6-3-5 method

ACTIVITY TYPE

• Consulting 
• Deciding together 

DESCRIPTION

With the 6-3-5 method, a large number of ideas for solving a given problem can be created within a team of 6 people. The ideas are developed together: each participant gives first 3 proposals, which are extended by the others within 5 iterations.

RESOURCES NEEDED

• Time to do: 20-30 min  
• Staff: one facilitator 
• Equipment: 6 Sheets with blank tables (3 columns with 6 rows each), whiteboard/wall, post it stickers 

SUITABLE FOR

• large and small groups.
• To be able to carry out the method in a meaningful way, at least four and a maximum of eight people should participate. If there are too many participants, the creativity process comes to a halt and it is easy to get lost in details.

HOW TO DO IT  

1. Rules must be made absolutely clear at the beginning of the exercise.
2. Phrase the problem you are dealing with in a concise sentence on the whiteboard.
3. Each participant receives a sheet of paper with an empty table (3 columns with 6 rows each).
4. No one speaks, no phones during the process, in order to avoid cross-influences.
5. For the first line each participant writes down 3 ideas to solve the problem.
6. After 3 minutes, the sheets are passed clockwise to the next person.
7. Everyone now tries to develop the existing ideas and write down 3 new ideas.
8. It makes sense not to have a constant 5-minute time cycle, since with each round there are more ideas on the paper and these should be read first. It has proven to be a good idea that there are only three minutes available in the first round and that this time is increased by one minute with each round. So overall the exercise runs for 20-30 minutes and in this way 108 new ideas could potentially be created. 
9. Steps 4 and 5 are run five times until all lines are filled.
10. The group analyses, and discusses (not criticize!)  the results, duplications must be removed and the ideas a written on whiteboard. 
11. Evaluation and consensus voting on final results then happens with post it notes on a wall.

ADVANTAGES

• The 6-3-5 method is useful when new and innovative problem-solving ideas are allowed and needed. For example, when old structures and methods are to be broken.
• It is expressly not necessary that the team is familiar with the problem area, because new and unusual ways of thinking can better help to solve the problem.
• Everyone has the same chance to contribute their ideas.
• No moderator is needed and the suggestions are immediately documented in writing

CHALLENGIES

• the ideas often remain within the scope of what the predecessor is suggesting. If the initial idea generation process is more about quantity than quality.
• Facilitator has to make sure that the writing is clear and legible, otherwise it will be necessary to ask questions.
• The results are produced within a short period of time and are therefore seldom mature or can even lead to nothing. In particular, they serve as a pointer for the further development of ideas.
• The participants should let their thoughts run free. Therefore, it is important to create a relaxed atmosphere and not to build up pressure

MORE INFORMATION

https://www.designthinking-methods.com/en/3Ideenfindung/6-3-5.html

http://www.schoolofinnovation.de