What it is
Structured ideation and sequencing sessions that generate varied solutions and align the team on what to build. Crazy 8s produces rapid sketches, How Might We (HMW) reframes problems as opportunities, and Story Mapping sequences the user's workflow.
Why use it
Structured ideation gives everyone a voice and builds shared ownership; silent individual work first limits groupthink. Story Mapping makes scope and sequence visible.
Use this when
- The problem is understood and the team needs solutions
- Scope and workflows need mapping and sequencing
- The team must align on what to build, and in what order
You may not need this when
- A clear, approved direction already exists
- The initiative is a minor iteration with defined scope
Dependencies — what you need
- Cross-functional availability
- A validated problem statement and approved scope
- Preliminary understanding of user workflows
- Collaboration tools such as FigJam
People involved
- Design
- Product
- Engineering
- Stakeholders
Typical outputs
- Prioritized concept sketches and ideas
- User story maps with sequenced scope
- HMW statements framing the challenge
- A team-aligned direction for prototyping
Template
Workshops template
A fill-in structure for running this method: what to prepare, what to do, what to record, and how to read the result.
How AI can help
AI as augmentation — not replacement
- Draft HMW statements as a pool for people to write their own against
- Suggest Crazy 8 prompts and constraints
- Draft a story map skeleton from the known workflow
- Summarize workshop output into a brief
AI prompt
A prompt for any AI assistant. It works only from material you paste in, keeps assumptions apart from findings, and leaves the decisions to you.