Lotus Blossom is a diagram-based creativity technique where sub-themes of a challenge can always form new “petals” of the originating challenge around the core question.
The diagram was developed by the Japanese Yasuo Matsumara. Lotus Blossom helps you to perceive new perspectives for all individual aspects of a challenge and to further develop associations to it in larger circles – like petals.
Consider the diagram of the figure. The origin challenge is written in the middle field. Immediately around it are now eight fields labeled with the letters A through H. Sub-themes are written in these boxes, which are now systematically filled with further sub-themes, ideas and associations in the unfolding petals of the outer diagram.
This diagram can be drawn further out in the same system – if an associated subtopic appears so valuable that it should be developed further, the Lotus Blossom gets another flower, i.e. another diagram field.
For example, we often perceive an organization in a limited perspective. Like the frog in a parable who only knows his own well. Only the turtle tells him about the vastness of the ocean. Thus, Lotus Blossom helps us achieve a better 360-degree perception. The diagram opens up our perspective – away from a flashbulb shot of a single problem; to a broad perspective of the inter-relationships and interconnections of the individual components.
