Crazy 8

What could it look/feel like?

Overview

Crazy 8 is a fast-paced sketching exercise designed to generate a wide variety of ideas in a short amount of time. The goal isn’t to get it right—it’s to get it flowing.

Rather than aiming for perfect or “realistic” solutions, this activity helps participants tap into their creativity by sketching eight ideas in eight minutes. It’s the first step in exploring how you might respond to your “How Might We…” question.

It works best when participants let go of judgement, embrace bold thinking, and build on each other’s energy.

Open in Google Slides

⏱️ Time: Crazy 8 sketching: 8 minutes / Sharing: 15 minutes / Clustering: 15 minutes

👫 Participants: All project team members

🛠️ Materials: Printed Crazy 8 template (or folded A3 paper), pens/markers

Input

Before completing this canvas, ensure you have completed the following step:

Re-Framing

Context

Use this tool after you’ve completed the How Might We exercise and are ready to explore possible solutions. It’s a great way to move from insights and reframing into concrete possibilities.

Recipe

1

Prepare your sheet

Fold a blank A3 paper into eight sections, or use the template provided.

2

Set your “How Might We” focus

Write your “How might we…” question at the top of the page. This is your ideation anchor.

3

Crazy 8 sketching

In one minute, sketch one idea that answers to the "How might we..." question per box—quick, rough, and simple. Each one should be a different take on the question. Continue this for eight times—thus, eight ideas in eight minutes.

• Think visually (boxes, arrows, stick figures)

• Avoid overthinking—go with your instinct

• Use prompts if helpful (e.g. "What if it was digital?", "What if it required no forms?", "What if you are Walt Disney?")

4

Share and discuss (15 min)

Each participant selects 2–3 ideas to present to the group. Discuss:

• Are there similar ideas?

• Can some be combined?

• Is this idea specific enough?

• What’s exciting or unexpected about it?

5

Cluster ideas (15 min)

Group related ideas together and give each cluster a label or theme. This helps spot common directions or strategies to pursue further.

Results

A large and varied pool of ideas that explore the design space around your challenge. Some will be strange, some simple—but all help spark direction. Clustered ideas can now be refined and selected in later steps.

Tips

• Quantity over Quality: The more ideas, the better. You can refine later.

• Defer Judgement: Don’t kill ideas too soon—wild ideas often lead to good ones.

• Embrace Wild Ideas: Sometimes bold or strange ideas open up new perspectives.

• Build on Others' Ideas: Listen actively and add to what’s been shared.

• Stay Visual: Sketching helps you think in new ways—even if you’re “not a good drawer.”

• Keep It Fast: Speed helps bypass internal filters and get to unexpected ideas.

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Share Your Experience

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