Using “How Might We” Questions to Ideate on the Right Problems

Some teams generate HMWs that are not specific to what they’ve learned. For example, How might we improve the user experience of the product? is not specific to what you might have uncovered in your discovery research. This question can result in ideas that don’t address the root problems and the insights you uncovered.

Once you and your team have carried out your discovery research, agree on what the top findings were. Use these to craft HMW questions

It can be easy to limit your thinking and embed solutions in your HMW questions. But doing so restricts the pool of possibilities, and fewer ideas are generated. In the example below, the first HMW suggests a particular type of solution, whereas the second is agnostic about any particular solution.

• Insight: Users are often unsure about which form to complete when they file their taxes.
• HMW (poor): How might we tell users which form to complete to file their taxes?
• HMW (good): How might we make users feel confident they are filing their taxes correctly?

When writing HMW questions, ask yourself if you could rewrite them in a broader way? The broader the HMW, the more ideas can be generated.

• Insight: Users often spend a long time checking their submission for mistakes.
• HMW (good): How might we make it quick and easy for users to check their work for mistakes?
• HMW (better): How might we support users to efficiently draft submissions that they’re happy with?

To avoid solving symptoms of the problems rather than the root problems themselves, ask yourself whether your HMW question focuses on the desired outcome. In the example below, the first HMW question loses sight of what we really want to achieve.

• Problem: Users often call us because they’re unsure about the application process.
• HMW (poor): How might we stop users from calling us?
• HMW (good): How might we make users feel confident they have all the information they need?

Stating your HMW questions positively can generate more ideas and also encourage creativity.

If you find yourself using negative verbs like ‘reduce,’ ‘remove,’ ‘prevent,’ ask yourself if you can frame things more positively by using positive action verbs, like ‘increase,’ ‘create,’ ‘enhance,’ ‘promote’ and so on.

• Problem: Users find the return process difficult.
• HMW (poor): How might we make the return process less difficult?
• HMW (good): How might we make the return process quick and intuitive?

Spend time with your team writing and selecting your HMWs before you begin ideating. You can have everyone contribute an HMW; then go through the following checklist to select or improve the best version:

• Is it based on an existing problem or insight?
• Does it track the desired outcome?
• Is it written positively?
• Is it broad enough to ensure many creative ideas?
• Does it suggest a solution?