When your team is circling around the same thorny problem for hours, weeks, or months without progress, you don’t need to push harder—you need to think differently. You need to play what creativity researchers call a wildcard.
A wildcard is a prompt, constraint, or technique that breaks the current mental pattern and invites a new direction. Below are seven categories of wildcard techniques we use and teach.
1. Random Stimulus
Introduce an unrelated input to create new associations.
Examples to Try
- Use a Visual Explorer card, Oblique Strategy, or random photo.
- Flip open a book website and connect a phrase to your current problem.
- Cut pictures and text out of a magazine and make a collage describing a solution.
- Use a random phrase generator and describe how the phrase points to a solution.
Why it works
Random stimuli trigger remote association, helping the brain link unrelated ideas in novel ways.
Tools & Resources
2. Constraint Injection
Apply a creative constraint to unlock surprising solutions.
Examples to Try
- “Solve this with no money, but unlimited volunteer help.”
- “Only three steps allowed. No more than 10 words.”
- “Make it work for someone with no hands.”
Why it works
Constraints reduce cognitive load and invite inventive workarounds.
Tools & Resources
3. Perspective Shifting
Temporarily adopt a new role or worldview.
Examples to Try
- “What would a child, a scientist, or an artist do?”
- “How would Amazon, Bell Labs, or a street musician solve this?”
- Use persona cards or archetype decks.
Why it works
Shifting roles suppresses default thinking and taps into unfamiliar models.
Tools & Resources
4. Reverse Thinking
Flip the problem or goal on its head.
Examples to Try
- “What would make this problem worse?”
- “What if we wanted the opposite outcome?”
- “What’s the worst way to solve this?”
Why it works
Inversion exposes blind spots, challenges, and assumptions that are otherwise taken for granted.
Tools & Resources
5. Analogical Transfer
Borrow patterns from a different domain.
Examples to Try
- “How does nature solve this?”
- “What do restaurant kitchens do under pressure?”
- “If this were a supply chain problem, how would we tackle it?”
Why it works
Analogical thinking allows teams to transfer working patterns across domains.
Tools & Resources
6. Improvisation Prompts
Engage spontaneity through play or movement.
Examples to Try
- “Yes, and…” rounds
- Build a solution using objects on the table
- Draw it instead of discussing it
Why it works
These prompts activate subconscious pattern recognition and support group flow.
Tools & Resources
7. Time or Scope Compression
Force clarity by reducing time or resources.
Examples to Try
- “You have 1 day and $0 to make progress.”
- “You can only keep 10% of your current scope.”
- “This is your last team meeting—what would you prioritize?”
Why it works
Compression strips away noise and surfaces what matters most.
More Wildcards
Want 10 wildcard questions you can use immediately in your next meeting? Join the conversation on LinkedIn or YouTube—we’re sharing our favorites and collecting yours.
Ready to bring wildcard thinking into your team’s process? Contact us to learn more about how we help teams unlock creativity and solve hard problems.