The Swiss-Army Lives of How-Might-We Questions // ALD 005 — DT101 E69

Thank you for listening to this Ask Like a Designer episode of the Design Thinking 101 Podcast.

This episode is about how to use “How might we …” questions to anchor your innovation projects, align your team, and adjust the problem you are trying to solve as you learn.

This episode is based on this article: ALD 005 // The Swiss-Army Lives of How-Might-We Questions. Read the article and others like it on Fluid Hive’s Ask Like a Designer.

In these short Ask Like a Designer episodes on the Design Thinking 101 podcast, you’ll find new ways to explore the show’s stories and ideas about design-driven innovation. I’ll share methods, templates, and ideas that have worked in my practice in teaching. 

What did you think of this episode? Please send your questions, suggestions, and guest ideas to Dawan and the Fluid Hive team.

 Cheers ~ Dawan

Design Thinking 101 Podcast Host

President, Fluid Hive

Show Highlights

[00:58] The One Question to rule them all: what problem are you trying to solve?
[01:15] Finding the right problem to solve is the key to great innovation work.
[01:32] What do you do with your answer to the question?
[01:47] The purpose of “How might we…” questions.
[02:17] The three required parts of a “How might we…” question.
[02:27] The two optional parts of a “How might we…” question.
[03:48] Ways “How might we…” questions can help a designer or design team.
[04:16] What is reframing, and how does it relate to innovation work?
[05:07] “How might we…” questions also help those who are not on the team, but who are providing knowledge, insights, or assistance in some way.
[05:44] Having clear goals is important when doing innovation work.
[06:27] “How might we…” questions help guide team conversations about the work.
[06:43] “How might we…” questions also act as a guidepost.
[07:30] We want questions that create possibilities for many workable solutions.
[07:59] Free Ask Like a Designer tool to help you create your own “How might we…” questions.
[08:31] Design Thinking 101 Learning courses.
[08:52] The Innovation Smart Start webinar.

Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like

Ask Like a Designer — DT101 E61
Design, and One Question to Rule Them All // ALD 002 — DT101 E63
There Are No Problems Worth Solving — Only Questions Worth Asking // ALD 003 — DT101 E65
Your Good-Life OS: Designing a System for Living Well and Peak Performance // ALD 004 — DT101 E67

Other Resources

Download Fluid Hive's Innovation Shield — a guide to avoiding innovation traps by asking 9 of Fluid Hive's Design Thinking Questions

Innovation Smart Start Webinar — Learn to Ask Like a Designer and take your innovation projects from frantic to focused by working smart from the start.

Fluid Hive: Learn — A growing collection of courses, webinars, and articles for people expanding their design thinking, service design, and human-centered design skills – people who want to think and solve like a designer.