Workshop Exercises: Ideate

Round Robin

Pass an idea from person to person to grow and change it in unexpected ways

Also called: Brainwriting

Alternative plays: Crazy Eights, Design Charrette

Follow-up plays: How Might We

Timing: Execution

Origin: Vedros K.R.

Run time
30-45 minutes

Group size
3-10

Why: Foster collaborative idea development and encourage diverse input from all team members

When: Ideal for brainstorming new ideas or enhancing an existing concepts

Instructions for running this play

Frame the problem. Agree on the challenge or question you want to explore as a group. How Might We…* is a great way to frame the question.
Distribute pen and paper to each participant, and ask them to fold a piece of paper into four parts. Let participants write the challenge at the top of the paper (in portrait).
Ask participants to draw their idea in the top left box with enough detail that someone can understand it without explanation. Allot a Timebox of 5 to 10 minutes. Unconventional solutions are welcome.
Instruct participants to pass each paper to the left.
Ask participants to write the reason why the previous proposal will fail.
Let each participant develop the idea further by drawing their version in the next section of the paper, resolving their critique.
Repeat until all sections are completed.
Dot Vote or Blind Vote to daecide on what ideas to further pursue.

Master and adapt the play to fit your context and needs.

As the paper is divided into four parts, this exercise works well with groups or subgroups of 3-4.

Run better workshops with Learning Loop card decks.

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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