Learn how to frame problems with "How Might We" questions, then use the Crazy 8 technique to sketch eight ideas in eight minutes per question. It surfaces raw thinking, generates volume, and gives quieter people a structured way to contribute without pressure.
I like kicking off my ideation stage with how might we questions. How might we questions help me break up the problem statement into smaller questions that can create conversations and help the team to generate more ideas. To answer these questions, I use the Crazy 8 Ideation technique, which I absolutely love. It's a technique where workshop participants get to sketch 8 ideas in 8 minutes for each how might we question. This helps you as a facilitator to understand what the participant might be thinking about and also get their ideas in the truest and rawest form. Also, you're going to get a lot of ideas because if they are sketching out 8 ideas for each question, then you're going to get different perspectives on what they might be thinking about. This technique is very helpful to participants that are not confident about sharing their opinions, or they think about their opinions too much and are wary of the fact that people might not exactly accept what they think. But in workshop scenarios, everybody's opinion is welcome, and the Crazy 8 Ideation technique helps everybody to express themselves properly.
