How-Now-Wow Matrix
How-Now-Wow Matrix is an ideation warm-up exercise for divergent ideation: it helps participants open up more possible ideas before choosing a direction.
How to run it
- Wow/Green Ideas - Original ideas, easy to implement. ‘Wow’ ideas are those with potential for orbit-shifting change and possible to implement within current reality.
- List down the ideas that emerge from the creative ideation phase on large charts of paper stuck around the room.
- Ask each player to step forward and vote for 3 best ideas in each category. They need to do this by sticking a colored dot in front of each idea they choose.
- In the end, count the number of dots under each idea to categorize it. The highest number of dots of a certain color categorizes the idea under that color.
- If blue dots = green dots, the idea is blue
- If yellow dots = green dots, the idea is green
- However, when it comes to convergence, people often end up picking ideas that are most familiar to them.
- They need to do this by sticking a colored dot in front of each idea they choose.
- CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.
Run this exercise live
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What participants need now
Materials:
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Prompts to use +
List down the ideas that emerge from the creative ideation phase on large charts of paper stuck around the room.
Ask each player to step forward and vote for 3 best ideas in each category. They need to do this by sticking a colored dot in front of each idea they choose.
They need to do this by sticking a colored dot in front of each idea they choose.
CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: How-Now-Wow Matrix. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: List down the ideas that emerge from the creative ideation phase on large charts of paper stuck around the room.; Ask each player to step forward and vote for 3 best ideas in each category. They need to do this by sticking a colored dot in front of each idea they choose.; They need to do this by sticking a colored dot in front of each idea they choose.; CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Gamestorming; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (2 sources observed, including Gamestorming, SessionLab.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.