30 Circles Challenge

What can students learn from this?

Besides being a great warm-up exercise, Thirty Circles offers a quick lesson about ideation.

When we have to generate ideas, two goals are balanced: fluency (the speed and quantity of ideas) and flexibility (ideas that are truly different and distinct).
We know from experience that it’s easier to have a great idea when there are many ideas to choose from. But if there are a lot of ideas that are just variations on a theme, it might be possible to really have only one idea with twenty-nine other versions.

When fluency and flexibility are combined, it is then possible to generate a rich array of concepts to choose from.

How can I do this in class?

Step 1: Give each participant one 30 Circles sheet of paper and something to draw with.

Step 2: Turn as many of the blank circles as possible into recognizable objects in three minutes (think clock faces, billiard balls, etc.)

Step 3: Compare results.

Reflection tips

After the exercise, look for the quantity or fluency of ideas. Check with the students:

• How many people filled in ten, fifteen, twenty or more circles? (Typically most people don’t finish.) -Look for diversity or flexibility in ideas. Are there derivative ideas (a basketball, a baseball, a volleyball) or distinct ideas (a planet, a cookie, a happy face)?
• Did anyone “break the rules” and combine circles (a snowman or a traffic light)? Were the rules explicit, or just assumed?

Relevant useful material

Article

Build Your Creative Confidence: 30 Circles Exercise