Concept fan: map the solution space before picking a direction
Expand from specific solutions to the broader concept behind them, then generate alternatives at the concept level.
Why it works
Most problem-solving jumps directly to solutions without examining the implicit concept those solutions share — which means alternatives at the concept level are never considered. The concept fan makes the hierarchy explicit: action → concept → purpose, and then generates multiple alternatives at the concept level before returning to specific actions. This breaks the pattern of generating variants of the same approach rather than genuinely different approaches.
How to do it
- State one current solution or approach to the problem.
- Ask: "What concept does this solution embody?" (e.g., "individual accountability" or "speed over quality").
- Generate three to five different concepts that could also address the same purpose.
- For each alternative concept, generate one or two specific actions that would enact it.
- Compare across concepts before selecting a direction.
Evidence
Problem decomposition and hierarchical framing are established elements of structured problem-solving methods; the concept fan operationalizes the insight that solution alternatives are often blocked by shared conceptual assumptions rather than technical constraints. (mechanistic)
The concept fan as a named technique is de Bono’s formulation; the underlying benefit of varying the frame of a problem rather than the details within one frame is consistent with research on analogical and structural problem-solving.
Common mistake
Generating solution variants rather than concept variants — if all alternatives still rest on the same hidden concept, the fan has not actually opened.
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More practices for Lateral Thinking, Made Practical
- Random entry: force a random stimulus into the problem
Open a dictionary to a random word, then connect it to the problem — the forced association breaks the current pattern lock.
- Provocation (PO): make a deliberately absurd statement to escape the pattern
Prefix an impossible or absurd idea with "PO" to signal it is a provocation, not a proposal — then follow it to see what it unlocks.
- Challenge: systematically question why things are done the way they are
Ask "Why must this be this way?" for each element of the problem — not to be contrarian, but to find which constraints are real.
- Systematic alternatives: generate three more explanations before deciding
Force yourself to generate at least three alternative explanations or interpretations before committing to the first plausible one.
- Reverse brainstorm: solve the opposite problem first
Ask "How would we guarantee the worst possible outcome?" — then invert every answer.
- Use a stepping-stone idea: an intermediate impossible idea
Generate a deliberately impractical intermediate idea to use as a bridge to a practical one you could not have reached directly.
Related concepts
- Six Thinking Hats, Made Practical
Parallel thinking as an alternative to adversarial debate
- Osborn’s Brainstorming Rules, Made Practical
The original four rules, the mechanisms behind them, and what the research actually shows
- Divergent Thinking: Generating Many Ideas
Generating quantity, separating ideation from judgment, and why group brainstorming disappoints