Six Thinking Pencils

Designed by Kristin Eva Olafsdottir, Iceland

The “Six Thinking Hats” is a creative thinking method invented by Edward de Bono early in the 1980s. It helps thinkers to be more effective and innovative by providing a means to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way. For this year’s New Year gift Gagarin has applied the method to pencils for a more practical brainstorm meeting method. The pencils are colour coded and each colour stands for a certain direction of thinking. Each participant selects one pencil and then approaches the discussion with a mindset matching the pencil’s colour. By switching pencils the participants systematically redirect their thoughts on the subject. This ensures that the group thinks together in a focused manner.

WHITE. INFORMATIONData, facts, information known or needed.

YELLOW. BENEFITSBenets. Why something may work.

RED. FEELINGSFeelings, hunches, gut instinct and intuition.

BLACK. CRITICPotential problems. Why something may not work.

GREEN. CREATIVITYCreativity, possibilities, alternatives,solutions and new ideas.

BLUE. OVERVIEWManaging the thinking process, focus, next steps and action plans.