Random input is a lateral thinking technique developed by Edward de Bono that uses a randomly selected word, image, or object as an associative prompt to force the brain out of its habitual thinking patterns. The logic is counter-intuitive but well-documented: because the brain is a pattern-matching system, introducing a completely unrelated input forces it to find connections where none previously existed, and those novel connections are precisely where original design ideas live.
Random Input
Breaking creative fixation with a deliberately random prompt
A
Designers Academy
30 September 2025 · 3 min read
DesignMethods
In brief
Random input is a lateral thinking technique developed by Edward de Bono that uses a randomly selected word, image, or object as an associative prompt to force the brain out of its habitual thinking patterns and generate novel design ideas.
