The Wildest Idea Technique is a powerful creativity tool that encourages individuals or groups to deliberately generate the most audacious, unconventional, or fantastical ideas, initially seeming impractical, in response to a problem or challenge.

Its essence lies in suspending all constraints of logic and pushing beyond conventional thinking to unlock unobvious and breakthrough ideas that might otherwise be overlooked. The wildest ideas are not productive in themselves, but they can serve as stimuli for finding more practical and groundbreaking ideas.

 It is particularly effective for tackling complex challenges where conventional approaches fall short.

The Wildest Idea Technique is rooted in the principles of brainstorming introduced by Alex Osborn. This method evolved as a variation of brainstorming’s “freewheeling” principle, where participants are encouraged to propose ideas without constraints (Alex Osborn, 1953).
Over time, Edward de Bono’s lateral thinking concepts emphasised extreme ideation, incorporating elements of provocation and “what if” scenarios in his book: The Use of Lateral Thinking (de Bono, 1967, 1992).
But, this creativity technique is most commonly credited to Arthur B. VanGundy, who described and popularised it in his ideation books: Techniques of Structured Problem Solving  (1988) and 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving (2005). Its roots can also be traced to the creative practices of innovators like Walt Disney and  Robert Dilts (1994), who, in their methods, assigned roles to encourage both fantastical and realistic thinking.
Gradually, practitioners and researchers in creativity have adapted and formalised this aspect of brainstorming into the distinct “Wildest Idea Technique” to specifically target radical innovation.
By the early 2000s, the technique began to be incorporated into problem-solving practices through methods such as Rawlinson’s Brainstorming and Design Thinking.

The Wildest Idea Creativity Technique invites participants to propose the most outrageous, fantastical, or even humorous ideas in response to a problem or opportunity. The facilitator prompts participants to propose solutions unconstrained by practicality. He can start by asking, “What’s the craziest solution imaginable?”.

The goal isn’t to implement these ideas directly, but to use them as a springboard for more feasible, yet still innovative, solutions. The emphasis is on fun, exaggeration, and complete freedom of thought, without any initial filtering or criticism.

This process requires the skilful guidance of a facilitator who leads participants from the free generation of ideas to the stage of selecting and refining the boldest ideas into implementable concepts.

For beginners, the technique is a playful way to overcome creative blocks, as it removes the fear of judgment by welcoming absurd ideas.

Advanced users can refine the process by building on each other’s wild ideas,  using them as springboards for further innovation, and systematically translating the most promising elements into actionable strategies.

Experienced innovators can leverage this technique by focusing on the underlying needs or desires that their “wild” ideas address. Through directed analysis, they might reveal the core functionality or benefit of an absurd suggestion. For instance, the idea of teleporting products highlights the customer’s need for immediate gratification

Participants can also combine this technique with other creativity methods like “Lateral Thinking” or “SCAMPER”

1. Breaking Mental Barriers: Encourages participants to bypass conventional thinking patterns.

2. Sparking Divergent Thinking: Generates a wide range of ideas, from impractical to revolutionary.

3. Surfaces hidden assumptions and challenges to paradigms.

4. Reframing Problems: Shifts perspectives by exploring extreme possibilities.

5. Fostering Collaboration: Facilitates team engagement and energises the creative process.

The heart of the Wildest Idea Technique lies in its deliberate departure from reality and practicality in the initial stages of ideation. By encouraging “anything goes” thinking, it bypasses the self-censorship that often limits creativity. This freedom allows participants to explore entirely new angles and perspectives on a problem.
The uniqueness of this technique stems from its direct instruction to be as outrageous as possible. This forced outlandishness can reveal underlying desires, needs, or possibilities that conventional brainstorming might miss.

 Its unique effectiveness lies in its ability to stretch the boundaries of the problem space to discover hidden pockets of potential solutions.

 It differs from similar methods like SCAMPER or Six Thinking Hats by focusing exclusively on extreme ideation as a catalyst for breakthroughs, rather than structured analysis or substitution.

The Wildest Idea Creativity Technique is grounded in psychological and cognitive theories of creativity, particularly divergent thinking (Guilford, 1956) and the concept of “provocation” from lateral thinking (de Bono, 1992).

The technique leverages the brain’s ability to make novel connections when freed from constraints, as supported by neuroscience research on creativity (Beaty et al., 2016).

This method is connected with Associative Theory (Mednick, 1962): Wild ideas force distant concept connections.

Play Theory: The technique also aligns with theories emphasizing the importance of playfulness and imagination in the creative process, suggesting that engaging with fantastical scenarios can unlock hidden creative potential. The idea that playfulness enhances creativity by allowing individuals to explore ideas without constraints (Huizinga, 1949).

Psychological Safety: A concept that highlights the importance of a safe environment for individuals to express their ideas without fear of negative consequences (Edmondson, 1999).

Openness and Freedom: Encouraging unfiltered ideation.

Playfulness and Exploration: Using humour and absurdity to reduce pressure.

Provocation: Challenging assumptions to reframe problems.

1. Suspend all judgment during the ideation phase.

2. Encourage quantity over quality to maximize idea generation.

3. Build on others’ ideas

Embrace humor, absurdity, and exaggeration as creative catalysts.

All Ideas must be intentionally “wild” or extreme, impossible, or fantastical,

 pushing beyond realistic boundaries.

Record every idea without filtering or critiquing during the initial phase.

Allocate time for refining wild ideas into practical solutions afterwards.

Duration: 30–60 minutes, depending on group size and complexity of the problem.

Space: A comfortable, open environment (e.g., meeting room, creative studio) with whiteboards, flip charts, or digital collaboration tools.

Materials: Sticky notes, pens, markers, a timer, and optionally, props or visual aids to inspire creativity.

Number of Participants: Ideal for 4–12 participants, though it can be adapted for solo use or larger groups with a skilled facilitator.

• Clearly explain the purpose and rules of the Wildest Idea Technique, emphasizing the importance of suspending judgment and embracing outlandishness.

• Provide a few examples of wild ideas to prime the participants’ thinking and set the tone. These examples should be genuinely silly and impossible to encourage similar thinking.

• Set a playful, safe, nonjudgmental, creative atmosphere from the outset.

• Encourage Exaggeration: Participants should actively try to make their ideas as outlandish and over-the-top as possible.

• Focus on the “What If” and use provocative prompts:  “What if the most impossible thing happened?”. “What’s the most impossible solution?”

• Actively encourage quieter participants to contribute their wildest thoughts.

• Once the idea generation phase is complete, guide the group in analysing the wild ideas for underlying concepts or potential kernels of practicality. This involves asking questions like: “What need does this wild idea address?”, “What is the core benefit it offers?”, or “Can any part of this idea be translated into a feasible solution?”.

• Let go of preconceived notions about what is feasible; the wilder the idea, the better.

• Stay playful and open-minded, even when ideas seem impractical.

• Avoid self-censorship; share every thought, no matter how outlandish.

• Silence inner critics with uplifting phrases, “Impossible first, practical later”.

• Listen actively and. Build on others’ wild ideas, no matter how impractical.

• Reflect on how wild ideas might inspire feasible solutions during refinement.

1. Define the Problem: Clearly define and articulate the challenge or opportunity (e.g., “How can we increase customer engagement?”).

2. Set the Tone: Explain the Wildest Idea Technique, its rules (especially suspending judgment), and encourage participants to think as unrealistically and fantastically as possible.

3. Warm-Up Exercise (5–10 minutes): 1. Engage participants with a quick, playful activity (e.g., “Invent a product for aliens”). The facilitator might provide a few examples of wild ideas related to a different topic to get participants in the right frame of mind.

4. Ideation Phase (15–20 minutes): Participants are prompted to generate the wildest, most impossible ideas and as many ideas as possible, writing them on sticky notes or a shared board. Prompts like “What’s the most ridiculous solution?” or “What would happen if money/time were no object.

5. Build and Combine (10 minutes): Once a sufficient number of wild ideas have been generated, the group starts to analyse them. The focus shifts to identifying the underlying principles, benefits, or potential solutions hinted at by the outlandish concepts. Questions are asked such as:

•  What is the core need this idea addresses?

•  What is the desirable outcome or benefit it offers?

•  Are there any aspects of this idea that could be adapted or scaled down to be more practical?

•  Can this wild idea inspire a completely different, but feasible, solution?

6. Evaluation and Selection:  (15–20 minutes): The generated feasible ideas are then evaluated against relevant criteria (e.g., feasibility, impact, cost). The group selects the most promising wild ideas and brainstorms ways to adapt them into practical solutions.

7. Action Plan: Identify 1–3 ideas to prototype or implement, assigning responsibilities and timelines.

Business Strategy: A struggling retail company wants to increase foot traffic to its stores. Using the Wildest Idea Technique, the team generates ideas like having stores that float in the sky and can be summoned by customers via an app, replacing all products with holographic versions that can be instantly purchased and delivered by drones within minutes.
While these ideas are impractical, they might spark feasible solutions like offering ultra-fast delivery services for online purchases or developing interactive augmented reality displays that bring products to life.

Communication: A company struggling with internal email overload brainstorms wild solutions such as “charging $1 per email” or “requiring CEO approval for every message.” These spark practical policies limiting unnecessary internal communication.

Personal Life: An individual seeking work-life balance imagines “living two lives in parallel universes.” This inspires practical steps like time-blocking and role-switching for better balance.

Author Tim Ferriss used wild ideas to overcome writer’s block → wrote “The 4-Hour Workweek” in “banned book” format.

• Wildest Idea First, Then Problem: Instead of starting with a specific problem, participants can first generate a set of completely random, wild ideas, and then try to find problems or opportunities where those ideas might be applicable. This can lead to unexpected connections and novel solutions.

• Themed Wildest Idea: Focus on a specific domain (e.g., technology, environment, social) to generate wild ideas within a niche, such as “a car powered by dreams” for eco-friendly transportation.

• “Crazy Eights” Variation: Inspired by the “Crazy Eights” design thinking technique, participants can be given a short time (e.g., eight minutes) to sketch eight different versions of their wildest idea for a specific problem. This rapid generation can further push the boundaries of their imagination.

• Combining with Other Techniques: The Wildest Idea Technique can be effectively combined with other methods to create more practical solutions.

• Individual Wild Idea: Generation Followed by Group Sharing: Participants can first individually brainstorm their wildest ideas and then share them with the group.

• Solo Wildest Idea: Individuals use journaling or mind mapping to generate wild ideas independently, then refine them into actionable goals. Solos can use AI tools for “wild” prompts.

• Reverse Wildest Idea: Participants propose the worst possible solutions to a problem, then reverse-engineer them into viable ideas (e.g., “Make a product no one wants” becomes “Create hyper-personalized products”).

• Time-Travel Variant: Participants imagine solutions from the perspective of the distant future or past, sparking ideas like “What would Leonardo da Vinci design for this problem?”

• Remote/Virtual Variant: Use online collaboration tools for distributed teams

1. Overcomes Creative Blocks: Frees participants from self-imposed limits, unlocking bold ideas.

2. Sparks Breakthrough Innovation: Wild ideas often lead to unexpected, practical solutions.

3. Fosters a Creative and Playful Atmosphere: Creates a fun, collaborative atmosphere that boosts creativity.

4. Versatile Application: Works across industries, from business to personal development.

5. Expands the Solution Space: By exploring the extremes, it broadens the range of possibilities considered and can reveal unexpected angles on the problem.

1. Risk of Overwhelm: Generating too many wild ideas can make refinement challenging.

2. Requires Skilled Facilitation: Without guidance, groups may struggle to transition to practical solutions.

3. Potential for Discomfort: Some participants may feel uneasy about sharing absurd ideas.

4. Dependence on Group Dynamics: Success relies on a judgment-free, collaborative environment.

5. May require follow-up sessions to distil and implement actionable ideas

6. Difficulty in Implementation: Some wild ideas may be too impractical to implement effectively.