How can you use the 6-3-5 method to generate innovative web design ideas?

2 How does the 6-3-5 method work?

The 6-3-5 method is a group creativity technique to generate ideas. It begins with a clear and concise design problem or challenge, such as "How can we improve the user experience of our website?" or "How can we make our website more engaging and interactive?". Six participants with diverse backgrounds and perspectives should come together, each with a worksheet that has three columns and five rows. In the first round, each participant writes down three ideas in the first row of their worksheet. The ideas should be brief and sketchy, not detailed or refined. After three minutes, each participant passes their worksheet to the person on their right. In the second round, each participant reads the three ideas on the worksheet they received and adds three new ideas in the second row, building on or modifying the existing ones. This process repeats for five rounds until each participant has contributed to every worksheet. At the end, each worksheet should have 18 ideas, and the group should have 108 ideas in total.

3 Why use the 6-3-5 method for web design?

The 6-3-5 method can be a great tool for web design, as it enables you to generate a large quantity of ideas in a short time. It also stimulates creativity and divergent thinking, encourages collaboration and feedback, and helps to avoid groupthink and conformity. Additionally, it allows you to explore different aspects and dimensions of the design problem or challenge by using different columns and rows to structure your ideas, which can increase your chances of finding innovative and original solutions.

4 How to use the 6-3-5 method effectively?

To get the most out of the 6-3-5 method, it is important to adhere to certain best practices. Start by choosing a relevant and meaningful design problem or challenge for your project and audience. Then, select a diverse and motivated group of participants who are willing to contribute actively. Provide a clear and simple worksheet, and set a timer while sticking to the three-minute limit for each round. This will help keep the pace and energy high. Furthermore, emphasize quantity over quality and encourage wild and crazy ideas without judging or censoring them. Additionally, build on and combine ideas rather than repeating or ignoring them, aiming to add value and novelty to each idea. Finally, review and evaluate the ideas after the session using criteria such as feasibility, desirability, and originality to select and prioritize the best ones.

5 How to implement the 6-3-5 method in web design?

Once you have generated and selected the best ideas from the 6-3-5 method, you can use them to create and test prototypes for your web design project. You can use tools such as wireframes, mockups, or interactive prototypes to visualize and validate your ideas. You can also use feedback and data from users, clients, or stakeholders to refine and improve your ideas. The 6-3-5 method is not a final solution, but a starting point for further exploration and experimentation.

The 6-3-5 method is a simple and effective way to generate innovative web design ideas in a collaborative and fun way. By using this method, you can boost your creativity and problem-solving skills, and create web designs that are more user-friendly, engaging, and original. Try it out for your next web design project and see what amazing ideas you can come up with.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?