‘How might we…’ statementsWhy use a ‘How might we…’ statement? A ‘How might we…’ statement (HMW) will launch you into (hopefully) generative ideation session. A HMW statement sets up coming up with solutions to the challenge in a pinpointed, optimistic way.

How to use a ‘How might we…’ statement: Use your problem definition (might be a POV madlib or want ad) to generate a number of HMW statements. After you have generated a number of statements, as a team decide on which HMW statements to use to launch ideation (these statements are rich and are generative just in reading them). The best practice is just trying some of these statements out – often your team won’t know if you’ve hit a generative HMW until into your brainstorm. It is good to prepare a number of HMW statements to keep the brainstorm going.

As a team, create at least 4 good HMW statements from your problem definition. An example:

POV“A teenage girl with a bleak outlook needs to feel more socially accepted when eating healthy food, because in her hood asocial risks are more dangerous than a health risk.”

HMW…make healthy eating the norm?help a teenager feel the long-term affects of her everyday choices?Help a teenager feel more comfortable being herself?Make asocial risk disappear?Magnify health risks for a teenager?Make eating healthy the coolest thing to do?

Write your team’s 4 good HMW statements here:

generate maximum innovation potential in a short amount of time

incorporate different perspectives

build excitement

gain alignment

brainstorm: why?

brainstorm: demo

Brainstorm:

define the problem clearly and succinctly

load and stoke the brainstorm intentionally

go for volume! 100+ ideas

capture everything

brainstorm: best practices

brainstorm: stoke first

Sound ball

Word at a time proverb

“yes and…”

All the creative, wild, bad, OK, and undeveloped ideas from your brainstorm

Yield familiar and incremental results

When evaluated with typical “attractive” and “feasible” criteria before direct implementation

idea selection is a critical step

All the creative, wild, bad, OK, and undeveloped ideas from your brainstorm

Can be developed for feasibility

Selected for potential

we will select and develop high potential ideas

for today vote using these three selection criteria

“most likely to succeed”

place two votes on the ideas that you think are most likely to successfully address your “how might we”place two votes on the ideas that you think would delight customers (without regard for practical constraints)

“most breakthrough if …”

place two votes on the most breakthrough ideas (if a fatal flaw or real world constraint were to be ignored)

“most likely to delight”

most likely to succeed

most likely to delight

most breakthrough if . . .

Adventure Series: Cozy Camp