 Creating “How Might We” Statements

Where We Are in the Design Thinking Process

What are “How Might We” Statements?  Definitions –  Optimistic, human-centered, generative statements that are used to brainstorm  Tools we use to generate possible solutions to our user’s need  Criteria –  Not too broad (ex. How might we save the world?)  Not too narrow (ex. How might we wake up using an alarm clock?)  HMW’s should take you in many different directions

What are “How Might We” Statements?  As Metaphor  HMW’s are like coral reefs because they start as small nuggets and expand to large things  Rabbits  Rumors  Fireworks  Dandelions  Powerball  Acorns

What are “How Might We” Statements?

HMW Statements in Practice  POV: “Studious socially awkward student needs structured opportunities to socialize because he is often made fun of and wants to make friends”  HMW Statements:  How might we diversify afterschool programs to attract more students?  How might we ensure that afterschool programs focus on social interaction?  How might we better connect socially awkward students to other kids?

Critical Attributes to Creating Good HMW Statements?  Where did you struggle in creating a HMW?  Basing the statement on my feelings/perspective  Generalizing for a group and not the person, loses focus  A weak POV can lead to a weak HMW  Feature creep  What did you or your partner do or say that made it easier to create a HMW?  Breaking the POV into pieces and focusing on one section at a time  Trying for a simple HMW  Hearing multiple HMWs that cover a lot of bases gave me different possibilities that I could use as models