Creative problem solving in 5 steps

Genuine innovation can feel ambiguous in today’s work landscape. In hybrid working environments, successful brainstorming is more than choosing the right collaboration software; it's about how you leverage your ideas. Teams use many techniques for brainstorming, but one of the most efficient ways to turn good ideas into actionable next steps is with the crazy eights method.

This powerful design thinking technique uses a structured brainstorming approach to generate ideas more effectively. It's ideal for product development, UX, design, and marketing teams that need to solve problems quickly and creatively.

This article will explain the steps for hosting a crazy eights brainstorm to spark engagement and deliver results regardless of where team members work from.

What is the crazy eights brainstorming method?

Crazy eights is part of the design thinking and design sprint process. This rapid idea technique challenges participants to quickly generate ideas to solve a problem. Each person has eight frames on a canvas, getting only one minute to brainstorm new ideas for each. This pushes teams to think of more creative, unconventional solutions.

Benefits of the crazy eights brainstorming method

This technique facilitates divergent thinking, generating a wider range of ideas efficiently and inclusively.

The main benefits of the crazy eights method are that it is straightforward and efficient. It welcomes collaboration and focus by only giving participants eight minutes to think of ideas. It removes the pressure of sharing polished ideas so that everyone can feel comfortable getting their thoughts out on the canvas. It also utilizes freehand drawing to encourage inspiration and creativity.

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5 steps for a crazy eights brainstorming session

1. Preparing

The first step to a successful crazy eights brainstorming session is proper preparation. To help you define the scope of your session, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the problem that I am trying to solve?

• What deliverables do we need?

• Will rapid idea generation help inspire possible solutions?

• What is the overall goal of this brainstorm?

If you’re using Lucid to facilitate this session, you can prepare your board ahead of time and share it with all participants. Even people who don’t have Lucid can still participate as Guest Collaborators. 

We have a free crazy eights template that you can use and customize to your liking. 

1. Selecting participants

Next, select who will participate in the ideation session. Ideally, your group would consist of six to eight people. When groups are too large, they can become overwhelming. Smaller group work helps hold team members accountable and makes them feel valued in the discussion.

2. Ideating 

After completing the preparatory steps, you’re ready to begin your session. We recommend using Lucid’s infinite canvas to host the session. It gives you access to facilitation tools that streamline the brainstorming session and make it easier to lead the group. 

Set a timer for one minute. Ask your team to begin sketching in the first section and stop when the timer goes off. Note that each team member should have their own set of eight frames. Repeat this eight times until each frame is filled out. Remember that the goal is to be quick; don’t spend too much time thinking about what you’re brainstorming. Moving past the obvious ideas first will help uncover more innovative solutions in the following frames.

3. Debriefing and presentation

Now it's time for team members to share their ideas. You can use the sort feature, which automatically sorts and categorizes your ideas based on common themes. You can have AI summarize your ideas, or if you’d rather, each person can discuss what they wrote or drew individually. 

4. Voting

Once ideas have been presented, it's time to vote. Set up a quick voting session and have people select their top ideas. Then, see which ideas are the most popular.

In less than 10 minutes, your team will have generated dozens of ideas. But don’t stop there. Follow up on the brainstorm to ensure the session’s value is fully realized. Set project goals, assign tasks, and map out your action plan.