The snowflake method is suitable for use with either short texts or longer texts like a thesis. The method can be used with different phases of writing. You can use the technique to help you get started with writing, or as an aid when writing down references. The idea is that your text will broaden little by little, from one sentence all the way to a complete text. The snowflake technique is all about growing the text from small beginnings. There are different description of this method.
This guide uses Svinhufvud's (2010) and Vilka's (2020) presented principles and applications:
Write the topic of your text in 3 to 4 words. Try to write about your topic using core words.
After that answer with one sentence to the following questions.
After this, widen your answers with three to four sentences.
After that take a five-minute break.
Continue expanding your sentences into a paragraph.
Take a five-minute break
Now expand the text with one new paragraph. Now you have at least two paragraphs of text for each answer.
You can make a simplified mini flake by writing just one question. This works well for an idea phase.
For example, the subject of an essay can be reformed into a question:
How can you improve general work life skills in different learning environments?
Five sentences:
The purpose of my essay is to show how you can develop general workplace skills in different learning environments. Studying in a University of Applied Sciences provides one with different kinds of learning environments. These can be contact learning, working life environments, internships, remote learning and international environments. Every internship has its own goals, but every one of those will provide a chance to develop different kinds on interaction skills. Remote learning requires that one can collaborate remotely with students.
After this I can use core words to expand my text. I can then write about what general workplace skills mean for five sentences. After this I can describe each learning environment by writing five sentences and expand them later. By proceeding like this, I've written over a page of concept text.
After this I could combine information about different workplace and learning environment definitions and terms to my concept text. I could combine, compare and apply my own observations and present questions.