Crazy 8s
8 sketches in 8 minutes — the divergent ideation classic from Google Ventures.
Attributed to Jake Knapp / Google Ventures
What it is
Crazy 8s is an exercise popularized by Google Ventures within their Design Sprint methodology. It challenges individuals to sketch eight different ideas or variations for a solution in just eight minutes. The strict time constraint encourages rapid ideation and discourages self-censorship or overthinking, forcing participants to get their initial thoughts and concepts onto paper quickly. This exercise is primarily used for divergent thinking, aiming to produce a large quantity of diverse ideas rather than focusing on the quality or feasibility of each individual sketch. It helps teams explore a broad spectrum of possibilities for a specific problem or feature.
When to use it
- When a team needs to generate a high volume of diverse ideas quickly.
- During the "Sketch" phase of a Design Sprint (typically Tuesday).
- To overcome creative blocks or design fixation.
- When exploring multiple variations for a specific user interface or feature.
- To ensure all team members contribute individual ideas before group discussion.
- As a warm-up exercise for more detailed sketching techniques.
- When facing a well-defined problem that requires a wide range of potential solutions.
How to use it
- 1
Prepare materials
- 2
Introduce the challenge
- 3
Set the timer
- 4
Sketch rapidly
- 5
Encourage diversity
- 6
Conclude and review (optional)
Key concepts
Divergent Thinking
A thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Crazy 8s is a prime example of a divergent thinking exercise.
Design Sprint
A five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers, developed by Google Ventures. Crazy 8s is a key activity within the sprint.
Timeboxing
The allocation of a fixed, maximum unit of time for an activity. The strict 8-minute time limit in Crazy 8s is a form of timeboxing, designed to maintain momentum and combat perfectionism.
Rapid Ideation
The quick generation of a large number of ideas, often under time pressure, to maximize creative output and explore a wide solution space.
Quantity over Quality
During Crazy 8s, the focus is on producing as many distinct ideas as possible within the time limit, rather than refining a single 'perfect' idea.
Common pitfalls
- Overthinking and spending too much time on a single sketch, missing the rapid ideation goal.
- Focusing on artistic quality rather than conveying a concept quickly.
- Self-censoring ideas, leading to a narrower range of solutions.
- Failing to clearly define the problem statement before starting the exercise, resulting in unfocused sketches.
- Not adequately preparing materials (paper folded into 8 sections) in advance.
- Allowing discussion or interruptions during the timed sketching period.
Further reading
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