The Dark Side Method
With just a whiteboard, flip chart or digital board, the dark side method is an easy exercise that turns your challenge into a negative one, forcing you to look at it from a refreshing angle.
Simply, attendees brainstorm negatively about a key-question, and flip the script and use negative hooks to inspire their solution mindset, thereby triggering positive ideas.
Here’s how to set it up –
Write down your design challenge and reframe it in the most negative way possible. For example, “How can we make our city more sustainable” becomes “How can we make our city the most polluted city of the world?”
Draw a line down the middle of a flip chart paper or whiteboard splitting it in two, marking one side as negative and the other positive.
Give everyone post-its and a pen and invite them to come up with as many ideas for the dark side (the right side) question as possible, one idea per post-it.
Encourage them to fill it up with ideas, speaking them out loud as they put them up to avoid repeats.
Once the negative side is full (at least 20 post-its) stop the team.
Tell them you are flipping the question back to the original bright version.
On the left side of your challenge, list down as many solutions as possible that solve your challenge. Write down each idea on a post it.
Randomly take a post it from the left side, and add another idea that transforms the first solution into a positive one.
Discuss all ideas with your group.
If you want you can cluster and select final ideas.
Make sure you prepare some examples beforehand, to use while you introduce the rules. You’re in charge of keeping the energy high and motivating the group to come up with as many ideas as possible. Consider using music, time-boxing and words of encouragement.
Repeat or speak out loud ideas which are bold, encourage people to think bigger, wider, faster . Lead by example, joining in with out-there ideas. Remind and reiterate the ‘bright ideas’ can not just be opposites.
Don’t let people over-think. These are first sparks of ideas, early seeds. It’s ok if they’re out-there – it’s the divergent phase without restraints.
As you can see, the method is best used when you need a lot of ideas that bring a refreshing perspective on your challenges. Reframing your challenge negatively forces you to look at your problem from another angle.