Thinking in New Boxes: What I Learned from the BCG Strategy Consulting Job Simulation
- Vani Dogra
- May 20
- 5 min read
As someone curious about consulting and deeply passionate about supply chain strategy, I recently completed the BCG Introduction to Strategy Consulting virtual job simulation hosted on Forage. I went in hoping to explore whether this field aligns with my interests, and I came out inspired, informed, and excited. The experience walked me through a practical case: helping a fictional luxury fashion company increase winter outerwear sales. It wasn’t just about solving a business problem; it was about learning to think differently and brainstorm fresh ideas.
Why I Took the Simulation
I’ve always been curious about what consultants really do, and whether I could see myself pursuing a career (or even launching a business) in that space. This simulation offered a low-stakes, high-value opportunity to test-drive the consulting mindset while applying it to a brand context that resonated with me: luxury apparel.
My Key Takeaways
Through this simulation, I walked away with three key takeaways. First, effective brainstorming starts well before the session itself, it requires thoughtful preparation and problem framing. Second, creative thinking begins by questioning the assumptions we often take for granted, what BCG calls “doubting your own boxes.” And third, structure and creativity aren’t opposites, they actually work best together, with clear frameworks enabling more focused and innovative ideas.
Good Brainstorming Starts Before the Brainstorm
One of the most powerful lessons I learned was that creativity doesn’t come from “blue-sky” thinking, or vague encouragement to “think outside the box.” In fact, BCG challenges that very phrase. As the firm puts it: “The human brain isn’t wired to think outside the box. We need new boxes, new mental models, to unlock ideas". Before any idea-generation session, you need to frame the right question and challenge outdated assumptions. For example, instead of asking, “How do we sell more coats?”, ask: What would it take to get our company trending on social media? Or what are the top 3 features high-end customers value in winter outerwear, and are we showcasing them in a way that matches their lifestyle and values? This mindset shift changed the entire direction of my brainstorming process.
Creative Thinking Requires Doubting Your Own Boxes
Drawing from Alan Iny's TED Talk and BCG’s “Building New Boxes” article, I learned that we don’t get to innovation by escaping structure, we get there by questioning it. In the simulation, I explored the “mental boxes” that a luxury brand might be stuck in:
“We must follow seasonal fashion calendars”
“We need physical stores to sell high-end apparel”
“Luxury = exclusivity, not accessibility”
By doubting these, I was able to reframe my thinking around customer behavior and market expectations. Could demand-driven fashion work for a high-end brand? Could sustainability become a new symbol of luxury? Turns out, yes, and that’s where the magic begins. The course also shared powerful examples of companies that succeeded by redefining their boxes. One that stood out was BIC, which originally saw itself strictly as a pen manufacturer. By shifting its mental model from “we make plastic pens” to “we make affordable plastic consumer goods,” BIC was able to expand successfully into razors, lighters, and other mass-market essentials, proving that the right strategic pivot can unlock entirely new growth paths.
Structure and Creativity Go Hand in Hand
One of my favourite parts was creating new boxes to guide brainstorming. I built two:
Luxury as Experience, Not Just Product: I explored how premium customers aren't just buying outerwear, they’re buying into a story, a feeling, and a moment. By emphasizing emotional storytelling, personalization, and immersive experiences, luxury brands can elevate their product beyond function. From in-store storytelling displays and custom monogramming tied to product features, to personalized shopping quizzes and behind-the-scenes reels of artisans, the goal is to make every interaction feel curated and meaningful. Even simple touches, like a QR code that reveals the journey of the coat’s materials or stylists trained to tell the story behind the stitching, transform a transaction into an experience.
Sustainability as the New Status Symbol: I considered how transparency, traceable sourcing, and eco-conscious craftsmanship are becoming core to luxury branding, and how these values can drive both loyalty and sales.Using these boxes, I brainstormed ideas like AR-based digital try-ons, exclusive pre-order events, and partnering with sustainable travel brands.
Bonus Insights from BCG’s Articles
One of the most valuable parts of the BCG Strategy Consulting simulation was the opportunity to engage with BCG’s thought leadership, particularly the article “How to Run Brainstorming Sessions That Work.” While brainstorming is often dismissed as chaotic or unproductive, BCG reframes it as a disciplined, designable process that requires structure, preparation, and intentionality. Here are some deeper insights I took away:
Creativity is fuelled by constraints, not unlimited freedom: Rather than being paralyzed by a blank canvas, creativity flourishes when guided by clear boundaries, like a focused question, a defined customer persona, or specific success criteria. In the simulation, narrowing the prompt to “What are the top 3 features high-end customers value in outerwear?” made ideation more purposeful and actionable.
Effective brainstorming begins before the session starts, and continues after: BCG emphasizes that ideation isn’t just about the session itself. The best insights emerge when teams first question their own assumptions (“boxes”), prepare new lenses to explore, and follow up thoughtfully. This mirrors how real consultants operate: not chasing ideas randomly, but methodically reframing problems and staying engaged through iteration.
The way a question is framed can completely change the solution space: A vague question like “How do we grow sales?” might yield incremental answers. But reframing it as “How can we make our outerwear a must-have for travellers visiting luxury ski resorts?” invites sharper, more strategic thinking, and ultimately, more transformative ideas.
Truly great brainstorming sessions don’t just generate new ideas, they redefine your understanding of the business: The goal isn’t to “think outside the box” aimlessly. It’s to build new boxes: fresh mental models that help you see customers, markets, and your own brand through a different lens. This mindset shift is what transforms creativity from a one-time event into a strategic capability.
And of course, the quote from Einstein echoed throughout: “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I’d spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.”
Final Reflection
This simulation didn’t just teach me about strategy consulting. It taught me to embrace ambiguity, to question assumptions, and to design creativity with intention. If you’re even remotely interested in consulting, innovation, or brand strategy, especially in fields like fashion, supply chain, or sustainability, I highly recommend giving this simulation a try. You’ll come away with more than just skills, but rather a new way to thinkB.
Try it yourself:
Explore the BCG Strategy Consulting Simulation on Forage