4CF Sprawlr template library

Ready to unlock the full potential of collaborative discussions and structured thinking? Below, you’ll find a collection of fully customizable, ready-made templates for the 4CF Sprawlr platform. These templates are designed to make it incredibly easy to jumpstart engaging and insightful argument trees, guiding discussions and making complex topics easier to navigate. They also serve to illustrate the wide spectrum of applications that 4CF Sprawlr can support. Whether you’re looking to brainstorm innovative ideas, analyze strategic options, or foster critical thinking, these templates offer a fantastic starting point to structure your conversations and achieve clearer outcomes. Remember, 4CF Sprawlr’s capabilities extend far beyond these templates – they are simply designed to get your discussions flowing quickly. Explore the possibilities within each bundle and discover how 4CF Sprawlr can transform the way you collaborate!

• Foresight & future exploration

Ideal for exploring emerging trends, envisioning future scenarios, and identifying potential disruptions.

• Strategy & planning

Designed for in-depth organizational analysis, risk assessment, and structured decision-making.

• Innovation & idea generation

Perfect for fostering creativity, brainstorming new concepts, and developing innovative solutions.

• Collaborative discussions & feedback

Facilitates structured dialogues, opinion gathering, and the exploration of diverse perspectives on any topic.

• Creative & imaginative exercises

Encourages out-of-the-box thinking and boosts creativity through engaging, collaborative activities.

We are constantly looking to expand the versatility of 4CF Sprawlr. If you have an idea for a novel application of the platform and would like us to design a template to support it, or if you have a specific template idea in mind, we would love to hear from you! Your insights are invaluable in making 4CF Sprawlr an even more powerful tool for collaborative thinking.

1. Foresight & future exploration

1.1. Futures wheel (single event)

• • Purpose: Unravel the intricate web of consequences stemming from a single event or emerging trend. This template empowers you to not just predict but to visualize the cascading effects, both immediate and far-reaching, allowing for proactive planning and a deeper understanding of potential impacts.
  • How it works: Begin by placing the central event or trend at the heart of the discussion. The first level then captures the direct, immediate consequences. As you move outwards through subsequent levels, explore the second-order and even further indirect effects, painting a comprehensive picture of the potential future landscapes.

1.2 Futures wheel (multiple events)

• • Purpose: Navigate the complex interplay of various trends and events. This template is designed to help you understand how different emerging factors might interact and what combined outcomes they could produce, fostering a holistic view of future possibilities.
  • How it works: Start by naming your exploration in the central node. Then, in the first level, list the individual trends or events you wish to analyze. The subsequent levels will then branch out to first explore the direct consequences and then the unexpected indirect consequences of each initial trend or event.

1.3 Stranger Futures (trend disruption analysis)

• • Purpose: Challenge conventional thinking and uncover unexpected disruptions. Drawing inspiration from 4CF’s Stranger Futures boardgame, this template pushes you to explore unexpected, wild card events – those low-probability, high-impact occurrences that could dramatically alter the trajectories of current trends, enhancing your strategic foresight and adaptability.
  • How it works: Define the scope of your discussion in the central node. The first level then highlights the key trends within that area. The real magic happens in the following levels, where you’ll explore the ‘what ifs’: What could cause a trend to suddenly collapse? What factors might lead to its unexpected intensification? This process encourages the identification of vulnerabilities and potential game-changers.

1.4 Unexpected, but possible

• • Purpose: Spark novel thinking by challenging participants to brainstorm future events that are surprising yet still plausible. This template encourages going beyond predictable trends to identify potential wildcards that could reshape the future, even though they are unheard of by most.
  • How it works: Define the central topic of interest. The first level is where participants suggest future events that would be incredibly surprising to many if they happened by the year 20XX. The following levels then become a debating ground, where users can present arguments for or against the feasibility of these until-recently-unthinkable events.

1.5 A Q&A with the Future (aka RvW – Rip van Winkle exercise)

• • Purpose: Unlock insights into the future by posing strategic yes/no questions to a hypothetical individual from that time. This template facilitates the identification of key uncertainties and potentially vulnerable assumptions about the future. It also encourages creative thinking about potential future realities and their implications for the present.
  • How it works: The central node sets the scene for this imaginative exercise – a conversation with someone from the year 20XX. The first level is where participants formulate clear, standalone yes/no questions designed to unveil key aspects of that future. Following levels then delve into the intriguing possibilities arising from either a “Yes” or a “No” answer, prompting deeper reflection on the potential consequences.

1.6 RvW (multiple topics/areas)

• • Purpose: Extend the “Q&A with the Future (aka Rip van Winkle)” exercise across a range of different topics or areas of interest. This template allows for a broader exploration of potential future scenarios, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of how different sectors or themes might evolve.
  • How it works: Begin by naming the overarching theme of your exploration in the central node. The first level then lists the specific sub-topics or areas you want to investigate. The second level allows for the formulation of yes/no questions related to each topic. Subsequent levels then explore the implications of the answers (“Yes” or “No”), fostering a comparative exploration of key uncertainties and potentially vulnerable assumptions across different domains.

1.7 Buckle up, because…

• • Purpose: Push the boundaries of imagination and identify potentially game-changing future developments that might shock or amaze us. This template is designed to uncover truly disruptive ideas that lie outside the realm of “mainstream futures”.
  • How it works: The central node sets the stage for envisioning an unexpected future. In the first level, participants contribute their most surprising and impactful ideas, using the evocative format: “Buckle up, because by 20XX…”. The second level then encourages participants to explore these surprising futures and their implications using a variety of prompts.

1.8 Torn between futures

• • Purpose: Explore the inherent complexities and dilemmas of the future by identifying potential trade-offs and uncertainties. This template encourages critical thinking about the difficult choices and competing visions of what truly constitutes a desirable future and what only seems like one – leading to valuable and novel insights into the strategic choices in the present.
  • How it works: The central node introduces the topic of discussion. The first level is dedicated to formulating thought-provoking dilemmas using the structure: “I don’t know if it would be better if in 20XX [A] or [B]”. The second level then encourages participants to react to these dilemmas, with prompts designed to elicit responses based on whether the dilemma appears straightforward or surprisingly insightful. Further levels can then be used to explore the reasoning behind these initial reactions and delve deeper into the potential implications. This format encourages participants to grapple with complex and potentially paradoxical dilemmas, facilitating valuable insights into present goals and aspirations.

2. Strategy & planning

2.1 SWOT Analysis

• • Purpose: Conduct a thorough internal and external assessment of an organization or project. This template provides a structured framework to collaboratively discuss Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, laying the groundwork for informed strategic decision-making and effective resource allocation.
  • How it works: Begin by identifying the organization or project in the central node. The first level is dedicated to capturing the initial thoughts on key weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and threats. Subsequent levels then become a space for deeper discussion, allowing you to prioritize and elaborate on the most critical elements identified in the first level.

2.2 STEEPLE Analysis

• • Purpose: Conduct a comprehensive analysis of a topic or challenge by collaboratively examining it through seven critical lenses: Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, and Ethical. This template ensures a multi-faceted understanding of the subject, revealing potential impacts and considerations from various angles.
  • How it works: Define the topic for analysis in the central node. The first level prefixes contain the seven STEEPLE categories. Participants contribute comments within each category, exploring the relevant factors. Further level can be used to discuss and build upon these initial observations, leading to new strategic insights.

2.3 Risk analysis

• • Purpose: Collaboratively identify and assess potential risks associated with a project, goal or plan, along with outlining necessary mitigation strategies. This template helps in proactive risk management and ensures that potential challenges are anticipated and addressed.
  • How it works: Define the overarching goal of the project in the central node. The first level involves listing the key tasks required to achieve that goal. The second level prompts participants to highlight potential risks that could hinder the task’s success. The third level then prompts participants to suggest appropriate mitigation strategies (accept, avoid, limit or transfer) for each identified risk. Subsequent levels allow the participants to discuss these ideas further.

2.4 Decision making (pros & cons)

• • Purpose: Structure the decision-making process by systematically exploring the advantages and disadvantages of different available options. This template facilitates a collaborative, balanced and rational evaluation, leading to more confident and well-reasoned decisions.
  • How it works: Present the decision to be made in the central node. The first level allows the participants to submit various options for consideration. The second level is then used to detail the pros and cons associated with each option, while the third and subsequent levels allow for a deeper, structured discussion, providing a clear and informative overview to aid in the decision-making process.

2.5 Collaborative problem-solving (root cause analysis & problem resolution)

• • Purpose: Systematically analyze a problem, identify its root causes, and collaboratively explore potential solutions. This template provides a structured approach to tackling complex issues and developing effective action plans.
  • How it works: Clearly state the problem in the central node. The first level focuses on identifying the potential underlying causes of the problem. The second level then encourages participants to propose solutions for each of the identified causes. Finally, the third level is used to evaluate the pros and cons of each proposed solution, leading to a more informed and strategic approach to problem-solving.

3. Innovation & idea generation

3.1 Brainstorming – Idea sparking session

• • Purpose: Generate a wide array of creative ideas on a specific topic in a collaborative manner. This template is designed to encourage free-flowing thinking and the exploration of diverse perspectives to spark innovation.
  • How it works: Clearly state the brainstorming topic in the central node. The first level is an open space for participants to contribute their initial ideas freely. Subsequent levels can then be used to elaborate on these initial ideas, explore potential connections, or consider different applications, allowing for a dynamic and expansive idea generation process.

3.2 Innovation generation & refinement

• • Purpose: Facilitate collaborative brainstorming and the iterative development of innovative solutions to a specific challenge. This template provides a structured pathway from initial ideas to more refined and feasible concepts.
  • How it works: Clearly define the challenge in the central node. Subsequent levels guide the innovation process, starting with the generation of rough ideas. Participants can then build upon these ideas, consider the practical aspects and potential hurdles, and ultimately engage in a discussion to support (or not) certain solutions.

4. Collaborative discussions & feedback

4.1 Answers to a question – freestyle

• • Purpose: Gather a diverse spectrum of opinions and the reasoning behind them in response to any open-ended question. This template is perfect for sparking broad discussions, collecting initial reactions, and understanding different perspectives on a particular topic.
  • How it works: Pose your question in the central node. The first level serves as an open forum for initial responses and opinions. From there, subsequent level allow participants to engage with the initial answers by expressing agreement or disagreement and providing the rationale for their stance, creating a rich tapestry of viewpoints.

4.2 Justified perspectives gathering (Opinions about…)

• • Purpose: Systematically collect and categorize opinions on a specific subject, along with the justifications for those views. This template provides structure to opinion gathering, making it easier to analyze the different perspectives and the reasons underpinning them.
  • How it works: Clearly state the topic in the central node. The first level offers a set of predefined opinion prefixes (e.g., “I like it, because…”, “I don’t like it, because…”, “I have mixed feelings, because…”, “It’s complex, because…”). This helps to organize the initial responses. Further levels then allow users to support or challenge these initial opinions with their own reasoning, fostering a more structured debate.

4.3 Argumentation for decision making (Should we…?)

• • Purpose: Facilitate a focused and structured debate around a specific proposal or course of action framed as a “Should we…?” question. This template helps to clearly delineate arguments for and against a particular decision, leading to more informed conclusions.
  • How it works: Present the “Should we…?” question in the central node. The first level offers the initial opposing viewpoints: “Yes, because…” and “No, because…” and an optional “Neither yes nor no, because…”. Subsequent levels then allow users to expand on these initial arguments, providing supporting evidence or counterarguments, fostering a logical progression of the debate.

5. Creative & Imaginative Exercises

5.1 Speculative fiction

• • Purpose: Collaboratively weave a fictional narrative, building upon an initial premise to create a shared story. This template fosters creativity and imaginative thinking through collective storytelling.
  • How it works: The central node provides the opening exposition – the initial event or setting that kicks off the story and allows the organiser to focus on a particular topic (“The year was 20XX…”). Subsequent levels then prompt participants to add narrative elements, each building upon the last, using the “One day…” prefix in the first level and then prefixes like “Then…”, “Suddenly…”, “However…”, and so on, collectively crafting multiple, unique storylines on the expanding branches.

5.2 The time traveler’s find

• • Purpose: Stimulate creative speculation by imagining and describing an intriguing artifact from the future. This template encourages participants to creatively think about potential future technologies, societal shifts, and the stories they might tell.
  • How it works: The central node introduces the concept of an intriguing object from the future. Subsequent levels guide the exploration, prompting users to describe their feelings upon encountering this object, speculate about the world from which it came from, imagine who might have used it, describe its appearance and eventually try to describe its primary function, culminating in a reflection on the insights gained.