answer is so obvious that it’s not, and trying to be creative and inventive, people might easily miss it.

The next question should always be the natural continuation of your previous answer. Follow the chain till you get the answer.

How to run a brainstorming session with xTiles and get the maximum from it?

Above, we went over the 10 most popular brainstorming techniques and their agenda. However, we’re not finished yet if you’re determined to get the maximum out of your team’s brainstorming.

Here are a few more tips to make your next brainstorming session as effective as possible. Whether it’s an online brainstorming session or your team members meeting in one room, these tips will help you find creative solutions when there is nothing except a dead end, create a collaborative environment where everyone can share their ideas freely, and enhance your project management on all levels.

Gather a team that would represent all departments of your company if you want to think on something broad, or gather a team of a specific department if you need to discuss a narrow subject. However, let it be people who can contribute with their experience and creativity.

Before you start the session, discuss the rules and approaches you want to take. Let there be no interruption to clarifying organizational matters.

When using one of our brainstorming templates, you can freely put all the data you need, remove it, change placement, etc. Unlike the Word brainstorming templates, accidental clumsy movement won’t ruin the whole picture.

Sometimes one session might not be enough to come up with something truly great, so save all the progress and have the document shared with your team.

We ourselves know that ideation sometimes is no easy task, and sometimes your ideas flow unstoppable. In any case, what would we be without them? So, let’s dream up ideas and push them forward, and we hope our templates will become your reliable tool in this process!