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Stage 4 · Lesson 1 of 9

Divergent and convergent thinking

Generating many options, then choosing with criteria.

  • Beginner
  • 25 min
  • 3 check questions
  • Exercise: 40 min

By the end of this lesson you can

  • Explain divergent and convergent thinking and when to use each.
  • Generate many ideas quickly without judging them too early.
  • Narrow ideas down using clear criteria.

The idea

Good ideas rarely arrive first. Design alternates between two modes of thinking.

Divergent thinking means opening up: generating as many different ideas as possible, including odd ones. Quantity matters more than quality at this stage, because more ideas give you more to choose from and the first ideas are usually the most obvious.

Convergent thinking means narrowing down: comparing ideas against criteria, combining the best parts and choosing a direction.

Keep them separate

Mixing the two kills ideas. If people judge every idea as it is suggested, they stop suggesting anything risky. Run divergent activities with a rule of no criticism, then switch explicitly to convergent activities with agreed criteria.

Useful techniques

  • Crazy 8s: fold a sheet into eight panels and sketch eight ideas in eight minutes.
  • Brainwriting: everyone writes ideas silently, then passes them on for others to build upon. It avoids the loudest voice dominating.
  • Dot voting: each person places a few dots on the ideas they find strongest against the criteria.
  • Criteria matrices: score shortlisted ideas on user value, feasibility and fit with goals.

Why it matters in real projects

Teams that jump straight to the first idea often build something mediocre. Deliberate divergence surfaces better options; deliberate convergence turns them into a decision everyone understands. Separating the two also makes workshops more productive and more inclusive, because quieter people contribute more when ideas are not immediately judged.

A realistic example

A team is working on "How might we help new tenants report repairs quickly?" In a 40-minute session, five people each sketch Crazy 8s, producing 40 ideas: a photo-first report, a WhatsApp chatbot, QR stickers on boilers, a call-back request button, and more.

After a short break the team switches to convergence. Criteria are agreed: helps tenants who are not confident with forms, feasible within a quarter, reduces incomplete reports. Dot voting shortlists five ideas, and a scoring matrix picks the photo-first report combined with the QR sticker idea. Neither was the first idea anyone suggested.

Step by step

  1. Frame the question

    Start from a clear "How might we" question.

  2. Diverge alone first

    Give everyone silent time to generate ideas so all voices count.

  3. Share without judging

    Present ideas quickly with no criticism allowed.

  4. Agree criteria

    Before choosing, decide what a good idea must achieve.

  5. Converge

    Dot vote, then score the shortlist against criteria.

  6. Combine and decide

    Merge strong parts of different ideas and record why the chosen direction won.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake Judging ideas while generating them.

    Instead Separate the two phases explicitly.

  • Mistake Stopping at the first good idea.

    Instead Push for quantity; the best ideas often come later.

  • Mistake Choosing by enthusiasm or seniority.

    Instead Agree criteria and score against them.

Check your understanding

Choose an answer, then check it. There is an explanation either way.

Question 1 of 3What is the goal of divergent thinking?
Show answer

Generating many different ideas. Divergence is about breadth.

Question 2 of 3Why have people ideate silently first?
Show answer

So everyone contributes, not just the loudest voices. Silent ideation reduces groupthink.

Question 3 of 3What should guide convergence?
Show answer

Agreed criteria. Criteria make decisions transparent and fair.

Practice exercise

Exercise · about 40 min

Crazy 8s and converge

Answer "How might we help people remember to water their plants?" using Crazy 8s.

Steps

  1. Sketch eight ideas in eight minutes.
  2. Repeat once more to reach 16 ideas.
  3. Write three criteria.
  4. Score your top five and choose one, explaining why.

Deliverable

Sixteen sketches, criteria and a scored shortlist.

Self-assessment

Tick each item when it is true of your exercise. Be honest; this is for you.

4 items

Summary

  • Divergent thinking generates options; convergent thinking chooses.
  • Keep the two phases separate.
  • Use silent techniques to include everyone.
  • Choose with agreed criteria.

Further reading

Third-party sources, chosen for reliability. They open in a new tab.

Your notes

Marking complete updates your course and roadmap progress.

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