IDEO
IDEO - Crazy 8's
Crazy 8s is a rapid sketching exercise. Participants generate eight ideas in eight minutes. This constraint forces quick ideation, bypassing perfectionism, and producing many diverse concepts. It pushes teams beyond obvious solutions into creative territory through time pressure and iteration.
Duration
30 mins
Group Size
3-20
Category
IDEO
Difficulty
Easy
Participants will:
- Generate many ideas quickly, focusing on quantity.
- Break mental barriers using time pressure to overcome perfectionism.
- Ideate individually before group discussion.
- Explore multiple solution approaches.
- Build creative confidence by generating ideas under constraints.
- Energize teams for the broader design process.
Participants will produce:
- Crazy 8s sketches.
- Rapid concept generation.
- A high volume of ideas.
To boost energy, play upbeat music. Use an enthusiastic countdown and celebrate quantity. If anyone erases, give them a bonus challenge. Model imperfect sketching. For resisters: "You're thinking with a pen!" or "The stupidest ideas spark the best solutions."\n\nAdapt to cultural contexts. In high-context cultures, allow more setup time for relationship building. In hierarchical organizations, state that all ideas are equal. With international teams, provide visual examples of sketching styles. For remote facilitation, test tools beforehand. Use breakout rooms and create digital "sketch walls."
Start the conversation
Be the first to share your thoughts, experiences, or questions!