← Back to Timeline
01. The Nature of Divergent Thinking
In the early stages of the design process, it is critical to resist the urge to immediately solve the problem. Divergent thinking is about exploring many possible solutions, generating "wild ideas," and thinking outside of established constraints before entering the convergent thinking phase where ideas are refined and selected.
02. Creating a Safe Space for Wild Ideas
- Defer Judgment: This is the golden rule of brainstorming. There are no bad ideas during the divergent phase. Evaluation comes later.
- Quantity over Quality: Encourage the team to exhaust the obvious ideas and push beyond them to find truly innovative concepts.
- Build on the Ideas of Others: Use "Yes, and..." language rather than "Yes, but..." to combine and improve upon suggestions.
03. Prompting Unconventional Thinking
Instructors can use several techniques to help teams break out of conventional thought patterns:
- "What If?" Scenarios: Pose radical constraints. "What if budget was unlimited?", "What if the building had to be entirely subterranean?", "What if we couldn't use any natural light?"
- Analogous Inspiration: Ask teams to look outside of architecture and neuroscience. How does a beehive organize space? How does a computer chip route information?
- Role Reversal: Have team members argue for the needs of the stakeholder they understand the least.
04. Documenting the Chaos
Ensure that all ideas, no matter how wild, are captured. Use sticky notes, whiteboards, or digital tools like Miro. This visual record becomes the raw material for the convergent phase, where a seemingly impossible "wild idea" might spark a practical, innovative solution.