NSFW: A Creative Framework

A structured approach to unlocking fresh thinking when a problem feels stuck, familiar or too close to see clearly.

NSFW stands for: 

Name the assumptions. Six word memoir. Flip and reverse it. What would they do?

Each step builds on the last. Together, they move a team from "we've always done it this way" to "what if we didn't?"

Key Details

Number of participants: 4+

Time needed: 2-3 hours

Materials: Post-it notes, markers, wall or whiteboard space (physical or digital)

Step 1: Name the Assumptions

What do we mean by assumptions?

Before you can solve a problem well, you need to see the invisible rules shaping how you're thinking about it.

Assumptions are the things we treat as true without stopping to check. They're not lies, they're usually reasonable thinking, born from experience. But over time they harden into facts and we stop asking "is this actually true?" and start building solutions on top of these untested assumptions.

There are two types worth paying attention to:

Assumptions about the cause: What do we think is creating this problem? This is where teams often rush. They land on an explanation early: "it's a communication issue", "people just don't follow the process"  and start solving for that, without ever checking whether it's actually true. 

Assumptions about the solutions: What do we believe is possible or off the table? These are the rules we create around our own thinking. "We'd never get the budget for that." "Leadership would never go for it." "We've tried something like that before." Some of these constraints are real. Many aren't. But we rarely stop to ask which is which.

Instructions

Ask everyone to spend a few minutes writing their assumptions on post-its (one per note). Give people enough time to come up with a few. 

Once everyone has their notes, ask them to stick them up on the wall in a word cloud format, grouping similar themes together as they go.

When all the assumptions are up, spend some time as a group sorting them into three categories:

• Facts: Something you could prove with data. 

• Stories: An interpretation you've repeated enough to believe. 

• Habits: A shortcut you've stopped questioning. 

  
  

Why this step matters

We all have biases and make assumptions about cause and effect all the time. It's human, and it's never going to go away. The aim here isn't to eliminate assumptions - it's to name them. To get honest about which ones are grounded in evidence and which ones might be quietly steering the solution in the wrong direction.

Step 2: Six Word Memoir

What is it?

This step is all about getting clear on the problem. Problems can be subjective - what matters most to one person might not be the most pressing issue for someone else. The Six Word Memoir is a brilliant way to surface what's really at stake and a solid first step toward a shared problem statement.

By forcing the challenge down to just six words, you focus the group's thinking and reveal what someone actually believes is going on.

Instructions

Ask everyone in the room to distill the challenge into a single six-word sentence. Really focusing on what they believe to be at the heart of the matter.

Share them one at a time and pin them to the wall. As the facilitator, keep an eye out for key words and themes that come up more than once.

Why this step matters

A single six-word statement won't solve the problem - but a wall full of them will tell you a lot. You'll get a range of perspectives and focus points that highlight patterns you might not all be aware of.

And once the group agrees on a single shared problem statement, you've created alignment on what actually matters, before anyone gets near solution mode.

Step 3: Flip and Reverse It

What is it?

Now that the group has named their assumptions and agreed on the problem, it's time to start generating ideas. Flip and Reverse It takes the constraints and asks - what if the opposite were true?

It's a form of provocation. You're not trying to create solutions right now. You're trying to unlock fresh thinking.

Instructions

Take the shared problem statement the group landed on in Step 2 and flip it completely. Write the flipped statement up big and visible alongside the original. 

Capture whatever comes up. Some responses will feel crazy and out there. That's fine - you're not looking for polished ideas yet

Why it matters

Most teams get stuck because they're solving around constraints. When you flip an assumption, you often find that it wasn't constraining at all. Or that the opposite reveals an entirely different problem worth solving.

Facilitator Tip 💡

If the room gets stuck, try generating two or three different flips of the same statement. A small change in wording can open up a completely different line of thinking. 

Step 4: What Would They Do?

What is it?

This step deliberately borrows someone else's perspective to loosen stuck thinking. Instead of asking "What should we do?" - which usually triggers habits, constraints and politics - you ask: "What would they do?"

X can be a person, a brand or a role. The key is that it's someone who doesn't carry the team's assumptions.

Why it matters

When teams are overloaded their thinking narrows. They default to what's safe and familiar. 

This tool works because it:

• Creates psychological distance: People can challenge assumptions without feeling personally exposed.

• Bypasses "yes, but…" thinking: Constraints temporarily loosen because it's not their idea.

• Reveals hidden rules: The moment someone says "We couldn't do that," you've found an assumption worth examining.

• Restores creativity without pressure: It feels playful, but it surfaces serious insights fast.

Instructions

1. Choose the right X

Pick someone with a clearly different lens to the team. The further from your world, the better. 

For example:

• Ryanair: Strip everything back, charge for the extras, ruthlessly efficient

• IKEA: Give people the tools and let them do it themselves

• PlayStation: Gamify it; reward progress, make information feel earned, keep people coming back

• LEGO: Make it modular, tactile and fun to assemble

  
  

Write the name big and visible: "What would Ryanair do?"

2. Set the scene

Give the group 5–10 minutes to brainstorm in character. What would this organisation do if they inherited your problem? How would they think about the user? The cost? The experience?

Encourage specificity. Not just "Ryanair would make it cheaper" but "Ryanair would charge people for doing it wrong and make the self-service option free."

3. Share and extract

Invite groups to share their ideas. Capture those ideas and ask: "What's the version of this that we could actually test?"

Facilitator Tip 💡

If the group gets stuck, try giving each table a different X. Then ask them to share with each other. The contrast between different mindsets applied to the same problem is often where real breakthroughs can emerge.