Crazy 8s
8 sketches. 8 minutes. No time to overthink.
What is it?
Crazy 8s is a fast-paced sketching exercise where participants fold a sheet into 8 panels and sketch 8 distinct ideas in 8 minutes (1 minute each). It pushes past obvious solutions and forces creative exploration under extreme time pressure.
When to use it
Use Crazy 8s during design sprints, brainstorming sessions, or any time a team needs to break out of conventional thinking and explore a wide solution space quickly.
How to do it
Fold a sheet of paper into 8 equal sections.
Set a timer for 8 minutes total — announce each 1-minute interval.
Sketch one idea per panel. Move to the next panel when time is called.
After 8 minutes, review all sketches and highlight the most promising concepts.
Share with the group and discuss patterns or surprising ideas that emerged.
Pro tips
The first 3 ideas are usually obvious. The real gems come from panels 5-8.
No words allowed in sketches — force yourself to communicate visually.