Crazy Eights
Reference model
Fold, sketch eight ideas in eight minutes, share, then shortlist.
About this model
Crazy Eights is a rapid sketching exercise. Each participant folds a sheet of paper into eight panels and sketches one different idea per panel in eight minutes, about one minute each. The pressure of time pushes people past their first obvious idea. The group then shares the sketches and picks the strongest ones.
Originator not stated.
How to read it
- Each person sketches eight different ideas, about one minute each, on a folded sheet.
- Quantity and variety matter more than polish at this stage.
- After sketching, the group shares and the best ideas are shortlisted for follow-up.
What this does
Helps a team generate many different ideas in a few minutes by having each person sketch eight ideas in eight minutes, then choose a shortlist to take forward.
When to use it
Use it when a team needs a wide spread of ideas in a short time, especially when discussion has stalled or the group keeps circling around one obvious answer.
Not when: Do not use it when the problem needs in-depth analysis or data before ideas make sense, or when the group cannot be asked to sketch rough ideas on paper.
What happens next
Take the shortlisted ideas into a prioritisation or evaluation step (for example an impact and effort matrix or a decision matrix), then test the top one or two with a small prototype or customer conversation.
Golden thread
Builds on ←
- Problem statement
- Idea generation techniques
Feeds into →
- Idea evaluation matrix
- Impact and effort matrix
Use this tool, free
Sign in to open the worksheet. Your work saves as you type, the AI can draft the parts you have not filled in, and you finish with an analysis and a 30/60/90-day action plan.
Drafted with AI and reviewed by Eccellere on 04/11/2026. Guidance, not advice: apply your own judgement.