Do you also struggle to come up with novel ideas and solutions? Try this crazy method!
While doing some research on design sprints I came across the Crazy 8s method. This is a simple tool to ideate and sketch out 8 ideas in a short amount of time. Why crazy? Well, you only have 8 minutes to do this and no holds barred.
So, how does it work?
Easy! At least the steps to follow are ;). Grab a sheet of paper (landscape) and:
- Fold the paper over vertically, then fold it twice horizontally. Unfold and behold: your piece of paper has 8 sections now
- Set a timer to eight minutes and make sure that you can see it
- Sketch out 8 ideas
- When the timer goes off, stop sketching
You can do this alone, or with your team. The idea is to go far and wide: no idea is too crazy! After quickly share and reflect on your ideas, maybe consolidate some and explore some further. This is a great tool to explore different routes towards solving a problem in stead of rushing off and picking the most obvious - and often not best - solution.
My experiences
Having filled in some crazy eights myself this is what I observe and think of it:
- The short amount of time forces you to start! I often find myself in a new section trying to think out the idea in my mind before putting it down on paper. But then I feel the pressure of the timer ticking away and force myself to begin. I find this liberating in the end :)
- I am great at associating from one idea to another. So in only 8 minutes I have put quite some different ideas on paper
- When done you still only have rough ideas ;). Now it's time to choose which ones to pursue.
All in all, a great little tool that cost nearly nothing in material and time, and can gain you a lot. Enjoy!