| name | concept-fan |
| description | Expand from purpose to concepts to directions to ideas (de Bono Concept Fan) |
| execution | strategy |
| used-by | lateral-thinking |
Concept Fan
Expand thinking from purpose through concepts to directions to ideas using de Bono's Concept Fan technique. Move between levels of abstraction to find new approaches.
State Ledger
| Resource | Target | Current | % |
|---|
| web-search | 20 | 0 | 0% |
| web-research | 8 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-overview | 20 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-search | 12 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-research | 5 | 0 | 0% |
HARD-GATE
Cannot exit strategy until ≥80% of each budget line is consumed OR yield targets are met with justification for remaining budget.
Available Tactics
| Tactic | Role |
|---|
| concept-hierarchy | Build concept levels from purpose through concepts to ideas |
Available SOPs
| SOP | Role |
|---|
| concept-fan-expansion | Expand fan from purpose → concepts → directions → ideas |
| escape-technique | Escape dominant concept to find alternative concepts |
| fractionation | Split broad concepts into finer units |
| alternatives-generation | Generate alternative ideas at each level |
| lateral-synthesis | Synthesize concept fan outputs |
Execution Guidance
- Define purpose: Clarify the ultimate purpose (rightmost point of fan)
- Identify concepts: Find broad approaches that serve the purpose
- Generate directions: For each concept, identify specific directions
- Produce ideas: For each direction, generate concrete ideas
- Escape and expand: Use escape-technique if stuck at any level
- Synthesize: Produce structured output via lateral-synthesis