Divergent Thinking describes a mode of thought where the goal is to deliberately open the solution space rather than narrow it. The aim is to generate as many different options as possible without evaluating them immediately. This mode is the counterpart to Convergent Thinking, where the best option is selected from many. Both ways of thinking belong together — the sequence is what matters.
In ideation sessions, the difference becomes clear. Teams that evaluate immediately produce few and often obvious ideas. Teams in divergent mode ask questions like “What if there were no budget constraint?” or “What would be the opposite of our current solution?” The ground rule is: build on ideas rather than shoot them down. Criticism comes only in the convergent phase.
The concept goes back to psychologist J.P. Guilford, who in 1967 described divergent and convergent thinking as two fundamental cognitive operations. In the Double Diamond model by the British Design Council, the alternation between both modes forms the basic structure of every innovation process.
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