What Is Hexagonal Thinking? Plus, 13 Examples To Inspire You

Hexagonal thinking is a cognitive framework that encourages holistic and interconnected thinking. It involves organizing thoughts and ideas into a hexagon shape, with a central concept in the middle and related concepts surrounding it. This approach helps individuals to understand complex issues, identify patterns, and generate creative solutions. 

Here are 13 examples of how hexagonal thinking can be applied in various areas:

1. Education: Hexagonal thinking can be used to explore connections between different subjects, enhancing interdisciplinary learning.

2. Problem-solving: By mapping out the key elements of a problem and their relationships, hexagonal thinking helps identify potential solutions.

3. Innovation: Hexagonal thinking enables the generation of new ideas by exploring relationships and connections between different concepts.

4. Project management: Hexagonal thinking can aid in visualizing project components and their dependencies, enhancing planning and organization.

5. Strategic planning: By analyzing the complex relationships between different factors, hexagonal thinking supports the development of well-rounded strategic plans.

6. Team collaboration: Hexagonal thinking encourages collaboration and shared understanding among team members by visualizing connections and dependencies.

7. Decision-making: By examining the various factors involved and their interdependencies, hexagonal thinking facilitates informed decision-making.

8. Design thinking: Hexagonal thinking complements the design thinking process by encouraging exploration and iteration of ideas.

9. Problem analysis: Hexagonal thinking helps break down complex problems into smaller, interconnected components, making them easier to analyze.

10. Creativity: By exploring connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, hexagonal thinking can spark creative thinking and idea generation.

11. Systems thinking: Hexagonal thinking aligns with systems thinking principles by emphasizing the interconnections and interdependencies between elements.

12. Critical thinking: Hexagonal thinking challenges individuals to consider different perspectives and analyze relationships between ideas.

13. Storytelling: Hexagonal thinking can be used to create coherent narratives by mapping out the key elements and their relationships.

Overall, hexagonal thinking is a versatile approach that encourages holistic and interconnected thinking across various domains. By visualizing relationships and connections, it enables individuals to gain deeper insights, generate creative solutions, and make well-informed decisions.