Ideate

Write how-might-we statements

Reframe pain points as open questions to design for.

How to do it

1. Take one pain point or insight at a time.
2. Write "How might we…" so it invites many answers.
3. Not too broad, not a disguised solution.

Tip. "How might we add a reorder button?" is a solution. "How might we make the usual shop take one tap?" leaves room for ideas.

What you need

Start from:

• Insight, Journey map, Test report, Jobs to be done, Empathy map or Opportunity tree

It is better with: Persona.

What you get: HMW

A hmw template has these sections:

• Statements

Where it fits

• Develop (Double Diamond): Explore many answers, then pick the strongest.

Usually comes after

• Synthesize insights
• Map a journey
• Run usability tests
• Write jobs to be done
• Map empathy
• Map opportunities

What to do next

• Ideate concepts
• Write a readout

Templates that use it

• Evaluative study: Does this design work for the people who will use it?
• Exploratory study: We don’t know the problem well yet: why do people do what they do?
• Double Diamond: A whole project, from understanding a problem to a tested answer.
• Continuous discovery: A product team learning every week towards one outcome.
• Jobs to be done: Why do people start using, switch to or leave a product like yours?
• Design Thinking: Empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test, in the classic five modes.
• Design Sprint: Five days from a big question to a prototype tested with real people.