Frame the problem
How might we
Also called HMW questions
Turn problems and insights into questions that start with "How might we", which invite ideas instead of arguments.
- Time20 to 30 minutes
- People2 to 12 people
- Steps4
What it's for
A problem statement tends to start a debate about whether the problem is real. A question starting "How might we" assumes it can be solved (how), that there is more than one answer (might), and that it is shared (we). It is the bridge between research and ideas.
Good questions are neither so broad that anything fits nor so narrow that they already contain the answer.
How to run it
Put up the problems5 min
Write the problems or insights you're working from, one per note.
Write the questions10 min
Rewrite each one as several "How might we…?" questions.
Vote5 min3 votes each
Vote for the questions you most want to generate ideas for.
Pick the best few5 min
Move the top questions into the last frame. They brief the next exercise.
Tips
- Too broad: "How might we fix onboarding?" Too narrow: "How might we add a progress bar?" In between: "How might we help new users see value in their first five minutes?"
- Write several versions of each problem. The second and third are often better.
Where it comes from
Developed by Min Basadur at Procter & Gamble in the 1970s, as part of his work on creative problem solving. IDEO and design thinking courses later made it widely known.
Pairs well with
Point of view statement
A one-sentence problem statement built from a user, a need and an insight, so the team agrees what it is solving before solving it.
Crazy 8s
Sketch eight different ideas in eight minutes, one a minute, to get past the first obvious idea fast.
Affinity mapping
Group a pile of notes into themes by moving similar ones together, then name each theme to see what the pile is telling you.