How Might We?

Break challenges into manageable and inspiring "How might we…" questions.

Author: Eero Hosiaisluoma @EeroHosi

Stage: This is a stub – if you would like to contribute and expand it please get in touch.

Short description

The "How Might We" (HMW) approach is a problem-framing technique used in design thinking and innovation processes to turn challenges into actionable questions that inspire creative solutions.

Why and when to use

This approach helps people (in an enterprise, unit, group, or team, etc.) reframe problems in a way that is open-ended, optimistic, and focused on possibilities, making it easier to brainstorm, explore, and generate ideas. This approach aims to find new solutions without getting stuck on predefined problems. The purpose of the HMW approach is to break down challenges into manageable and inspiring questions. This allows people to view problems from a new perspective, encouraging creativity and promoting collaborative problem-solving. Each question begins with "How might we…" and is followed by a specific problem or challenge. The phrasing encourages people to explore various possibilities ("how"), maintains optimism ("might"), and suggests collaboration ("we").

Steps:

1. Define the problem or challenge: Start with a clear understanding of the problem or design challenge. Gather insights from user research, data analysis, or stakeholder input to get a well-rounded view of the issues.

2. Generate "How Might We" questions: Break down the problem into smaller, actionable questions using the "How Might We" format. This is done by focusing on specific aspects of the problem that could lead to innovative solutions.
   Examples:

   • "How might we make the support process faster for customers?"

   • "How might we reduce waiting time without compromising service quality?"

   • "How might we improve the support experience for customers while they wait?"

3. Refine the questions: Refine your HMW questions to be neither too broad nor too narrow. Broader questions can generate more ideas, while narrower ones can lead to more specific solutions. Striking a balance between the two can foster productive brainstorming.
   Example:

   • Instead of: “How might we improve customer experience?”

   • Try: “How might we create a more engaging waiting experience for customers?”

4. Brainstorm solutions: Use the HMW questions as starting points for brainstorming sessions. Encourage participants to generate a variety of ideas without judgment or immediate filtering. The open-ended nature of HMW questions inspires creative thinking and exploration.
   Example:

   • For “How might we create a more engaging waiting experience for customers?” ideas could include interactive wait-time updates, entertainment options, or self-service support tools.

5. Evaluate and prototype ideas: After brainstorming, review the ideas generated for each HMW question and select the most promising solutions to prototype and test. The goal is to explore ideas that could address the challenge effectively.
   Example:

   • A prototype for the customer support experience might involve testing a digital interface that provides real-time support updates.

The "How Might We" approach is a powerful tool in design thinking and problem-solving. By breaking challenges into actionable, open-ended questions, it encourages innovative thinking, teamwork, and solution-oriented exploration, making it an effective technique for organisations aiming to solve complex challenges creatively.

EDGY elements can be used to model the design challenge and “How Might We” sentences. The Enterprise Design Facet Model helps thinking from different perspectives and facilitates and fosters ideation. Template shown below:

Open

"How might we” (HMW) analysis template.