How Might We

The "How Might We" questions focus on the "how" and thus show that there is a possibility of solving the problem and that there are avariety of possible solutions. A well-formulated "How Might We" question does not generate a concrete solution but creates theideal framework for innovative thinking. It sets the appropriate framework for generating ideas without being too restrictive.

If, for example, you address the problem that people want to eat ice cream on the go without it dripping, then an overly narrowly formulated "How Might We" question would be "How can we create an ice cream cone from which the ice cream does not drip?". It immediately restricts the solution, as it specifies, among other things, that it should be an ice cream cone. On the other hand, "How can we reinvent desserts?" would be too broad a "How Might We" question. It does not set adequate boundaries for the solution to the problem and allows us to digress too far.

An ideally formulated "How Might We" question would be, for example, "How can we make ice more portable?". This question opens up a larger solution space than the classic ice cream cone.

The "How Might We" worksheets help with the formulation of "How Might We" questions by offeringten changing perspectives for reformulation.

These are best explained using an example:

Our problem statement is "transforming the ground experience at the local international airport". We have defined a problem focus (Point of View of POV) for ourselves: A rushed mother of three, rushing through the airport only to wait hours at the gate, needs a way to keep her children occupied because otherwise they will only annoy other frustrated passengers.We can rephrase this problem into different questions to generate ideas using the ten "How Might We" alterations:

• Amp up the good or utilize good aspects: How can we use the children's energy to entertain other passengers?
• Remove the bad or remove bad aspects: How can we separate the children from other passengers?
• Explore the opposite or Exploring the opposite: How can we make the waiting time the most exciting part of the journey?
• Question an assumption: How can we completely eliminate waiting time at the airport?
• Go after adjectives or focus on adjectives: How can we make the airport experience refreshing instead of tiring?
• Identify unexpected resources: How can we use other passengers' free time to share the load?
• Create an analogy from need or context or Create an analogy: How can we make the airport like a spa? Or like a playground?
• Play POV against the challenge or Playing the problem focus against the problem: How can we make the airport a place where children like to go?
• Change a status quo or change the status quo: How can we make the playful, noisy children less disruptive? How can we make the airport like a spa? Or like a playground?
• Break POV into pieces or break down the focus of the problem into its individual parts: How can we entertain the children? How can we relieve the mother?

These changing perspectives allow the solution space to beviewed from different perspectives.For further idea generation, you can decide on one of the questions generated in order to develop concrete ideas.