lateral-thinking plugin
Eight lateral thinking techniques plus a router that picks the right one for how you're stuck.
How to install the lateral-thinking plugin
Run both commands inside Claude Code. The first adds the marketplace once; the second installs the plugin.
/plugin marketplace add danium/lateral-thinking
/plugin install lateral-thinking@lateral-thinkingWhat's inside lateral-thinking
10 parts read from the plugin's own files.
Skills 10
Claude loads it when the task matches- analogy
Forced Analogy / Structural Transplant — map the problem onto a structurally similar system from a distant domain (immune system, air-traffic control, restaurant kitchen, jazz ensemble) and transfer its mechanisms back. Use when a solution works but feels derivative, when the industry playbook is exhausted, or when a system in nature or another trade already solves this shape of problem. Triggers include "analogy", "forced analogy", "how would a hospital/kitchen/airport handle this", "transplant from another industry", "structurally similar system". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- concept-fan
Edward de Bono's Concept Fan — climb from the current solution to the concept it serves by asking "what is this a way of doing?", then fan out alternative concepts and concrete implementations for each. Use when the current solution might be answering the wrong question, when all options look like variations of one idea, or to widen a decision before committing. Triggers include "concept fan", "zoom out", "what is this a way of doing", "wrong problem", "widen the options", "abstraction ladder". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- inversion
Assumption Inversion — list the assumptions behind the current approach and flip each one, then ask where the flipped version could actually be true. Use when requirements encode beliefs nobody has questioned, when a design feels inevitable, or when incumbents all share one blind spot. Triggers include "invert", "flip it", "flip the assumption", "reverse the premise", "what if the opposite were true", "challenge the assumption". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- lateral
Lateral thinking toolkit router — when you're stuck, going in circles, need fresh ideas, or standard brainstorming keeps producing predictable results, this diagnoses the symptom and applies the right technique from the toolkit (random-stimulus, provocation, inversion, concept-fan, analogy, scamper, six-hats, worst-idea). Triggers include "lateral thinking", "I'm stuck on a creative problem", "we're going in circles", "need fresh ideas", "try a different angle", "break out of the box", "ideas all feel the same", "predictable brainstorm". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- post
Use when writing a social post on a topic or a reply to someone's post — X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads — and the obvious take is not good enough. Triggers include "reply to this post", "write a post about", "quote this", "tweet about", "my replies all sound the same", "what's a non-obvious take on", "build in public post", a pasted post with "what would you say to this", or a post URL. Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- provocation
Edward de Bono's Provocation (Po) technique — state something deliberately wrong or absurd about the problem, then extract useful "movement" from it instead of judging it. Use when a constraint feels unbreakable, when every design converges on the same shape, or to escape "the way it's always done". Triggers include "provocation", "po", "absurd statement", "deliberately break the rule", "the constraint feels unbreakable", "sacred cow". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- random-stimulus
Edward de Bono's Random Stimulus technique — force-fit a random unrelated object, place, or phenomenon onto a creative target to break familiar association patterns. Use for product ideation, feature naming, brand direction, copywriting, architecture and design choices when ideas from outside the problem space would help. Triggers include "random stimulus", "random word", "force-fit", "de Bono", "inject a random object", "stare out the window", "see the tree and squeeze an idea". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- scamper
SCAMPER (Bob Eberle) — run one existing idea, product, or process through seven systematic transformations - Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse/Rearrange. Use when there is already one working idea and the need is disciplined variations of it, e.g. "give me variations", "riff on this", "scamper", "what can we substitute or combine", "remix this feature". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks, and not for blank-page ideation (needs an existing idea as input).
- six-hats
Parallel thinking with six enforced perspectives, based on Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats® method - examine one decision through sequential passes for facts, feelings, risks, benefits, alternatives, and synthesis, never blending them. Use when a decision is being made too fast or from one angle, when everyone agrees suspiciously quickly, when the discussion mixes emotions with data, or for "six hats", "thinking hats", "look at this from every angle", "structured devil's advocate". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
- worst-idea
Worst Possible Idea (reverse brainstorming) — deliberately design the most terrible solutions to the problem, name the mechanism that makes each one bad, then invert those mechanisms into strong features. Use when ideas all feel timid and safe, when the team is optimizing instead of imagining, or for "worst idea", "reverse brainstorming", "what would make this worse", "design the disaster", "how would we guarantee failure". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
Using lateral-thinking in Claude Code
Skills need no command. Claude reads them when your request matches what they describe.
Update, turn off or remove
- Update the plugin (shell)
- claude plugin update lateral-thinking@lateral-thinking
- Refresh the marketplace
- /plugin marketplace update lateral-thinking
- Turn it off for now
- /plugin disable lateral-thinking@lateral-thinking
- Remove it
- /plugin uninstall lateral-thinking@lateral-thinking
Skills in lateral-thinking
- analogydanium/lateral-thinking
Forced Analogy / Structural Transplant — map the problem onto a structurally similar system from a distant domain (immune system, air-traffic control, restaurant kitchen, jazz ensemble) and transfer its mechanisms back. Use when a solution works but feels derivative, when the industry playbook is exhausted, or when a system in nature or another trade already solves this shape of problem. Triggers include "analogy", "forced analogy", "how would a hospital/kitchen/airport handle this", "transplant from another industry", "structurally similar system". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
3 files334stars - concept-fandanium/lateral-thinking
Edward de Bono's Concept Fan — climb from the current solution to the concept it serves by asking "what is this a way of doing?", then fan out alternative concepts and concrete implementations for each. Use when the current solution might be answering the wrong question, when all options look like variations of one idea, or to widen a decision before committing. Triggers include "concept fan", "zoom out", "what is this a way of doing", "wrong problem", "widen the options", "abstraction ladder". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
2 files334stars - inversiondanium/lateral-thinking
Assumption Inversion — list the assumptions behind the current approach and flip each one, then ask where the flipped version could actually be true. Use when requirements encode beliefs nobody has questioned, when a design feels inevitable, or when incumbents all share one blind spot. Triggers include "invert", "flip it", "flip the assumption", "reverse the premise", "what if the opposite were true", "challenge the assumption". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
2 files334stars - provocationdanium/lateral-thinking
Edward de Bono's Provocation (Po) technique — state something deliberately wrong or absurd about the problem, then extract useful "movement" from it instead of judging it. Use when a constraint feels unbreakable, when every design converges on the same shape, or to escape "the way it's always done". Triggers include "provocation", "po", "absurd statement", "deliberately break the rule", "the constraint feels unbreakable", "sacred cow". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
3 files334stars - random-stimulusdanium/lateral-thinking
Edward de Bono's Random Stimulus technique — force-fit a random unrelated object, place, or phenomenon onto a creative target to break familiar association patterns. Use for product ideation, feature naming, brand direction, copywriting, architecture and design choices when ideas from outside the problem space would help. Triggers include "random stimulus", "random word", "force-fit", "de Bono", "inject a random object", "stare out the window", "see the tree and squeeze an idea". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
3 files334stars - scamperdanium/lateral-thinking
SCAMPER (Bob Eberle) — run one existing idea, product, or process through seven systematic transformations - Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse/Rearrange. Use when there is already one working idea and the need is disciplined variations of it, e.g. "give me variations", "riff on this", "scamper", "what can we substitute or combine", "remix this feature". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks, and not for blank-page ideation (needs an existing idea as input).
3 files334stars - six-hatsdanium/lateral-thinking
Parallel thinking with six enforced perspectives, based on Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats® method - examine one decision through sequential passes for facts, feelings, risks, benefits, alternatives, and synthesis, never blending them. Use when a decision is being made too fast or from one angle, when everyone agrees suspiciously quickly, when the discussion mixes emotions with data, or for "six hats", "thinking hats", "look at this from every angle", "structured devil's advocate". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
3 files334stars - worst-ideadanium/lateral-thinking
Worst Possible Idea (reverse brainstorming) — deliberately design the most terrible solutions to the problem, name the mechanism that makes each one bad, then invert those mechanisms into strong features. Use when ideas all feel timid and safe, when the team is optimizing instead of imagining, or for "worst idea", "reverse brainstorming", "what would make this worse", "design the disaster", "how would we guarantee failure". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
2 files334stars - lateraldanium/lateral-thinking
Lateral thinking toolkit router — when you're stuck, going in circles, need fresh ideas, or standard brainstorming keeps producing predictable results, this diagnoses the symptom and applies the right technique from the toolkit (random-stimulus, provocation, inversion, concept-fan, analogy, scamper, six-hats, worst-idea). Triggers include "lateral thinking", "I'm stuck on a creative problem", "we're going in circles", "need fresh ideas", "try a different angle", "break out of the box", "ideas all feel the same", "predictable brainstorm". Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
334stars - postdanium/lateral-thinking
Use when writing a social post on a topic or a reply to someone's post — X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads — and the obvious take is not good enough. Triggers include "reply to this post", "write a post about", "quote this", "tweet about", "my replies all sound the same", "what's a non-obvious take on", "build in public post", a pasted post with "what would you say to this", or a post URL. Do NOT use for analytical work like debugging, code review, or implementation tasks.
334stars
lateral-thinking plugin questions
How do I install the lateral-thinking plugin?
In Claude Code run /plugin marketplace add danium/lateral-thinking, then /plugin install lateral-thinking@lateral-thinking.
What does the lateral-thinking plugin include?
lateral-thinking bundles 10 skills.
How do I update or remove the lateral-thinking plugin?
Update it with claude plugin update lateral-thinking@lateral-thinking in your shell, or from the Installed tab of /plugin. Remove it with /plugin uninstall lateral-thinking@lateral-thinking.