How to Compose a How Might We (HMW) Question
This job aid serves as a guide for developing a structured "how might we" question as a way to generate new ideas for solving known problems by reframing a user problem into an opportunity.
Purpose
HMW questions can be used to highlight potential opportunities for ideation based on insights found during design research.
Desired outcome
A set of structured questions to work on at the ideation stage of the design process.
When to use
- After conducting design research and data synthesis but before ideation.
- When you want to reframe your current problem statement to more easily uncover opportunities.
Pairs well with
How to use
- Thinking about your point-of-view (POV) problem statement, use the following template to ask specific questions starting with "How might we?":
- How might we [action/what] for [user/other stakeholders] in order to [enact a change]?
- If you're having trouble coming up with HMW questions, break the bigger problem into smaller ones, and then start writing HMW in front of each smaller problem.
- Write as many HMW questions as you can. Use the following criteria to assess each of your HMW questions:
- Focuses on the desired outcome
- Specific enough
- Does not suggest a solution
- Not too broad
- Not too narrow
- Phrased positively
- If you find yourself with more than one HMW question that meets all of the above criteria:
- Find any overlap between the HMW questions and see if you can combine some into one.
- Prioritize any remaining HMW questions by their impact on the project.
- Select the HMW question with the highest impact to answer.
