Workshop Exercises: Ice-breakers
30 Circles
Boost creativity by quickly turning circles into recognizable objects
Why: It is easier to have a great idea when you have many to choose from
When: Ideal to stimulate creativity and prevent overthinking at the beginning of a brainstorming session
Instructions for running this play
- Hand out one 30 Circles sheet of paper and a marker to draw with.
- Give participants a Timebox of three minutes to turn as many of the blank circles into recognizable objects.
- Compare results. Look for quantity or fluency of ideas.
- How many people filled in ten, fifteen, twenty, or more circles? Look for diversity or flexibility of ideas.
- Are ideas derivative (basketball, baseball, volleyball) or distinct (planet, cookie, happy face)?
- Did anyone break the rules?
- Are circles combined (snowman or traffic light)?
- Were the rules explicit or assumed?
Tips to perfect this play
Master and adapt the play to fit your context and needs.
Tip
Assign a specific theme or topic for all the circles
Tip
Have each participant start a few circles, then pass their sheet to others for completion
Tip
After the circles are drawn, consider asking participants to narrate a story linking all their drawings
Every card deck includes workshop patterns, so your team can put the methods to work in your next session.
Running behavioral design workshops? The Persuasive Patterns Workshop Playbook (PDF) shows you how to design and run them.
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