A reverse brainstorming technique to lower inhibitions, challenge assumptions, and uncover innovative solutions by generating terrible ideas first.
Start with a clear "How Might We..." question that you want to solve.
Ask the team: "What is the absolute worst way to solve this problem?" Encourage illegal, unethical, or just plain stupid ideas. This is meant to be fun and remove pressure.
For each bad idea, ask "What makes this a bad idea?" List the attributes or principles that are being violated.
Reverse the negative attributes to find positive solutions. The opposite of a bad idea is often a good one.
HMW: "How might we make our checkout process faster?"
Worst Idea: "Make the user solve a complex math problem to unlock the 'Buy' button."
Why it's bad: It adds unnecessary friction and cognitive load.
Good Idea (The Opposite): "Implement one-click checkout with Apple Pay/Google Pay."