Design thinking resource
A creative problem-solving approach that deliberately explores a challenge from unexpected angles and perspectives.
Lateral thinking challenges the expected angle of approach. It encourages people to move outside conventional patterns and consider unconventional solutions.
The term was coined by Maltese physician Edward de Bono in his 1967 book The Use of Lateral Thinking as an alternative to purely vertical, logical and linear reasoning.
Rather than accepting constraints as fixed, lateral thinkers question them. They generate many options before selecting the most promising response.
The approach is useful in business, science, education and personal problem-solving because it helps overcome mental blocks and opens new ways of interpreting a situation.
Lateral thinking focuses on what could be possible, combines ideas in unexpected ways and looks for patterns across apparently unrelated information.
These deliberate shifts can produce insights and solutions that would remain invisible within a familiar line of reasoning.
Put the method to work
Question the beliefs and constraints that define the current response.
Avoid settling for the first or most obvious idea.
Explore what could exist rather than limiting thinking to what is already known.
Mix concepts in unfamiliar ways to create novel responses.
Find connections between information that initially appears unrelated.
Why it matters
Reframe the situation from angles that conventional analysis may not consider.
Use deliberate prompts and shifts to move beyond stuck thinking.
Create a broader range of possible responses before making a choice.
Produce innovation by connecting ideas, fields and patterns in unexpected ways.
Continue exploring
Place this method back within the broader 5E Design Thinking Framework and continue developing your understanding.