• Generate multiple solutions quickly before analysis paralysis sets in


• Reveal different mental models and priorities across the team


• Create divergent options as foundation for convergent decisions


• Break perfectionist tendencies through time pressure

• Four concept sketches


• Multiple directions explored


• Foundation for selection

Setting the Right Tone

Start by showing terrible sketches as examples. Emphasize that drawing ability doesn't matter - boxes labeled "user name goes here" are perfectly fine. The fear of being judged for bad drawings kills participation. Make it explicitly okay to be rough.

Enforcing the Time Limit

Four minutes is shockingly short. People will complain. Hold firm. The constraint is doing the work - it prevents people from polishing one idea instead of generating four. Give a 2-minute warning, then a 30-second warning. When time is up, pens down immediately.

Managing Finishers and Stragglers

Some people will sketch all four with time to spare. Others will barely finish two. That's normal. Don't extend time for stragglers - it defeats the purpose. If someone only has two or three sketches, that's fine. Push fast finishers to add a fifth variation or think about mobile vs. desktop differences.

Quality of Sketches

You'll get a huge range from detailed wireframes to abstract concepts. All valid. What matters is that each quadrant shows a genuinely different approach. If someone sketches the same thing four times with minor tweaks, challenge them: "These all look similar - what would be completely different?"

Silence During Sketching

Enforce the no-talking rule. The moment people start comparing notes mid-sketch, you lose the diversity of thought. Everyone will converge on the first decent idea someone mentions. Keep people in their own heads for the full four minutes.

Reading the Results

If everyone sketched basically the same thing, either your design challenge was too constrained (there's only one obvious solution) or the group has already decided what "good" looks like. Both are useful to know. If results are wildly different, you've got genuine exploration happening.

What Comes Next

4-Up is a divergent exercise - you're creating options, not choosing. Follow it with dot voting, forced ranking, or deeper critique. Don't let the group immediately jump to "let's combine the best parts of each" - that's how you get design by committee. Pick 1-2 strong directions and develop those.