The Snorkel/Scuba Method: Unique approach to creative problem solving

Overview of the Snorkel and Scuba Method

Take a concrete case: imagine a marketing team reviewing their approach to boosting online sales. They start by using the snorkel method—skimming across a wide range of customer feedback, reviewing campaign results, and noting industry trends. This broad exploration helps them gather many potential angles and identify recurring patterns. However, to generate truly effective, creative solutions, they don’t stop at the surface. Instead, they switch to the scuba method, diving deep into one or two promising ideas, spending time analysing root causes, motivations, and alternatives in detail.

The power of this method comes from deliberately changing gears between overview and deep dive. The snorkel stage casts the net wide, while the scuba stage narrows the focus to uncover underlying challenges or opportunities that might have been missed with a shallow approach alone. For example, surface research might flag falling engagement, but deeper analysis could reveal it’s driven by subtle shifts in competitor messaging.

There are risks to balance. Staying too long in snorkel mode may produce lots of ideas but little clarity. Diving too soon or too deep may mean effort is wasted on details that are not actually relevant. It’s important to change tack deliberately: explore broadly, but know when to home in, and when to come up for air.

• Start with open-ended research to avoid early bias
• Use snorkel findings to shortlist the most promising issues
• Switch to scuba analysis to clarify causes and possible solutions
• Accept that you may need to repeat both stages
• Watch out for decision fatigue if you explore too many tangents

Key Phases: Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

Look at the numbers: in a team workshop setting, you may start with a broad exploration of 7,200 possible solution ideas (based on 1,200 ideas per person for a team of six) during the “snorkeling” phase. This stage is intentionally fast and wide-ranging. Its aim is to scan all available options, spot notable trends, and identify any overlooked elements. The team doesn’t get bogged down in details here; they gather possibilities and set a direction.

Once potential solutions are mapped, the method progresses to “scuba diving.” This is where detailed analysis kicks in. The group chooses the most promising ideas and invests focused time—often several dedicated sessions—examining data, scenarios, and implementation barriers. Unlike the broad initial phase, scuba diving means going deep and challenging assumptions, seeking both risks and real opportunities underneath the surface.

• Snorkeling cast a wide net, encouraging open-minded thinking and idea generation
• Little time is spent judging or filtering suggestions at the start
• Scuba diving focuses on a select few options for thorough investigation
• The second phase can reveal flaws or hidden strengths missed in the overview
• Each phase prevents the other from dominating: one opens up, the other refines
• Together, both phases guide a group from creative openness to concrete solutions

Step-by-Step Practical Application

Start by clearly defining the core challenge you want to solve. Make sure all relevant stakeholders agree on the framing, so later discussions do not drift off topic. Once the challenge is set, gather a range of perspectives to ensure you are not just recycling old thinking. The initial phase, or ‘snorkelling’, is about quickly listing as many possible solutions, influences, and angles as possible, without deep analysis. This wide scan prevents you from jumping on the first idea that pops up and uncovers alternative routes.

After the surface exploration, ‘scuba’ begins: zoom in on the most promising ideas with deeper, more focused investigation. Suppose you are working with a problem receiving 10,500 customer queries each month. In the snorkel phase, you might note solutions like an improved FAQ, staff training, automation, or changing product labels. Scuba mode would then involve a detailed breakdown—perhaps automating queries is shortlisted, so you analyse costs, compare with current handling times, and test a prototype.

A common pitfall is drifting back to generalities or losing the focus on the most impactful actions during the scuba phase. Keep the team disciplined, and review evidence before committing significant resources. If you feel the discussion narrowing too early, swim back up and revisit potential missed routes before investing time and money.

• Define the problem and ensure stakeholder alignment
• Rapidly brainstorm all possible options without filtering (snorkelling)
• Shortlist 2–3 solutions for deeper study (scuba diving)
• Gather data, costs, stakeholder input on those focused options
• Test or model the best option on a small scale before wider rollout
• If stuck, return to snorkel and reconsider overlooked ideas

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Run the maths on this: a Belfast design agency spends 8,800 EUR for six months exploring creative solutions with the snorkel/scuba approach. Early on, they dive deep into one idea and stick with it. As a result, they miss out on other promising concepts. At the end of six months, the results are underwhelming, and the team realises they’ve invested heavily in a narrow direction. This highlights the importance of spreading attention during the “snorkel” phase before committing to deep “scuba” work.

Another frequent misstep involves cutting the exploration phase short due to time pressure or early excitement over a seemingly strong idea. Teams might then lack the diverse insights and lateral solutions needed for robust problem-solving. Equally, some groups get stuck in endless brainstorming and never move to focused development, leading to frustration and lost momentum.

• Avoid tunnel vision by consciously exploring multiple ideas initially
• Set calendar reminders to revisit and re-evaluate concepts before narrowing down
• Balance open exploration with scheduled deadlines for moving deeper
• Document each idea thoroughly to enable effective comparison later
• Encourage team members to challenge early favourites and voice alternatives

Comparison with Other Problem-Solving Techniques

Here is a simple example: a team tackling a project receives 8,400 monthly sessions to their website. Using the snorkel/scuba method, they spend the first phase ‘snorkelling’—scanning broadly, gathering all possible insights and trends from these sessions. Next, they ‘scuba dive’ deep into user behaviour, exploring one particular problem or user journey in detail. By contrast, a standard root cause analysis would focus immediately on drilling down into anomalies, while brainstorming sessions might overlook patterns visible in the larger data picture.

The main strength of the snorkel/scuba approach lies in its deliberate blend of breadth and depth. It avoids rushing prematurely into details that may not matter, yet still ensures that a sharp, focused analysis happens. However, it can be time-consuming, and may appear less direct than methods such as “five whys” or SWOT analysis, which go straight for answers or categorisation. Teams must be careful not to lose momentum in the transition from broad exploration to narrow focus.

• Snorkel/scuba suits complex digital issues with overlapping data points
• Root cause analysis fits single, tangible technical glitches
• Brainstorming drives idea generation, not detailed evaluation
• SWOT analysis frames problems in context, may lack actionable depth
• Choose a technique based on how well you know the real problem