To quickly generate diverse ideas and move beyond participants’ first, most obvious solutions.

Crazy 6 is a fast-paced ideation tool where participants sketch or write six different ideas in six minutes. The time pressure encourages divergent thinking and helps unlock creative, unexpected concepts. It’s especially useful at the start of an innovation process, when a group feels stuck, or when exploring multiple angles before selecting a direction.

Participants can work individually or in small groups. After the six minutes, ideas are shared, clustered, and discussed to identify promising directions.

Tips for use:

• Emphasize quantity over quality—wild ideas are welcome
• Use a clear challenge question to focus the exercise
• Encourage sketching as well as writing to stimulate visual thinking
• Cluster ideas after the round to identify themes
• Participants may feel rushed—reassure them that imperfect ideas are fine
• Avoid overly broad or vague challenge questions
• Ensure everyone understands the format before starting

• A4 sheets or idea templates (6 boxes per page)
• Pens or markers
• Timer or stopwatch
• Optional: flipcharts for clustering ideas