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The Role of This Tool in the Fourth Phase of the Design Thinking Method
In the Develop phase, Round Robin brainstorming structures group idea generation so that everyone contributes in turn, reducing dominance effects and helping ideas build progressively across the team.
It encourages listening and cumulative thinking, turning individual sparks into shared concepts that have broader buy‑in. This is helpful when the group must generate ideas and start aligning around potential directions within the same session.
Round Robin is most suitable for moderately defined problems in which you seek breadth and shared ownership—such as exploring solution directions for a specific user need, generating ideas for a new feature set, or reimagining a service step. It works best with small to medium teams where you can complete several rounds without fatigue.
Round Robin is constrained by its sequential nature; it can be slow with large groups and may inhibit spontaneity because people wait for their turn. Participants may also feel pressure to “produce something” when it is their turn, which can lead to safe or low‑quality ideas when psychological safety is low.
The Procedure for Using This Design Thinking Tool
Step 1: State the Develop‑phase challenge clearly, display it for all to see, and confirm a shared understanding of the goal and constraints.
Step 2: Choose a starting person and direction and invite each participant, in sequence, to share one idea at a time, capturing each visibly on a board or shared tool without evaluating it.
Step 3: Continue multiple rounds, encouraging participants to build on or extend earlier ideas, deliberately stretching the group beyond the first, easy solutions.
Step 4: After 2–3 rounds, stop the sequence and collaboratively cluster the ideas into themes or potential concept directions (e.g., “digital‑first,” “human‑assisted,” “policy changes”).
Step 5: Facilitate a brief discussion to identify 2–3 concept directions worth developing further, and assign small subgroups or individuals to elaborate on each direction into sketches or narratives.
Tips for Facilitators: The facilitator should clearly define the challenge, agree on the session’s expected outcome (e.g., “2–3 concept directions to prototype”), and choose an order of contributions that avoids reinforcing hierarchy (e.g., do not always start with the most senior person). They prepare a visible capture space (whiteboard, flipchart, or shared screen) and determine the number of rounds and simple participation rules (one idea per turn; building on others is encouraged; no critique during rounds). The facilitator also anticipates quieter participants and prepares gentle prompts to support them, ensuring psychological safety so that contributions feel safe and valued.
Next Steps in Your Design Thinking Journey
Continue your innovation journey with the following 3 Options to deepen your Design Thinking practice and amplify your impact.
