Thunks

Promote opinionated but flexible thinking using questions with more than one possible response –questions that make your brain go ‘ouch!’.

Table of contents

What is Thunks?

Thunks is a card from the Idea Tactics deck by Pip Decks.

Thunks liberate us from the delusion that there’s always a right or wrong answer (or idea).

You can use this as a warm-up early in a session or as an energiser after a break.

Pick a Thunk to discuss with the group. Here are some examples:
- If I compose a song but never play it, is it music?
- Can you touch the wind?
- Is it ever possible to define the meaning of ‘cool’?
- Are you the same person you were 20 minutes ago?
- Would life be better if you could never fail?
- Is your shadow part of you?
- Can you choose to like a piece of art?
- Would life be better without mobile phones?
- Is there more happiness or sadness in the world?
- If you expect the unexpected, is the unexpected still a surprise?
Tip: you can easily find more Thunks online.
Find someone willing to argue the ‘yes’ answer and someone willing to make the case for ‘no’, then chair a 5-minute debate.
Ask if anyone has any strong opinions to add, allow a minute or so for this.
Take a vote to see which position the group found more persuasive.
Remind everyone that there’s probably not one ‘correct’ way to respond to our creative challenge, and that the task for this session is to unlock new ways of thinking.

Ditch creative block and find your best ideas.

$139