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 SmartStart webinar.

Design Thinking 101 Learning — Courses and More

Design Thinking 101 Learning helps people start seeing and solving like a designer. Each training course focuses on a different collection of actions and skills critical to using design thinking effectively and getting the results you seek.

Please join me in the first course, Design Thinking 101 — Framing: Creating Better Solutions by Finding More Valuable Problems to Solve.

Each course is structured to help your innovation actions create what you need for the people you serve, your organization and yourself.

Grab your spot and start seeing and solving like a designer today.

DT101 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