Purpose
Problems paralyze; opportunities energize. The How Might We format takes a specific pain point or insight and reframes it as an open question that the team can brainstorm against. The phrasing matters: "How" assumes there is a solution, "might" gives permission to explore without committing, and "we" makes it a team challenge. The result is a collection of well-scoped prompts that drive productive ideation.
When to Use
- During a design sprint, after the team has shared knowledge and mapped the problem space (typically Monday afternoon in the Sprint model).
- After reviewing interview snapshots when you need to translate findings into actionable directions.
- When the team is stuck in problem-admiration mode and needs to shift toward solution thinking.
- As a lightweight bridge between any research synthesis activity and brainstorming.
Steps
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Distribute materials. Give each participant sticky notes and a marker. If remote, use a shared whiteboard tool with individual note-taking areas.
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Review the source material. Walk through the customer pain points, interview quotes, expert insights, or experience map segments that you want to reframe. Everyone should hear the same information.
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Write HMW notes individually. Each person silently writes How Might We questions, one per sticky note. Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes. Aim for volume; there are no bad HMWs at this stage. Example: "How might we help researchers share findings without a 30-minute presentation?"
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Check the scope. Review each note against two failure modes. If the HMW is too broad ("How might we make research easier?"), it will not focus ideation. If it is too narrow ("How might we add a share button to the report page?"), it already implies a specific solution. Rewrite any that fall outside the sweet spot.
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Collect and read aloud. Go around the group and have each person read their HMWs. Post them on a wall or board as they are read. Do not discuss or critique yet.
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Group by theme. Silently cluster related HMWs together. You do not need perfect categories; rough affinity groups are sufficient.
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Dot vote. Give each participant two to three votes. Vote on the HMW questions that feel most important and most tractable. The Decider (if using the Sprint model) gets a supervote to break ties or override.
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Select the top HMWs. Take the highest-voted questions forward into ideation or solution sketching. Typically three to five HMWs are enough to drive a productive session.
Tips
- One insight, many HMWs. A single pain point can generate multiple HMW questions depending on which aspect you emphasize. Encourage the team to write several variations for the richest observations.
- Preserve the original insight. Write the source quote or pain point on the back of the sticky note or link it in your digital tool. You will need the context later when evaluating solutions against real customer needs.
- Use HMWs throughout discovery, not just in sprints. Any time you encounter a sharp customer insight, jot down an HMW. Over time you build a library of opportunity questions that keeps ideation grounded in evidence.
Source
Knapp, J., Zeratsky, J., Kowitz, B. Sprint (How Might We as a core Monday activity in the design sprint process).
