broadernarrower

Broadernarrower is a term used to describe a two-phase decision strategy in which a broad set of possibilities is generated before a subsequent narrowing to a focused subset for evaluation and action. The approach aims to combine creative exploration with practical feasibility, reducing premature convergence on a single solution.

The term blends broadening and narrowing, and the concept appears in fields such as product design, policy development, and organizational strategy. It is not a fixed methodology but a descriptive label for how teams structure ideation and decision-making across stages.

Mechanism: In the exploration phase, options are generated with minimal constraints to maximize diversity and novelty. In the screening phase, criteria such as viability, cost, risk, and alignment with goals prune the set to a manageable shortlist. Iterative cycles may re-expand or re-narrow as needed.

Applications include early-stage product development, urban planning, grant funding processes, and software design workflows, where teams balance creativity with feasibility. The approach is compatible with design thinking and lean startup practices, and aligns with exploration–exploitation ideas in decision science.

Critiques note that broadening can incur time and resource costs, while narrowing can introduce bias if selection criteria favor familiar or safe options. Effective implementation relies on clear metrics, governance to prevent scope creep, and transparent decision criteria.

See also divergent thinking, convergent thinking, exploration–exploitation, design thinking, and beam search.