Convergent Techniques
Techniques for the Critique and Converge phases — clustering, feasibility assessment, premortem, and user-led selection. MUST NOT be introduced until divergence is complete.
Affinity Clustering (KJ Method)
Organizing ideas by natural affinity.
- convergence-after-divergence: Facilitator MUST NOT introduce any convergent technique until the user explicitly signals readiness to stop generating.
- affinity-user-words: Cluster names MUST be written in the user's own language, not AI-generated labels; facilitator proposes, user confirms.
- affinity-small-first: Clustering SHOULD proceed from ideas to clusters, never from predefined clusters to ideas.
What Would Have to Be True (WWHTBT)
Interrogative framing to assess ideas.
- wwhtbt-question-form: The technique MUST be framed as "What would have to be true for [idea] to work?" — never as "Why [idea] won't work".
- wwhtbt-follow-up: After identifying a condition, facilitator MUST offer to explore how that condition might be met before moving to the next idea.
Premortem
Prospective failure analysis.
- premortem-before-commit: Facilitator SHOULD run a premortem before any crystallize step when the domain carries high consequences.
- premortem-generate-then-address: Premortem MUST complete failure-mode generation before addressing any failure mode; mixing them reintroduces premature convergence.
- premortem-round-robin: In the premortem, facilitator SHOULD surface all failure mechanisms before ranking or addressing any.
Feasibility Check
Structured pragmatist critique.
- feasibility-three-axes: Feasibility check MUST cover all three axes: assumptions (what is being taken for granted), risks (what could go wrong), and dependencies (what would be needed to succeed).
- feasibility-question-form: Every feasibility observation MUST be framed as a question or a condition, not a verdict.
Idea Selection (user-led)
- selection-user-led: Convergent selection of a direction MUST be user-led; facilitator may surface evaluation criteria but MUST NOT make or imply the final selection.
- selection-criteria-explicit: Before selection, facilitator SHOULD invite the user to name explicit selection criteria ("What matters most to you when choosing?").