divergent thinking education definition

How to Teach Divergent Thinking Skills in the Classroom

• December 21, 2020

To solve a problem they are struggling with, some students need only to “think outside the box.” This tactic is called divergent thinking, and it gets students to come up with several answers to a question and decide which is the best, most useful one.

Read on to take a look at divergent thinking, why it’s important, and how it differs from its opposite, convergent thinking. Then, discover a few strategies for helping students strengthen and maintain their divergent thinking skills.

What is Divergent Thinking?

Although divergent thinking is not synonymous with creativity—here defined as the ability to have new ideas or make something new—the two skills are closely related.[3] Divergent thinking can lead to creativity as students come up with more unique solutions. Likewise, encouraging creativity in your students can lead them to consider divergent answers to their problems.

Studies also suggest that, as a whole, children have stronger divergent thinking skills than adults. For example, children are better at visualizing divergent ideas than adults. In fact, a person’s ability to think divergently decreases with age. It could be argued that teaching divergent thinking to students is less about teaching a new skill and more about maintaining it.

Divergent Thinking vs. Convergent Thinking

It’s important not to confuse divergent thinking with convergent thinking, a problem-solving strategy that is more often taught in schools. Convergent thinking encourages students to come up with one distinct answer to a question based on the information given to them.[6] After they have come up with this solution, they stop and do not come up with others.

Convergent thinking is not necessarily a negative thinking strategy. In some situations, there may be one answer to a question (though there likely isn’t only one way to get that answer). But in general, teaching divergent thinking over its convergent counterpart will help students solve problems more creatively and effectively.

Divergent Thinking Boosts Problem-Solving and Student Success

Divergent thinking can also help students become more open-minded, a crucial social-emotional skill.[4] As students learn to think about a topic from new angles, they’ll be able to consider ideas from beyond their own experiences. This can help them broaden their perspective and better understand people whose ideas differ from their own.

Additionally, divergent thinking strategies teach students how to problem solve.[2] Instead of stopping at the quickest, easiest, or most obvious solution, students spend time thinking of many different answers. That way, they learn to prioritize finding an effective solution over a fast one.

The younger a student is, the easier divergent thinking may come to them. For example, 90% of kindergarteners ranked at the “genius” level for divergent thinking in a study conducted by the Royal Society of Medicine.[14] If you can nurture this skill early in a student’s academic journey, you can help them maintain skills that will benefit them for their entire life.

Strategies to Encourage Divergent Thought in Schools

One simple yet effective way to help students think divergently is by asking open-ended questions.[12] Open-ended questions are defined as ones that cannot be answered by “yes” or “no.” The more open a question is, the more likely students will be able to come up with many different answers.

These open-ended question examples from the Coeur d’Alene Public School District can help you get started as you structure your lesson plans:

• What were the major effects of World War II for the United States?
• What is your favorite memory from childhood?
• What makes the leaves change color?

In class, encourage students to focus more on the learning process, and not on the answer.[16] If students worry too much about finding the “right” answer, they may hurry and choose their first answer. But if they spend a little more time on a question, they may think of a better one.

Additionally, teach your students to view failures as a positive rather than a negative experience.[10] Making mistakes provides learning experiences that can help students move toward a more successful solution. If a student is struggling with a project, praise them for working hard and encourage them to try again from another angle.

And finally, make sure to include time for creative play in your classroom. Studies show that playing pretend, for example, is linked to stronger divergent thinking skills in young students.[5] Assign students projects that allow them to use their imagination and play as they complete it. You could, for example, assign students an art project or have them perform a skit in small groups.

5 Quick Tips to Teach Students Divergent Thinking Skills

It’s crucial to encourage divergent thinking in schools in order to help students thrive. By thinking outside of the box, your students will come up with better and more thoughtful solutions.

These five quick and simple tips will help you move towards divergent thinking in the classroom.

1. Journaling is a great way to encourage self-analysis and help students think through many solutions to a question.[13] Assign students to keep a journal and ask them thought-provoking questions .

For earlier grades, journaling may involve more drawing and early attempts to write than full sentences.

2. Include free play in your curriculum, which is when students can work on projects of their own choosing.[11]

3. Ask students open-ended questions that cannot be answered with one solution.[8] You could, for example, ask what they believe makes life meaningful or how they would solve a global issue.

4. Brainstorming is a great example of a divergent thinking strategy. If a student is stuck on an assignment, encourage them to brainstorm answers or solutions—either on their own or with their classmates. Through brainstorming, students are taught to consider a variety of solutions instead of just one.[6]

5. Play this Animal Soup Activity to teach students how to come up with many outcomes to a situation.

• Runco, M.A., and Acar, S. Divergent Thinking as an Indicator of Creative Potential . Creativity Research Journal, 2012, 24(1), pp. 66-75.
• Vincent, A.S., Decker, B.P., and Mumford, M.D. Divergent Thinking, Intelligence, and Expertise: A Test of Alternative Models . Creativity Research Journal, 2002, 14(2), pp. 163-178.
• Runco, M. A. Commentary: Divergent thinking is not synonymous with creativity . Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 2008, 2(2), 93–96.
• Goodman, S. Fuel Creativity in the Classroom With Divergent Thinking . March 2014. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/fueling-creativity-through-divergent-thinking-classroom-stacey-goodman
• Hadani, H.S. The Creativity Issue: Why Imaginative Play in Early Childhood Could be the Key to Creativity in Adulthood . Toca Magazine. tocaboca.com/magazine/creativity-issue_imaginary-play/.
• Nelson-Danley, K. How to Teach Divergent Thinking . Teach Hub. July 2020. https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies/2020/07/how-to-teach-divergent-thinking/
• Palmiero, M., Di Giacomo, D., and Passafiume, D. Divergent Thinking and Age-Related Changes . Creativity Research Journal, 2014, 26(4), pp 456-460.
• Amico, B. Crucial Creativity: The Case for Cultivating Divergent Thinking in Classrooms . Waldorf Education. February 2020. https://www.waldorfeducation.org/news-resources/essentials-in-education-blog/detail/~board/essentials-in-ed-board/post/crucial-creativity-the-case-for-cultivating-divergent-thinking-in-classrooms.
• Guido, M. How to Teach Convergent and Divergent Thinking: Definitions, Examples, Templates and More . Prodigy. July 2018. https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/convergent-divergent-thinking/.
• Briggs, S. 30 Ways to Inspire Divergent Thinking . InformED. June 2014. https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/divergent-thinking/.
• Iannelli, V. The Importance of Free Play for Kids . Verywell Family. March 2020. https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-importance-of-free-play-2633113.
• Hughes, D. Activities that Inspire Divergent Thinking . https://study.com/academy/lesson/activities-that-inspire-divergent-thinking.html.
• University of Washington Staff. Strategies of Divergent Thinking . https://faculty.washington.edu/ezent/imdt.htm.
• Abbasi, K. A riot of divergent thinking . Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, October 2011, 104(10), pp. 391.
• Lewis, C., and Lovatt, P.J. Breaking away from set patterns of thinking: Improvisation and divergent thinking . Thinking Skills and Creativity, August 2013, 9, pp. 46-58.
• O’Byrne, W.I. Understanding key differences between divergent & convergent thinking . November 2017. https://wiobyrne.com/divergent-convergent/.
• Cohut, M. What are the health benefits of being creative? Medical News Today. February 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320947.

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Why You Need to Practice Divergent Thinking

Now is the time for divergent thinking..

Posted June 24, 2020 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

As I wrote in The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative, No Matter Where You Work , “divergent thinking helps us generate many new ideas, imagine, be original, ask questions to spot problems, look for patterns, make unexpected connections, imagine, and see things from a variety of perspectives.”

Divergent thinking is ideational or visionary in nature. It involves rigorous gymnastics of the mind that lead to unexpected solutions. Divergent thinking spurs our thoughts beyond what exists, opening the door of thought to consider new possibilities.

Converge: Analyze Ideas and Form Solutions

Convergent thinking complements divergent thinking. We can take all the ideas and connections generated during divergence and probe them. Convergent thinking includes judgment. We weigh the options within a fixed set of information. We consider our particular situation, look at our goals and objectives, analyze the information before us, and decide what to do under the circumstances.

Most of us are well-practiced in convergent thinking. Much of school, especially with the growth of standardized tests, trains us almost exclusively in convergent thinking. As the use of these tests has increased and become more pressurized, teachers have adjusted their teaching styles to match them. Districts buy scripted curricula to align with test content, and many teachers are required to read straight from lesson plans without diverging.

Even more than before, convergent thinking dominates in our classrooms. Recent studies show that this is happening as early as preschool. Suffice it to say that we are steeped in convergent thinking from a very young age. Even so, we can still get better at using it as divergent thinking’s partner.

To have true creativity —the most robust form of thinking—we must have both divergent thinking and convergent thinking. Some people are more inclined toward divergent thinking, and others prefer convergent. This is a good thing, because, as I’ve said before, we need both. We need people who are passionate about pushing past the current reality to find new possibilities, and we also need people who are passionate about working through analytical details to craft solid solutions.

The problem is that convergence is an almost irresistible force that tends to dominate our lives and the world.

Don’t Let Convergence Take Over Your World

Convergent thinking in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, of course. As mentioned, it’s divergent thinking’s essential partner to achieve the truly robust cognition that is creativity. But when divergent thinking is compromised, and convergence takes over, the decline is imminent.

One definition of "converge" is to gradually change so as to become similar or develop something in common. As humans, our innate need to belong makes us more apt to take on a convergence mindset. This is true in all microcosms of society, from families to schools, to teams and businesses. The culture of the group puts pressure on the uniqueness of the individual.

Convergence is how traditions develop, how groups find cohesiveness, and how some people start to resemble their dogs. (There’s probably a much more scientific explanation for the last one!) But think about it. If we all continue to change toward one particular point of sameness, all of a sudden, we morph together in one giant blob of thought and action.

When we are no longer able to think for ourselves because we are so intertwined with the group, we lose the ability to find new solutions. The core of so many problems in the world is a lack of divergent thinking, a lack of considering the new possibilities that will get us out of ruts.

Balance Your Thinking to Be More Creative

When convergence takes over, it kills off divergence little by little until we find ourselves out of balance from a thinking standpoint. At work, this manifests as apathy and dissatisfaction. When we set out to improve our creativity, we realign our balance; using both divergent and convergent thinking is natural for human beings. Balanced thinking balances individuals, and they, in turn, nourish ecosystems away from decay and toward possibility.

3 Ways to Get Better at Divergent Thinking

We’re all pretty darn good at convergent thinking. But our divergent thinking tends to decrease over time. Here are three tips from The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative, No Matter Where You Work to help you develop your divergent thinking.

1. Grow Your Thinking Flexibility: Minimize Trash. Lauren Singer has rethought her entire lifestyle so that her full year’s worth of trash can be contained in one small mason jar. And yes, ladies, that means she’s even found an alternative to those fun monthly feminine products.

What are five non-obvious things you can do today to reduce your own trash? Check out Singer’s Trash Is for Tossers website or her Instagram feed of the same name for inspiration. Even if she comes up with the ideas, it still takes flexibility for you to use them.

2. Free Your Thinking: Do Things Differently. Develop your freedom by doing things differently. What are three things that your organization does now because “we’ve always done it this way”? Choose one and think up and try an alternate approach.

3. Expand Your Thinking: Respond Like an Improv Actor. Imagine if, in the middle of an improv scene, one actor told the other, “You weren’t supposed to say that!” or “Don’t use that line!” The improv actor’s secret success tool is staying in a mentality of “Yes, and....” She has to say yes to the ridiculous and go with it to finish out the scene well. Today, practice responding to people’s ideas with, “Yes, and....” Repeat tomorrow.

This article also appeared on Sparkitivity.com. Copyright Sparkitivity, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/01/12/what-to-do-when-…

Kathryn Haydon, MSc , is an innovation strategist, speaker, and author who helps teams and individuals activate and maximize their creative thinking and innovation potential.

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5 Techniques to Promote Divergent Thinking

Encouraging students to generate many solutions to a particular problem leads to more creative thinking and better problem-solving.

Service robots. ChatGPT. Drone deliveries. In a constantly evolving world, the ability to think creatively and divergently is no longer a nice-to-have attribute but an essential skill. That’s why creativity, problem-solving, and innovation are among the top 10 most critical skills of the future, according to the World Economic Forum .

With the rise of new technologies that excel at convergent thinking, it’s becoming increasingly clear that schools must prioritize divergent thinking in students to equip them for a future of unpredictable challenges and opportunities.

Divergent and Convergent Thinking

The concept of divergent thinking was founded by psychologist J. P. Guilford in 1956. Divergent thinking is the process of generating many different ideas and possibilities in an open-ended, spontaneous, and free-flowing manner. Typically, students have been trained to find the most direct path to one “right” solution. This is called convergent thinking .

However, most problems don’t have just one solution. Divergent thinking allows students to see a problem or concept from many perspectives and helps them generate numerous viable solutions, fostering innovation and creativity. Plus, because there’s no right or wrong answer, it encourages open-mindedness, leading to better solutions.

5 Techniques That Foster Divergent Thinking

1. SCAMPER is a creative thinking strategy that generates new ideas for students by asking questions to make them think about modifying and improving existing products, projects, or ideas. SCAMPER is an acronym for substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, and rearrange .

I use the SCAMPER technique to foster divergent thinking by challenging students to develop new ideas for the work they are already doing.

For example, a few days after assigning a project, paper, or long-term assignment, I like to use this digital SCAMPER sheet to walk students through the process of SCAMPER, so that they take the time to look at what they are doing through a new lens. Students record their answers and then use the sheet to guide them to modify and improve the ideas or concepts they are working on.

2. Mind mapping uses visual diagrams to connect and organize information. It’s an effective way to promote divergent thinking and creativity in the classroom, as students have to think of how their learning connects. I use mind mapping to help students generate new ideas, explore different angles of a topic, or review how the material they are learning builds and connects.

To create a mind map, students start with a central topic and branch out with related ideas and subtopics, using different colors, shapes, and images to differentiate between them. Mind mapping uses keywords or short phrases and connects related ideas with lines or arrows.

Students can do mind mapping individually or in groups. Mind mapping fits in well as a review at the end of a lesson or the end of a unit, promoting retention and comprehension of information. I like giving students a choice when mind mapping using a digital template like this or drawing their own using colored pencils and paper.

3. Brainwriting is similar to brainstorming and is used to help at the beginning of a project or assignment. Brainwriting encourages shy or introverted students to express their thoughts by writing them down. Brainwriting also enables students to take their time to formulate ideas and build on suggestions made by others.

One popular form of brainwriting I use in class is the 6-3-3 exercise. This exercise has students get into groups of up to six participants and write down three ideas each on a piece of paper or sticky notes within three minutes . Once finished, students swap the pieces of paper and read what another participant came up with before adding three more ideas to what they read.

After students have added to the new ideas they received, the group discusses and considers all ideas and agrees upon the next steps for their project or assignment. Brainwriting is an excellent way to foster creativity in the classroom and encourage participation from all students.

4. Reverse brainstorming calls on students to brainstorm ways to make a problem worse or create more related issues. Doing this activity in class helps students identify potential obstacles and encourages critical thinking skills. I use this approach to engage students and generate new ideas in the classroom for planning a project or a paper, or before starting an assignment.

To start reverse brainstorming, I present a problem or challenge to the students and give them 5 minutes to create ways to worsen the situation. For example, I might ask students how to plan a research paper due in the coming weeks or question the wrong way to start a problem. Students then create a list of ways that would make the problem worse and explain why.

This allows students to identify potential roadblocks they may not have previously considered before starting a problem and helps them develop solutions to overcome barriers. Plus, it gets students talking about common misconceptions and errors when deciding how to tackle a problem.

5. What-if scenario planning involves having students imagine different scenarios and consider their potential outcomes. To use this technique in the classroom, I start by presenting a plan or problem to the students. Then, I ask students to imagine different what-if scenarios, such as “What if the problem were solved differently?” or “What if the situation were completely different?”

This technique allows students to consider a range of possible outcomes. It also allows them to look at content in new ways, from historical events to math problems. It’s a compelling way to promote critical thinking skills. What-if scenario planning is also an effective way to build students’ confidence in their ability to approach problems from different angles, which can be a valuable skill for future success.

By honing divergent thinking skills, students can tackle complex problems head-on and develop innovative solutions that keep pace with technological change. After all, the future belongs to those who can think differently and develop game-changing ideas.

Divergent Thinking: What It Is, How It Works

Weird or out of the box thoughts can yield a cornucopia of good ideas.

“Bring Your Weird,” is one of the values at Panzura , a cloud-management software company based in San Jose, California. “We believe that different thinking is what makes us awesome, and we encourage everyone to be their authentic self at all times,” said Ed Peters, chief innovation officer. 

What Is Divergent Thinking?

This “different thinking,” also known as divergent thinking, has resulted in many effective decisions for Panzura, including moving the company’s entire product-development and quality-assurance efforts to its Mexican nearshore unit, rather than nearshoring only parts of the process. 

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In the 1950s, psychologist J.P. Guildford came up with the concept of convergent and divergent thinking . Convergent thinking is organized and linear, following certain steps to reach a single solution to a problem. Divergent thinking is more free-flowing and spontaneous, and it produces lots of ideas. Guilford considered divergent thinking more creative because of its ability to yield many solutions to problems. 

“Divergent thinking is the ability to generate alternatives,” said Spencer Harrison, associate professor of organizational behavior at management school Insead. Divergent thinkers question the status quo. They reject “we’ve always done it this way” as a reason, he said. 

Divergent thinking can and should involve convergent thinking, said Peters of Panzura. The two ways of thinking “are a yin and yang that can become a virtuous cycle and a source of great pride for the team members that create ideas, products and moments.”

Characteristics of Divergent Thinking 

“All true thinking is divergent,” said Chris Nicholson, team lead at San Francisco-based Clipboard Health, which matches nurses with open shifts at healthcare facilities. “Everything else is imitation and doesn’t require thinking at all.” 

Divergent thinking encompasses creativity, collaboration, open mindedness, attention to detail and other qualities. 

Divergent thinking is creative , but it’s not creative thinking, which requires a complicated set of skills, Harrison said. Designers need to be empathetic to create suitable, organic solutions. That empathetic aspect of thinking is, in a way, divergent thinking because it leads to ideas, but it is not the sum and substance of divergent thinking, Harrison said. 

“Engaging in divergent thinking while problem solving tends to result in more creative solutions.”

Divergent thinking and creativity are intertwined, said Taylor Sullivan, senior staff industrial-organizational psychologist at Codility , an HR tech company based in San Francisco. “Engaging in divergent thinking while problem solving tends to result in more creative solutions,” she said. “This is important because leader creativity has been shown to promote positive change and inspire followers,” she said. Creative problem-solving also enhances team performance, particularly when it involves brainstorming, Sullivan added.

Open Mind 

“One of the key life lessons my father taught me was the importance of being willing to change your mind,” Sullivan said. Open-mindedness — the willingness to to consider new or different perspectives and ideas — is a hallmark of divergent thinking and is critical for effective leadership , she said. 

Collaborative

Idea creation at Donut involves cross-department collaboration , said Arielle Shipper, vice president of operations at the New York-based company, which makes office communication tools. “We always pull in people from across the organization, even if the problem we’re working on doesn’t touch their direct role,” Shipper said. Representatives from product and engineering especially bring a perspective that helps tie products and the solutions, she said. 

This collaboration involves getting input from everyone, even those who are reluctant to share thoughts, she said. “It’s important to me that everyone knows that their ideas are crucial for our work, even if they contradict what a more senior person is saying,” Shipper said. To spark conversation, she asks “is there anything you disagree with?” rather than “what do you think?” Asking the more tightly focused question, which Shipper calls a “simple but mindful shift in language” promotes a culture of acceptance and ideation. 

Rethink Language 

Along similar lines, Chris Nicholson and his team at Clipboard Health think divergently by escaping what he calls language traps, “when you realize that what’s happening is being obscured by the way people talk about it,” Nicholson said. 

To illustrate: Clipboard Health believes that new hires should “raise the median” on the team they’re joining. That belief, though, led to rejecting people for the wrong reasons, for example not having a Ph.D on a team filled with Ph.Ds. 

To get out of that language trap, the company settled on a multi-dimensional median for teams, meaning that candidates could excel in coding ability, humility or other skills .

Detail Oriented

“The devil is in the details,” said Leslie Ryan, managing director in cybersecurity and technology controls at JPMorgan Chase . “I have always thought outside the career and it has helped my career advance,” said Ryan, who has six direct reports and a team of 40. 

Earlier in her career, Ryan’s employer wanted to outsource functions that many people thought couldn’t be outsourced. Trade support was one such function. “It typically required a person to be in proximity to the trader and details of the trade,” Ryan explained. By dissecting a trading assistant’s job, she was able to pinpoint certain functions, such as reconciliations and reporting, that could be outsourced. 

Strategy 

“I tend to see the bigger picture — strategically and long term,” said Chris Noble, CEO of New York-based cloud-tech company Cirrus Nexus, who considers himself a divergent thinker. “I look at things from a perspective of not what we can’t do, but imagining what can be and where we need to go,” he said. The quality, which Noble attributes in part to his dyslexia, helps him visualize unique and forward-thinking products for Cirrus Nexus. 

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Build Divergent Thinking Skills

Chris Nicholson of Clipboard Health honed his ability to think divergently when he was young; his family of six debated at the dinner table and his father enjoyed playing devil’s advocate. “That led us to see different perspectives,” he said. Nicholson thinks many people are able to think divergently, but perhaps are not in environments that foster it. Divergent thinking is “creative, reality focused, and persistent,” he said.

Ask Questions 

When faced with a problem, Nicholson asks questions: “Why do we think this is a problem? What do we achieve if we solve it? What data, experience and customer interactions do we have that backs up our hypotheses?” This “discovery stage,” he said, helps management understand a problem before it builds solutions. “Explore the mystery first and relish the discomfort of not knowing, rather than building a plan based on misguided beliefs,” he said. 

Let Thoughts Flow Freely

Free-flowing thought is a necessary step in divergent thinking, agreed Christine Andrukonis, founder and senior partner at leadership consultancy Notion Consulting, who considers divergent thinking a hallmark of leadership. “A great leader’s superpower is to be able to see into the future and anticipate what’s next, which requires divergent thinking,” she said. 

“A great leader’s superpower is to be able to see into the future and anticipate what’s next, which requires divergent thinking.” 

When presented with a problem, Andrukonis lets her thoughts flow freely and writes them down. Then she steps away to think about what she’s written down and perhaps identify patterns among the thoughts. She circles those patterns, steps away again, and then connects them to the bigger picture. 

“My step-away moments are literally that — going for a walk, spending time with my family, or doing something creative like painting,” Andrukonis said. Stepping away does not involve a meeting or work-related task, she said.

Listen Actively 

“When I face a problem, I innately begin thinking of different ways the problem can be solved,” said Daryl Hammett, general manager, global demand generation and operations at AWS , based in Seattle, Washington. 

Soon after, though, Hammett starts tapping his team for feedback. “We always start with working back from the customers’ needs, so I actively seek the advice and viewpoints of a diverse range of people, listening to their thoughts about the problems, goals, and challenges they face,” he said. 

By actively listening , he practices divergent thinking skills and builds solutions with his teams. “Problems are not linear,” he said. “They’re multi-dimensional and should be addressed from a variety of angles before the best solutions appear.”

To nurture divergent thinking, Hammett encourages his team to challenge him without fear of judgment. “I am always open to feedback and change,” he said. “Having two-way conversations helps me cut through the noise and put my people first.” 

He also considers divergent thinking a mark of effective leadership — it helped him navigate the management challenges of the pandemic and helps lead his team with flexibility. 

Both divergent and convergent thinking have their place in a leader’s skillset, said Spencer Harrison of Insead. Leaders who deal with stable and settled situations might benefit more from convergent thinking, while leaders with unstable, volatile environments might do well to think only divergently. 

“What research suggests is that divergent thinking might help you see new possibilities, but you would still need convergent thinking to realize and execute on those possibilities,” he said. “That said, because education and organizations tend to over-reward conformity, divergent thinking is probably a bit more rare and therefore likely more valuable especially in the long run over the course of a career,” Harrison said. 

Peters at Panzura has his own opinion. “Sometimes the divergent thinking path wins, much of the time it doesn’t,” he said. “We create more opportunities for divergence by repeating the saying: ‘You never lose. You win or you learn.’

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Divergent Thinking

What is divergent thinking.

Divergent thinking is an ideation mode which designers use to widen their design space as they begin to search for potential solutions. They generate as many new ideas as they can using various methods (e.g., oxymorons) to explore possibilities, and then use convergent thinking to analyze these to isolate useful ideas.

“When you’re being creative, nothing is wrong.” — John Cleese, Famous comedian and actor

Convergent and divergent thinking

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Divergent Thinking Can Open up Endless Possibilities

The formula for creativity is structure plus diversity, and divergent thinking is how you stretch to explore a diverse range of possibilities for ideas that might lead to the best solution to your design problem . As a crucial component of the design thinking process, divergent thinking is valuable when there’s no tried-and-tested solution readily available or adaptable. To find all the angles to a problem, gain the best insights and be truly innovative, you’ll need to explore your design space exhaustively. Divergent thinking is horizontal thinking, and you typically do it early in the ideation stage of a project. A “less than” sign (<) is a handy way to symbolize divergent thinking – how vast arrays of ideas fan out laterally from one focal point: Design team members freely exercise their imaginations for the widest possible view of the problem and its relevant factors, and build on each other’s ideas. Divergent thinking is characterized by:

Quantity over quality – Generate ideas without fear of judgement (critically evaluating them comes later).

Novel ideas – Use disruptive and lateral thinking to break away from linear thinking and strive for original, unique ideas.

Creating choices – The freedom to explore the design space helps you maximize your options, not only regarding potential solutions but also about how you understand the problem itself.

Divergent thinking is the first half of your ideation journey. It’s vital to complement it with convergent thinking, which is when you think vertically and analyze your findings, get a far better understanding of the problem and filter your ideas as you work your way towards the best solution.

A Method to the “Madness” – Use Divergent Thinking with a Structure

Here are some great ways to help navigate the uncharted oceans of idea possibilities:

Bad Ideas – You deliberately think up ideas that seem ridiculous, but which can show you why they’re bad and what might be good in them.

Oxymorons – You explore what happens when you negate or remove the most vital part of a product or concept to generate new ideas for that product/concept: e.g., a word processor without a cursor.

Random Metaphors – You pick something (an item, word, etc.) randomly and associate it with your project to find qualities they share, which you might then build into your design.

Brilliant Designer of Awful Things – When working to improve a problematic design, you look for the positive side effects of the problem and understand them fully. You can then ideate beyond merely fixing the design’s apparent faults.

Arbitrary Constraints – The search for design ideas can sometimes mean you get lost in the sea of what-ifs. By putting restrictions on your idea—e.g., “users must be able to use the interface while bicycling”—you push yourself to find ideas that conform to that constraint.

© Yu Siang and Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 3.0

Learn More about Divergent Thinking

Take our Creativity course to get the most from divergent thinking, complete with templates .

Read one designer’s detailed step-by-step account of divergent thinking at work.

This UX Collective article insightfully presents an alternative approach involving divergent thinking .

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Which characteristic best defines divergent thinking?

• Approach problems with a logical, step-by-step methodology.
• Focus on one specific solution and optimize it.
• Generate multiple, creative solutions to a problem.

How does divergent thinking differ from convergent thinking?

• Both approaches aim to refine a specific solution rather than finding new possibilities.
• Divergent thinking emphasizes the generation of many solutions, while convergent thinking narrows down to the best option.
• Divergent thinking finds a single best solution, while convergent thinking produces multiple ideas.

What is one primary benefit of divergent thinking in the design process?

• It broadens the range of potential ideas to increase innovation.
• It limits the scope of solutions to known and trusted approaches.
• It simplifies problem-solving by identifying the quickest solution.

Which approach exemplifies divergent thinking in a design project?

• The brainstorming of as many potential design concepts as possible.
• The immediate implementation of a single design idea.
• The iteration of one design until it meets specific project requirements.

Why is it important for designers to use both divergent and convergent thinking?

• To explore a range of creative ideas and then identify the most effective solution
• To implement each generated idea without filtering or analysis
• To refine one approach only after the elimination of all other ideas

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Literature on Divergent Thinking

Here’s the entire UX literature on Divergent Thinking by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:

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The overall goal of this course is to help you design better products, services and experiences by helping you and your team develop innovative and useful solutions. You’ll learn a human-focused, creative design process.

We’re going to show you what creativity is as well as a wealth of ideation methods ―both for generating new ideas and for developing your ideas further. You’ll learn skills and step-by-step methods you can use throughout the entire creative process. We’ll supply you with lots of templates and guides so by the end of the course you’ll have lots of hands-on methods you can use for your and your team’s ideation sessions. You’re also going to learn how to plan and time-manage a creative process effectively.

Most of us need to be creative in our work regardless of if we design user interfaces, write content for a website, work out appropriate workflows for an organization or program new algorithms for system backend. However, we all get those times when the creative step, which we so desperately need, simply does not come. That can seem scary—but trust us when we say that anyone can learn how to be creative­ on demand . This course will teach you ways to break the impasse of the empty page. We'll teach you methods which will help you find novel and useful solutions to a particular problem, be it in interaction design, graphics, code or something completely different. It’s not a magic creativity machine, but when you learn to put yourself in this creative mental state, new and exciting things will happen.

In the “Build Your Portfolio: Ideation Project” , you’ll find a series of practical exercises which together form a complete ideation project so you can get your hands dirty right away. If you want to complete these optional exercises, you will get hands-on experience with the methods you learn and in the process you’ll create a case study for your portfolio which you can show your future employer or freelance customers.

Your instructor is Alan Dix . He’s a creativity expert, professor and co-author of the most popular and impactful textbook in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Alan has worked with creativity for the last 30+ years, and he’ll teach you his favorite techniques as well as show you how to make room for creativity in your everyday work and life.

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Divergent Thinking: What It Is and How to Develop It

Divergent Thinking

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• Mark A. Runco 2 , 3 , 4  

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Creative potential ; Flexibility ; Fluency ; Ideation ; Originality

Introduction

The theory of divergent thinking is among the most useful in all of creativity studies. Many people equate divergent thinking with creativity, which is not an accurate view since (a) divergent thinking is a useful concept outside of assessment and testing and (b) creativity requires various things and not just divergent thinking. That being said, tests of divergent thinking are the most commonly used estimates of the potential for creative thinking. But divergent thinking tasks are also useful as exercises, even when there is no need or interest in measurement, and the theory of divergent thinking is useful when attempting to understand creative thought, even when there is no need for application, data, or assessment. It is a good theory. It holds up well when the criteria for what makes a good theory (e.g., broad coverage, testable hypotheses, parsimony) are used to evaluate it. This entry starts...

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Guilford JP. Creativity, intelligence, and their educational implications. EDITS: San Diego; 1968.

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Runco MA, editor. Divergent thinking. Norwood: Ablex Publications; 1991.

Runco MA, editor. Divergent thinking and creative ideation. Cresskill: Hampton Press; 2012.

Torrance EP. Why fly? Norwood: Hampton Press; 1995.

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Runco, M.A. (2020). Divergent Thinking. In: Carayannis, E.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15347-6_430

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Guiding Curiosity, Igniting Imagination!

A Guide to Divergent and Convergent Thinking in the Classroom

Understanding and Implementing Divergent and Convergent Thinking in the Classroom

In the world of education, understanding and effectively utilizing different thinking styles is paramount in fostering a comprehensive learning environment. Two such cognitive approaches, divergent and convergent thinking, offer unique pathways to problem-solving and creativity. Let’s explore each thinking style and delve into strategies for integrating them into the classroom setting.

What is Divergent Thinking?

Divergent thinking is a cognitive process where students are encouraged to explore many possible solutions to a single problem. It’s a free-wheeling style of thinking that enables the generation of fresh ideas and perspectives. For instance, when faced with a question like “How many uses can you think of for a paperclip?”, students employing divergent thinking will come up with a wide array of answers, exploring the bounds of possibility and creativity.

Implementing Divergent Thinking in the Classroom:

Foster a Judgment-Free Zone:

• Allow students to brainstorm ideas freely and openly. Make the classroom a safe space for sharing all thoughts, fostering a rich environment for exploration and innovation.

Use Open-Ended Questions:

• Frame questions in a way that encourages varied and numerous responses. This approach sparks creativity and allows students to think outside of the conventional bounds.

Encourage Creative Assignments:

• Assign projects and tasks that allow students to express themselves uniquely. The focus should be on generating diverse and innovative ideas.

What is Convergent Thinking?

Convergent thinking is the process of finding a single, optimal solution to a well-defined problem. This thinking style emphasizes analysis, logic, and systematic processing. It’s used to address questions with a single correct answer, like mathematical problems or specific factual queries.

Implementing Convergent Thinking in the Classroom:

Teach Structured Problem-Solving Strategies:

• Provide students with a framework or method for tackling problems. Guide them in the process of analyzing issues and finding the most effective solutions.

Promote Analytical Assignments:

• Design assignments that require analytical thinking, such as experiments, math problems, or literary analysis.

Prioritize Evaluation and Analysis:

• Encourage students to assess different solutions and perspectives critically. This strategy hones their analytical skills and helps them understand the criteria for effective problem-solving.

Merging the Two for Holistic Learning:

For a well-rounded educational experience, merging both divergent and convergent thinking in classroom activities is essential.

Sequential Thinking Tasks:

• Initiate with tasks that require divergent thinking, followed by activities that necessitate convergent thinking. This sequential approach provides students with a holistic problem-solving experience.

Collaborative Projects:

• Engage students in group work where they can experience both types of thinking. Collaboration fosters a diverse range of ideas and structured problem-solving strategies.

Real-World Problem-Solving:

• Present students with real-world problems that require both creative brainstorming and systematic problem-solving.

Understanding and effectively implementing both divergent and convergent thinking in the classroom will not only enhance the educational experience but also equip students with the vital problem-solving skills needed in real-world scenarios. Both thinking styles are invaluable, and their integration provides a balanced and thorough approach to learning and development.

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Definition of Divergent Thinking:

Divergent thinking is a cognitive process that involves the ability to generate multiple ideas, possibilities, or solutions to a given problem or question. It is characterized by a non-linear and spontaneous approach to thinking, where individuals explore various perspectives and consider unconventional alternatives.

Key Aspects of Divergent Thinking:

• Flexibility: Divergent thinking encourages individuals to think beyond traditional boundaries and explore different angles or viewpoints.
• Originality: It emphasizes the generation of unique and novel ideas that may not conform to the conventional norms.
• Fluency: Divergent thinking focuses on the production of a large quantity of ideas, without judgment or evaluation at the brainstorming stage.
• Elaboration: The process involves building upon initial ideas, expanding and developing them further.
• Unconventionality: Divergent thinking encourages breaking away from conventional ideas and exploring unusual possibilities.

Application of Divergent Thinking:

Divergent thinking is particularly valuable in creative problem-solving, brainstorming sessions, idea generation, and innovation. It allows for a wider spectrum of possibilities and fosters the exploration of diverse perspectives, leading to unique and inventive outcomes.

Convergent vs Divergent Thinking (Definitions + Examples)

Picture this. You’re at work and your team has a big problem to solve. Everyone sits down together in a room and starts to brainstorm. One person comes up with a solution, but it’s immediately shot down by another coworker. The next person comes up with a solution, and that’s immediately shot down, too. It doesn’t take long for the whole team to feel very frustrated and exhausted. You’ll never come up with a solution if everything is immediately torn apart!

How can you make this situation more productive? The first step is to learn about different types of thinking. By understanding the difference between convergent and divergent thinking, you can more effectively plan out your brainstorming session and come to the best solution without frustration.

Definition of Convergent and Divergent Thinking

Convergent and divergent thinking are relatively new terms in the world of psychology. They were first introduced to the world in 1956 by an American psychologist named J.P. Guilford. These two cognitive approaches, when used appropriately, can be used to solve just about any problem that you face.

Divergent Thinking

Let’s start by talking about divergent thinking. When you think about “brainstorming,” you are thinking about divergent thinking. This type of thinking requires you to expand your mind and find innovative solutions. The possibilities are endless. Divergent thinking allows you to see products in materials in new and different ways.

Mind maps are the best way to put the results of divergent thinking on paper. Mind maps contain ideas that branch off from each other in different directions. There doesn’t have to be a lot of logic used when you are in “divergent thinking” mode. Remember, you are expanding what is possible, not limiting it.

Convergent Thinking

Now, let’s go back to the first example. There was divergent thinking happening - each person was coming up with an “out of the box” idea. But they were quickly getting shot down. The person that was critiquing their argument was in “convergent thinking” mode.

Convergent thinking isn’t bad or unproductive. It’s necessary! This process is more analytical and “realistic.” It uses logic to narrow down ideas. This part of the thinking process requires looking for fallacies and potential problems. By narrowing down ideas that would not possibly work, you can find one or two ideas that will work without a hitch.

Examples of Convergent and Divergent Thinking

Let’s say you’re planning an event, and trying to figure out where to have the event. By putting on your “divergent thinking cap,” you start to brainstorm. How fun would it be to have the event at Disney World? Or at the new hotel that is opening down the street? What about a big outdoor party with tents? All of these venues could attract potential guests and make the event really stand out!

Wow, these are a lot of great ideas!

But let’s approach this same problem with our “convergent thinking cap.” Disney World? Way out of budget, and most of the guests won’t want to travel that far. The new hotel down the street? That’s closer to the budget and guests can easily travel there. A big outdoor party? This is an option too, but only if the cost for lights, heating, and the tents actually did fit in the budget. Would you need a permit to hold the party outside? Would you have to worry about noise complaints?

As you can see, both of these processes are necessary to come to a solution. You can’t just set your heart on Disney World without considering practical factors, like budget or location. But when you do come up with an “out of the box” solution that does fit into your constraints, you’ve got a great solution on your hands.

How to Effectively Use Convergent and Divergent Thinking

Convergent and divergent thinking require two different parts of the brain. While convergent thinking relies more on logic, divergent thinking relies more on creativity. Switching back and forth between the two may not seem like multitasking, but it is a form of multitasking. And multitasking is not as effective as you may think.

In the meeting mentioned at the beginning of this article, your team was constantly switching back and forth between convergent and divergent thinking. Their brain had to switch back and forth, too. No wonder the group became worn out so fast!

Harvard instructors like Anne Manning suggest another approach to convergent and divergent thinking. Rather than doing them in the same meeting, try “batching” your divergent and convergent thinking tasks. Take an hour of the meeting for your team simply to brainstorm ideas. No critiques, no logic, no convergent thinking. Just keep expanding the ideas of where you should hold the event, for a solid block of time.

Give your team a break. This break could be an overnight break - many people have their best creative ideas when they are sleeping, showering, or thinking about other things. Tell your team to write down any more creative ideas that they might have, and bring them to you before the next meeting.

Then, hold a meeting that is focused solely on convergent thinking. Think about the budget. Location. The number of people that you expect to attend the event. You’ll be able to cross some ideas off of your list pretty quickly. That’s okay. Crossing off items on your list quickly means that you’re coming to a solution quickly.

And voila! You’ve found your solution. Now it’s time to focus on other elements of the event. Using inspiration from your previous brainstorms, you can truly make your event the greatest it can be, or solve any problem efficiently. You may decide to make the event Disney-themed, for example, to have a fun event without shelling out the costs of actually going to Florida.

The next time you’re faced with a problem, try this batching technique. You might find yourself coming up with a great solution without frustrations!

Narrowing Down The Ideas

Don't have two days to come up with an idea? Split your team into two groups and let the debate begin! Well, sort of.

Here's how this brainstorming session works. Give two teams a set amount of time (maybe 30-60 minutes) to brainstorm all ideas without any sort of dissent or questioning. Write them all down on the left side of a piece of paper. At the end of the time period, switch the sheets of paper between the two teams. (You may find overlap. That's good!) Set another time period for the groups to engage in divergent thinking. Instruct them to eliminate most of the ideas, leaving a handful for the first group to choose from. At the end of the second time period, switch the papers back to the original groups.

If both groups still have not come to a consensus about the idea for moving forward, instruct each group to choose  one  of their remaining ideas to bring to the table. Once that is chosen, both groups will present that idea and the decision will be put to a vote amongst both groups.

Choose Your Best Team Members for Each Job

If you have a strong team that respects each other's processes, you may want to split your team up by their strengths and allow some to focus on convergent thinking or divergent thinking. Some team members naturally lean toward one or the other. Allowing people to show off their strengths can get your team the best answer in a process that everyone enjoys.

How do you know which team members are more skilled at convergent vs. divergent thinking? There are a few ways to find out.

Have an Open Dialogue

Give your team members the opportunity to choose which type of thinking they would like to engage in (if they have to pick.) Get to know their preferred forms of brainstorming. You may find that your team naturally prefers one type of thinking over the other. You may also find that they like to brainstorm in different ways! Keep an open mind.

Give it a Few Trial Runs

If everyone is shrugging their shoulders, go through a few trial runs. Split the teams randomly or bring everyone together to brainstorm ideas. Clearly split your time between convergent vs. divergent thinking. You will find that some team members have a hard time with convergent thinking, or others fail to speak up once the convergent thinking is over! As you notice these patterns, you will get a better sense of which "group" prefers one style over the other.

Go by Myers Briggs

Does your team all know their Myers Briggs type? Use this to indicate which members are likely more inclined to participate in convergent vs. divergent thinking. Team members best suited for convergent thinking include:

These aren't the only team members who should participate in convergent thinking, but it gives you a good idea of who you might want in the room during this brainstorming portion.

The best divergent thinkers include:

This isn't set in stone. Trust your team members. If they prefer one style over the other, give them the chance to shine!

Other Ideas for Brainstorming

Knowing the differences between convergent vs. divergent thinking can help you brainstorm. However, this approach may not be the best process for every team. Below are some other ways to brainstorm new ideas and find solutions to your most pressing problems.

Storyboarding

Get your team together and treat your problem like a conflict in a book.  Create a "storyboard" that explains what led to the problem and the conflict at hand. (Post-its and erasable markers are great tools for this type of brainstorming!) This method gives your team a new way to look at your problem.

SCAMPER offers a great set of prompts for a conversation about solutions. This is a great form of brainstorming for teams that are generally not convergent thinkers.

SCAMPER stands for:

• Substitute :  What would happen to the project if we swapped X for Y?
• Combine :  What would happen to the project if we combined X and Y?
• Adapt :  What changes would need to be made to adapt this project to a different context?
• Modify :  What could we modify to create more value on this project?
• Put to another use :  What other uses or applications might this project have?
• Eliminate :  What could we remove from the project to simplify it?
• Reverse :  How could we reorganize this project to make it more effective?

Six Thinking Hats

In 1985, psychologist Edward de Bono wrote "Six Thinking Hats" about a problem-solving exercise that involved roleplay. He described six different "hats" a person could wear as they brainstormed new ideas:

• Logic : Facts
• Optimism : Value and benefits.
• Devil’s Advocate : Difficulties and dangers
• Emotion : Feelings and intuitions
• Creativity : Possibilities and new ideas
• Management : Manager of other "hats"

What would happen if you chose six people on your team to wear these "hats?" Would they think about a solution in a new way? Would they come up with great, new ideas? There is only one way to find out!

There are so many great ways to brainstorm new ideas. Try out a few different methods, be aware of convergent vs. divergent thinking, and enjoy solving your team's biggest problems!

Related posts:

• Functional Fixedness (Definition + Examples)
• Social Loafing (Definition + Examples)
• Lewin’s Change Theory (Definition + Examples)
• Kurt Lewin Biography - Contributions To Psychology
• Social Groups in Psychology

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Divergent Thinking

Advantages of using divergent thinking , how to implement divergent thinking , convergent vs. divergent thinking, what is the divergent thinking psychology definition, how to combine divergent and convergent thinking for optimal results , techniques to stimulate divergent thinking, .css-uphcpb{position:absolute;left:0;top:-87px;} what is divergent thinking, definition of divergent thinking.

Divergent thinking, often referred to as lateral thinking, is the process of creating multiple, unique ideas or solutions to a problem that you are trying to solve. Through spontaneous, free-flowing thinking, divergent thinking requires coming up with many different answers or routes forward.

Divergent thinking can benefit work processes in the following ways:

Best possible solutions 

Increased team morale.

By dismissing the first idea, teams are encouraged to think outside the box and exercise their creativity. This encourages teamwork as they compare ideas and collectively work towards one goal, boosting team morale.

All You Need To Know About Product Management

More flexibility 

When faced with a complex problem, divergent thinking allows management to adapt their plans and processes to find an appropriate new solution, encouraging proactive development as opposed to restrictive reactive thinking. 

Too much divergent thinking can lead to endless ideation , and no solutions.

That’s where convergent thinking comes in handy. Convergent thinking organizes and structures new ideas, separating those with worth from those which can be left behind.

Creative problem solving begins with divergent thinking — to collect free-flowing ideas — before converging them so they’re relevant to the issue at hand. 

Both stages are critical. The divergent stage pushes you to explore all possible options, while the convergent stage ensures you’ve chosen the most appropriate solutions given the context.

Convergent thinking focuses on finding a well-defined solution to a problem by embracing clear solutions and structure.

For example, if a copy machine breaks at work, someone identifying as a convergent thinker would quickly call a technician to fix the machine.

Usually, project managers embrace convergent thinking without even knowing it, so you might already be familiar with this mentality.

Benefits of convergent vs. divergent thinking:

There is no room for ambiguity.

You tend to find solutions more quickly.

Perfect for linear processes and organization.

It allows you to align teams, plan projects, and create workflows in the most efficient way possible.

It’s a straight-to-the-point kind of approach to problem-solving.

Divergent thinking refers to the creative solutions you could find for a problem. This type of thinking allows for more freedom and helps you generate more than one solution by typically using brainstorming as the cognitive method.

Although the means differ from convergent thinking, the end goal is the same — to find the best idea.

For example, a divergent thinker would try to find the cause and develop a fix for that broken copy machine from the previous example.

They might even send a company-wide email to check whether any employees have fixed copy machines before.

Benefits of divergent vs. convergent thinking:

Using creativity to find solutions to problems.

Analyze ideas from different angles.

Identify and apply new opportunities.

Helps the user adopt a learning mindset.

Stand out from competitors by implementing creative ways to solve common problems.

Helps you learn and understand other people’s perspectives when brainstorming.

Divergent thinking involves a whole range of psychological steps. Usually, divergent thinking happens in a free-flowing and spontaneous manner, so ideas appear in a random, non-linear manner.

This is how divergent thinking opens the mind to potentially limitless solutions to problems that might not be obvious through linear, convergent thinking.

Divergent thinking is an essential part of creative thinking.

The best idea is never found by luck or pure chance. The creative process involves many steps that lead to new ideas.

From plucking out varieties of possible results to applying the idea to the problem at hand, divergent thinking is bound to lead you to more unique ideas than more straightforward, convergent thinking.

Achieving the best outcome through divergent and convergent thinking might seem challenging at first, but get it right and it can pay off in exciting and valuable ways.

Start with divergent thinking. You and your team may need to break out of established ideation routines and embrace a fresh approach, which is often difficult. Try to make it easier by being open to all possibilities and assuring your product team that there are no wrong ideas at this point. 

Look at all the potential choices and ideas available to you. Consider problems from all angles, including from the perspective of target users. You know their pain points and what solutions they’re looking for. That insight can help you make the most of divergent thinking. 

Next, move on to convergent thinking. Here you want to think about what is rather than what could be . Analyze your options, and compare their pros and cons carefully. When you have a comprehensive list of your ideas' good and bad points, you’ll find it easier to pick the best ones. 

Having trouble getting your team to try divergent thinking? Here are a few ways to kick-start the process:

Ask questions 

Some members of your product team may not know where to start. Stimulate divergent thinking by asking questions about the issue at hand and their views on it. 

Try roleplay

Have one team member play the role of a customer complaining about a product or a specific feature, and another could try to help them with it. This can spark discussions that lead to solutions.

Brainstorm possibilities

As a team, come up with as many ideas as possible, no matter how unrealistic they may be. Even one good option can lead to breakthroughs.

Create a mind map

Mind mapping takes a visual approach to brainstorming. Write the core goal/issue in the center of a sheet of paper or whiteboard, and get team members to write down thoughts about it.

Defer judgment until later

Avoid praising or criticizing ideas during the ideation process. Take note of everything, then analyze them later to find out how viable ideas are. 

Support strange and unusual ideas

Even if an idea seems ridiculous, there still might be something useful there. Encourage team members to open their minds to every possibility, no matter how bizarre they might be.

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Divergent vs Convergent Thinking: What's the Difference?

Divergent and convergent thinking are key components of problem-solving and decision-making, often used across different fields. They represent two different ways of approaching challenges: one focuses on generating many ideas, while the other narrows them down to find the best solution.

In this article, we’ll break down divergent vs convergent thinking styles, explore their practical applications, and show how they can help make better decisions and solve complex problems effectively.

Divergence vs Convergence: Definitions

How to apply divergent and convergent thinking, the pros and cons of convergent vs. divergent thinking, tips to get the most out of divergent & convergent thinking, when to use divergent vs convergent thinking, convergent vs. divergent thinking in project management, why you need both types of thinking.

Divergence and convergence are two opposing cognitive processes that play distinct roles in problem-solving and decision-making.

Divergent thinking is a creative process that helps generate a wide range of ideas or possibilities. It involves thinking broadly, exploring different angles, and coming up with multiple solutions to a problem. The main goal of divergent thinking is to promote creativity by allowing a free flow of thoughts without judgment or evaluation. In short, it’s about “thinking outside the box” and considering unconventional options.

Convergence

Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is a focused and analytical process aimed at selecting the best solution or idea from a set of options. It involves carefully evaluating, comparing, and narrowing down choices to identify the most effective and practical solution to a problem. Convergent thinking is about making decisions and finding the most suitable answer based on specific criteria, often guided by logic, data, and established principles.

This comparison chart gives a quick overview of the differences between divergent and convergent thinking.

Remember that divergent and convergent thinking aren’t separate stages, but often work together iteratively. You may need to switch between these thinking styles multiple times to fine-tune and improve your ideas. Additionally, involving a mix of people with different skills and thinking styles and expertise can also help increase the quality of both your divergent and convergent thinking processes.

Applying Divergent Thinking

Define the problem : Start by clearly outlining the problem or challenge you’re facing. Understand its scope and boundaries.

Brainstorm freely : Hold a brainstorming session where you and your team generate as many ideas as possible. During this phase:

• Do not criticize or judge ideas.
• Welcome unconventional and even seemingly impractical ideas.
• Build upon the ideas of others to spark creativity.

Mind mapping : Use mind maps or visual diagrams to explore connections between ideas and concepts. This can help you see the bigger picture and identify potential solutions.

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• Role play and scenario building : Imagine yourself in different scenarios related to the problem. Role-playing and scenario building can help you consider various perspectives and possibilities.

Analogies and metaphors : Draw analogies or use metaphors to relate the problem to unrelated concepts. This can help generate fresh insights and creative solutions.

Idea capture : Document all generated ideas systematically, either on paper or digitally. Organize them for easy reference during the convergent thinking phase. Use the following brainstorming board to quickly record and organize ideas.

Applying Convergent Thinking

Evaluate ideas : Review the list of generated ideas from the divergent thinking phase. Consider factors like feasibility, practicality, and alignment with your goals and constraints.

Set criteria : Define specific criteria or parameters for evaluating ideas. This could include cost-effectiveness, time constraints, and the potential for implementation.

Rank and prioritize : Rank the ideas based on their alignment with the established criteria. Prioritize the top ideas that best meet your objectives.

Select the best option : Choose the single best solution or idea from the prioritized list. This decision should be well-reasoned and backed by data and analysis.

Plan implementation : Develop a detailed action plan for implementing the chosen solution. Outline the steps, resources, and timeline required for execution.

Test and iterate : Implement the chosen solution and monitor its progress. If necessary, be open to making adjustments and iterations based on feedback and results.

Reflect and learn : After implementing the solution, reflect on the process. What worked well? What could be improved? Use these insights for future problem-solving.

Convergent Thinking Pros and Cons

Divergent thinking pros and cons.

To maximize the effectiveness of divergent and convergent thinking, consider the following tips:

Clear problem definition : Start with a well-defined problem or challenge. Having a clear understanding of what you’re trying to solve or achieve is essential for effective thinking.

Time management : Set time limits for each phase of thinking. Divergent thinking sessions should encourage rapid idea generation, while convergent thinking should focus on efficient decision-making.

Diverse teams : Encourage diversity within your team. A variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can lead to more comprehensive and innovative solutions.

Document everything : Keep detailed records of all ideas and decisions made during the process. This documentation can serve as a valuable reference and help maintain continuity.

Flexibility : Be willing to adapt and adjust your thinking approach as needed. Sometimes, the process may require going back and forth between divergent and convergent thinking to refine ideas and decisions.

Visual collaboration : Use visual aids, such as whiteboards, mind maps, and diagrams, to carry out idea generation and decision-making. Visual tools can boost communication and understanding within the team. With a visual collaboration platform like Creately , you can effortlessly conduct brainstorming sessions using readily-made templates for mind maps, concept maps, idea boards and more. You can also use its infinite canvas and integrated notes capabilities to capture and organize information in one place.

Iterative approach : Know that problem-solving often involves iterating between divergent and convergent thinking. It’s a dynamic process, and fine tuning ideas is needed for success.

Knowing when to use divergent thinking vs convergent thinking is key to effective problem-solving and decision-making.

Divergent Thinking

Convergent Thinking

In real projects, you often switch between these two thinking styles. Divergent thinking starts things off with idea generation and exploration during planning. As the project moves forward, convergent thinking takes over to make precise decisions and execute efficiently. A good balance between these thinking styles helps project managers guide their projects effectively while allowing room for innovation when needed.

Project managers use convergent thinking to analyze data, evaluate options, and select the most suitable solutions for the project. It’s particularly helpful when you have clearly defined problems or need to allocate resources efficiently. Convergent thinking makes sure that your project stays on course and meets its objectives with precision.

Divergent thinking, on the other hand, is the thinking style you turn to when you’re dealing with complex, open-ended challenges or seeking fresh, imaginative ideas. Project managers use divergent thinking for brainstorming and idea generation without constraints. This approach is useful in exploring various possibilities, finding unique solutions, and injecting creativity into the project.

It’s important to have both divergent and convergent thinking because they play different but complementary roles in problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity. Divergent thinking, for example, helps generate a wide array of ideas and solutions as it helps break away from conventional thinking allowing you to think outside of the box.

On the other hand, convergent thinking comes into play when you need to evaluate, select, and refine ideas or solutions. It helps you make informed decisions based on defined criteria, making sure that the most promising options are chosen for further development.

Having both thinking styles in your toolkit helps comprehensive problem-solving. Divergent thinking deepens your understanding of complex problems by taking into account multiple perspectives and angles, and convergent thinking helps you narrow down options to actionable choices.

In essence, divergent and convergent thinking represent two complementary approaches to problem-solving, with divergent thinking fostering creativity and idea generation, and convergent thinking facilitating decision-making and solution selection. Both thinking styles have their unique strengths and are valuable in various contexts.

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Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.