- VOTE or SELECT THE BEST
- Which idea surprises you?
- Which idea solves the problem best?
- Can two ideas be combined?
WORKS.
Crazy 8 works not despite its constraints — because of them. Time pressure, quantity requirements, and analog tools trigger distinct cognitive states that digital brainstorming alone cannot replicate.
The first seven rounds push you into divergent mode — generating ideas without judgment. Sixty seconds is too short to second-guess yourself. You sketch and move on before your inner critic can speak.
Over eight rounds you're pushed past the safe first answer, past the variation-of-the-first-idea, and into territory you wouldn't reach by thinking alone. Research consistently shows the most original ideas emerge in later cycles — after the obvious has been exhausted. Crazy 8 guarantees you get there.
Round 8 shifts your mind toward synthesis. After generating at speed, the brain craves evaluation. The completion prompts aren't decoration — they're a deliberate phase change built into the structure.
- Which idea surprises you? Surprise signals genuine novelty — unexpected ideas are always worth a closer look.
- Which solves the problem best? Returns you to the original brief after a session of unconstrained thinking.
- Can two ideas be combined? Hybrid ideas frequently outperform either source. This is where breakthroughs tend to live.
The gap between making and evaluating is critical. Crazy 8 builds that gap into its structure — you cannot skip from generation directly to execution.
A pencil sketch made in 60 seconds cannot be mistaken for a finished product. That roughness is not a limitation — it is the entire point.
When you've spent 60 seconds on a drawing, you can discard it without hesitation. When you've spent three hours on a digital mockup, you can't. Paper removes the sunk-cost trap from the process entirely.
A rough box with an arrow communicates "there's a button here" without accidentally fixing the visual design. Polished mockups shut down feedback. Rough sketches open it up and invite challenge.
Anyone can participate regardless of software skills. A pen is the universal design tool. The playing field is completely flat — no Figma licence, no learning curve, no barrier.
Studies on design fixation (Jansson & Smith, 1991) show high-fidelity references early in the process constrain output — designers copy features rather than explore alternatives. Research in embodied cognition shows the physical act of drawing activates spatial reasoning and motor memory in ways digital tools do not replicate.
Built to help designers think faster. Free and private — no account, no data collection, no catch.
Crazy 8 is a timed ideation tool for product designers, UX researchers, and teams who need to generate eight distinct ideas in eight focused minutes. It uses voice coaching, visual progress tracking, and structured reflection prompts to move from blank page to convergent thinking in one session.
Have a feature request, found a bug, or want to collaborate? Send an email — all feedback is welcome.
This notice explains what personal data Crazy 8 collects, why, and the rights you hold under UK data protection law. Last updated: June 2026.
Crazy 8 is an independent, free-to-use ideation tool. The data controller responsible for any personal data processed through this website is the operator of crazy8ideation.com. You can reach us via the Contact page on this site.
We are not required to register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at this time because we do not process personal data at a scale or in a manner that triggers mandatory registration. We remain committed to processing any data we do receive in full compliance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Crazy 8 is designed to collect as little data as possible. There is no account system, no login, and no behavioural tracking. Below is a full account of the limited data that may be processed.
When you use the Contact page to send feedback, your name, email address (optional), and message are collected. This data is processed for the sole purpose of reading and responding to your message. The lawful basis is our legitimate interest in improving the tool and communicating with people who reach out to us (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)).
The start screen includes an embedded YouTube video hosted by Google. When you interact with or play this video, Google/YouTube may set cookies and collect data about your device and viewing behaviour under their own privacy policy. We have no access to or control over this data. You should review Google's Privacy Policy for details.
This site is hosted on Netlify. Netlify's infrastructure may automatically log technical data — such as your IP address, browser type, and pages requested — for security and service reliability purposes. This is standard web hosting practice. See Netlify's Privacy Policy for details.
We do not use Google Analytics, tracking pixels, advertising cookies, or any first-party analytics tool. No profile is built about your visit. The tool runs entirely in your browser — your timer progress, voice settings, and session state are held only in memory and are deleted when you close the tab.
Contact form submissions are stored by Netlify Forms for as long as necessary to read and act on your message, and no longer than 12 months from the date of submission. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with any third party for marketing or commercial purposes.
- Netlify Inc. Our hosting provider and form processor. Netlify processes form submission data as a data processor acting on our behalf, under a Data Processing Agreement. Netlify is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and implements appropriate safeguards for international transfers.
- Google LLC (YouTube) Google operates independently as a data controller for data collected via the YouTube embed. We have no data-sharing relationship with Google — any data collection is governed solely by Google's terms and privacy policy.
- Law enforcement or legal obligation We may disclose personal data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order). We will only do so to the extent required and will notify you where legally permissible.
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights regarding any personal data we hold about you. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to exemptions, but we will respond to all requests within one calendar month.
You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request). We will provide this free of charge within one month.
If any data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to have it corrected without undue delay.
Also known as the "right to be forgotten." You can request that we delete personal data we hold about you where there is no legitimate reason to continue processing it.
Where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis, you have the right to object to that processing. We will cease processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests.
You also have the right to restrict processing and the right to data portability in certain circumstances. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via the Contact page. We will not charge a fee and will respond within one month, with the option to extend by a further two months for complex or numerous requests.
If you believe we have not handled your personal data in accordance with UK data protection law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — the UK's independent supervisory authority for data protection.
We would, however, welcome the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you contact the ICO. Please reach out via the Contact page first.
Crazy 8 does not set any first-party cookies. We do not use session cookies, persistent cookies, or tracking technologies of any kind on this domain.
The embedded YouTube video on the start screen is served by Google and may set third-party cookies on your device when you interact with the player. These are governed entirely by Google's Cookie Policy. If you prefer to avoid YouTube cookies, you can close or ignore the video — the timer and all other features of Crazy 8 will work normally without it.