Updated 9/29/25 for clarity and development of key concepts.
There’s an old parable about two wolves living inside us. One represents our darker nature, the other our better instincts. The lesson: the wolf you feed is the one that thrives. But when it comes to innovation and mastery, I’ve found the real challenge isn’t choosing which wolf to feed. It’s learning to feed both.
In my work, those two wolves represent divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking explores possibilities without constraint. Convergent thinking brings discipline and execution. Most of us naturally favor one over the other. That imbalance shows up in how we work, how teams function, and ultimately, in what gets built.
The Atelier Method and Innovation
Several years after art school, I returned to study master draftsmanship through the traditional atelier model, specifically the Grand Central Atelier methods. This classical approach emphasizes precision, observation from life, and technical rigor. It might seem disconnected from digital strategy work, but the parallels are telling.
My painting American Music (inspired by the Violent Femmes song) began with pure exploration. I didn’t know what the piece would become. I started with the song’s energy and let the concept reveal itself through sketching and experimentation. That’s divergent thinking: generating possibilities, following intuition, staying open to what emerges.
But once the concept crystallized, everything shifted. The next months were convergent work: hours of precise execution refining tones, adjusting shadows, capturing subtle shifts in light. Every brushstroke required focus and technical control. The creative freedom that sparked the idea gave way to disciplined execution.
This same pattern plays out in every innovation project. Early stages require divergent thinking: brainstorming, prototyping, exploring what’s possible without immediately judging feasibility. Then comes the shift to user research, data analysis, strategic planning. The wild ideas get refined into something that can actually ship.
Why Balance Is Hard
Most people get stuck on one side. Some teams generate endless ideas but never execute. Others jump to execution before exploring alternatives. They optimize the first solution they find rather than the best one.
I work with teams to move fluidly between these modes. Early in a project, we deliberately create space for divergent thinking. We encourage ideas that might seem unfocused but reveal valuable directions. Then we shift intentionally to convergent work, refining those insights into actionable strategy.
When it works, the two modes compound. Disciplined execution often sparks new creative insights. Exploring edge cases during implementation reveals better approaches. The wolves feed each other.
The Research Limitation
This balance matters because of a fundamental constraint most companies miss: you cannot research your way to breakthrough innovation.
Research is invaluable for understanding user needs and validating market fit. But research is inherently backward-looking. It tells you what people know they want based on what they’ve experienced. Groundbreaking products emerge from creative leaps beyond what users can articulate, combined with disciplined execution that makes those visions real.
Apple didn’t research their way to the iPhone. They made a creative bet about how people would want to interact with technology, then executed with obsessive focus on details. The research came later, validating and refining the core vision.
This is why companies staffed with smart people doing rigorous research still produce incremental products. They’re feeding only the convergent wolf, the one that optimizes known problems with proven methods. The divergent wolf that generates genuinely new possibilities is starving.
Progress requires both: research and data to ground ideas in reality, plus creative vision to push beyond what’s currently known or proven.
Mastery Works the Same Way
This pattern extends beyond product development to any pursuit of mastery. In classical realism, you don’t simply copy what you see. You interpret, bringing both technical precision and creative understanding to the work.
The process moves between modes constantly. You start with creative freedom, exploring how to approach the subject. Then you focus intensely on technical execution: mixing exact colors, capturing precise values. But during that focused work, you often discover new possibilities. A technique you practiced for realism suddenly suggests an unexpected creative direction.
That’s where divergent and convergent thinking integrate naturally. Not as opposing forces, but as complementary capabilities that strengthen each other through practice.
Application
If you recognize yourself getting stuck in one mode:
Too much divergence (endless ideation, nothing ships):
- Set concrete decision points: “We explore until X date, then commit”
- Define what “good enough” looks like before you start
- Build in forcing functions that require convergence
Too much convergence (optimizing the first solution):
- Deliberately schedule divergent thinking time early in projects
- Use creative constraints that force novel approaches
- Reward exploration, not just execution
For teams:
- Make the mode shifts explicit: “We’re in divergent mode until Friday”
- Don’t judge divergent ideas by convergent criteria (and vice versa)
- Staff projects with people who can operate in both modes, not just their preferred one
The goal isn’t perfect balance. It’s fluidity—knowing when to explore, when to focus, and how to let each mode inform the other.
Like to learn more about divergent and convergent thinking in technology innovation? Check out the following materials:
The Synergy of Diverge and Converge in Design Thinking – Voltage Control: How divergent and convergent thinking are essential in the design thinking process, offering practical tips on how to integrate these approaches into innovative projects.
Unleash the Unexpected for Radical Innovation – MIT Sloan Management Review: Explores how radical innovation often emerges from unexpected ideas, highlighting the importance of environments that encourage divergent thinking and creativity. (May require subscription)
The Design of Everyday Things – Don Norman: A classic UX book, essential for understanding design thinking, usability, and balancing creativity with practical application in product design.
About the Author
Dorothy is a digital strategist and researcher who helps companies turn big ideas into real-world innovations. Outside of work, she is applying this same balance of creativity and focus to her current pursuit of master draftsmanship.
