As far as brainstorming ideas go, you could do worse that start off by brainstorming for the “Worst Possible Idea.” WPI is a design-thinking technique where team members seek the worst solutions in ideation sessions. This inverted search process relaxes design teams, boosts their confidence and stokes their creativity. WPI allows design teams to examine the ideas, challenge assumptions and gain insights towards even greater ideas. By seeking the worst solutions and analyzing why they are the worst ideas, it becomes much easier to agree on the best ideas. The Worst Possible Idea method, despite its name, is possibly the most effective process to coming up with the best solutions.
-Chris Lose, from “LD at Large,” PLSN June 2019, page 92
