Crazy-8s workshops

Crazy-8s is a fast exercise for generating ideas (design sprint technique), where each participant sketches 8 different solutions for 8 minutes. The goal is to unlock a wide divergence of ideas, before the team converges on the strongest ones.

When to use

• At the beginning of the conceptual stage, when you are looking for many variants.
• After the discovery/insight, to turn them into solutions.
• When the team is “stuck” on one idea and needs to break it.

How it works (step by step)

• Define the focus: a short challenge or scenario (“Improve checkout for mobile”).
• Prepare an A4/A3 sheet folded into 8 panels or a template with 8 rectangles.
• Set a timer for 8 minutes.
• Each participant sketches one idea on a panel (8 ideas in total) – fast, rough, without details.
• Stop the timer. Short rounds for sharing (1–2 min/participant).
• Voting with points/stickers for the most promising panels.
• Optional: transfer to more detailed “solution sketches” of the top ideas.

Rules for a good session

• Quantity before quality: don't edit, don't discuss during sketching.
• One idea per panel: different approaches, not variations of the same.
• Time pressure: strict timer, no extension.
• Quiet individual sketching, then sharing.

Benefits

• Generates many different solutions quickly.
• Reduces group thinking and the dominance of the most vocal.
• Even “unfinished” sketches unlock new directions.

Common mistakes

• Too general challenge that leads to vague ideas.
• Allowing discussions during sketching.
• Variations of the same idea in 8 panels.
• Skipping sharing and voting (loses selection).

Materials

• Sheets (with 8 panels), markers, stickers/points for voting, timer.
• For online: white board with 8 frames per participant, embedded timer, emojis for voting.

Variations

• Speed-8s: 8 ideas for 6 minutes (more pressure).
• Theme-8s: each pair of panels follows a different restriction (e.g. “only text”, “only icons”).
• Round-robin: after 4 minutes, you exchange the sheets and build on foreign ideas.

Example challenge

“Design a way for a user to complete an order in under 60 seconds from a mobile phone, without registration.”

Next steps

• Select 2–3 strongest ideas through voting.
• Develop a “solution sketch” or low-fidelity prototype.
• Prepare a quick test with users for validation.