# Crazy 8's

> Discover Crazy 8's, a rapid ideation exercise fundamental to Design Sprints that forces you to generate 8 design ideas in 8 minutes to explore a wide variety of solutions.

*Tags: ux, technique, workshop, ideation, mid-level*

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> [!info] Quick Definition
> Crazy 8's is a rapid ideation exercise, fundamental to [[Design Sprints]], in which each participant sketches eight different ideas to solve a design problem in eight minutes. The goal is to force creative thinking by going beyond the first idea (which tends to be the most obvious).


## What Is Crazy 8's?

Imagine you are in a contest where you have to generate as many ideas as possible in a very limited time. The pressure forces you not to overthink, not to judge your own ideas, and to put down whatever comes to mind first. Crazy 8's is exactly that: an ideation sprint.

The method is simple: each participant takes a sheet of paper, folds it three times to create 8 panels, and has 8 minutes (one minute per panel) to draw 8 different ideas for the screen or problem at hand. The goal is not art, but concepts.

## Why Is It Important?

- **Promotes quantity over quality (at first):** It helps teams generate a large volume of ideas in very little time.
- **Avoids creative block:** The time pressure forces you not to get stuck on a single idea. If nothing comes to mind, just move on to the next panel.
- **Promotes divergent thinking:** It forces you to go beyond your first idea, which tends to be the least original. The fifth or sixth idea is usually the most interesting.
- **It is democratic:** Everyone on the team (not just designers) participates and contributes their perspective, leading to richer solutions.

## How Is It Done?

1.  **Define the problem:** The facilitator presents the design problem or the screen to work on (e.g., "the home screen for a new user").
2.  **Prepare the material:** Each participant needs a sheet of paper and a marker.
3.  **Fold the paper:** Everyone folds their sheet in half three times to create 8 panels.
4.  **Start the timer:** The facilitator sets a timer for 8 minutes.
5.  **Draw!:** Each participant draws a different idea in each panel. One minute per idea. The facilitator announces each passing minute.
6.  **Share and vote:** At the end of the 8 minutes, each participant presents their 2 or 3 favorite ideas. Then, the team uses a dot voting system to decide which concepts are the most promising to develop further.

## Mentor Tips

- **Do not aim for perfection:** It is not about drawing beautifully. It is about communicating an idea. Boxes, lines, and text are more than enough.
- **It is okay to draw a blank:** If you get stuck on a panel, that is fine. Just move on to the next one. The idea is to maintain the pace.
- **Vary your ideas:** Do not draw 8 small variations of the same idea. Force yourself to think of completely different approaches to solving the problem.
- **It is an individual exercise within a group:** Although done as a team, the drawing phase is individual and silent. This prevents the group from anchoring on the first idea said out loud.

## Resources and Tools

- **Resources:**
    - **[The Crazy 8s Method](https://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/methods/sketch/crazy-8s)** - Google Design Sprint Kit
    - **[How to Run a Crazy Eights Workshop](https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/how-to-run-a-crazy-eights-workshop/)** - InVision Blog
- **Tools:**
    - Paper and markers (the best option).
    - Miro or FigJam with a predefined 8-panel template.


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Source: https://www.fernandoux.com/en/wiki/techniques/crazy-8s/