diverge · Ideation, Decision Making · 30 min · 5-40 people · high energy

25/10 Crowd Sourcing

25/10 Crowd Sourcing is a rapid idea generation and prioritization technique that allows large groups to quickly surface and evaluate actionable ideas. It fosters collective intelligence by encouraging participants to build upon each other's suggestions and identify the most promising solutions.

When to use 25/10 Crowd Sourcing

Use this method when you need to quickly generate a large number of ideas from a diverse group and identify the most promising ones for further development, especially when time is limited.

What it solves

Difficulty generating a diverse range of ideas, dominant voices overshadowing others, and slow decision-making processes.

How to run 25/10 Crowd Sourcing, step by step

  1. Explain the process and demonstrate an exchange-and-scoring interaction. (3 min)
  2. Invite each participant to write a bold idea and a first step on an index card. (5 min)
  3. Conduct five 3-minute exchange-and-scoring rounds, with milling in between. Participants pass cards, read the idea, and score it from 1 to 5. (15 min)
  4. Participants add the five scores on the back of the card they are holding. (2 min)
  5. Identify the best-scoring ideas by conducting a countdown, starting with "Who has a 25?" and continuing until the top ten ideas are shared. (5 min)

Materials needed

  • Index cards (one per participant)
  • Pens
  • Timer or bell

Facilitator tips

  • Emphasize that the milling phase is for passing cards only, no reading.
  • If a card has more or less than five scores, ask the participant to calculate the average and multiply by 5.
  • Suggest a clear rating scale, e.g., 1 = not your cup of tea, 5 = sends me over the moon.

Common pitfalls

  • Participants peeking at previous scores. Cover the back of the card with a Post-it note.
  • Confusion about the process. Take your time during the demonstration and ask for feedback.

Variations

  • Give more scoring weight to ideas with testable hypotheses.
  • Ask different questions, such as "What courageous conversation are you not having?"
  • Do a second round of 25/10 Crowd Sourcing that includes others not in the present group (aka Cloud Sourcing!).

Running it online or hybrid

Use a virtual whiteboard tool like Miro or Mural to simulate the passing of cards. Participants can create virtual cards with their ideas and scoring.

What it produces

A prioritized list of the top ten ideas, ranked by their cumulative scores.

Origin

Developed by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless. Inspired by improvisationalists, including Keith Johnstone. — source

Build a session around 25/10 Crowd Sourcing

METODIC places 25/10 Crowd Sourcing inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.

Generate a session with 25/10 Crowd Sourcing · Try METODIC free