Frame Problems as Questions

Design thinking is a process for creative problem solving. It starts with people and their needs.

Frame a problem you want to solve
To begin the process, you need a problem to solve. Frame the problem as a question
beginning with “How Might We.” These three little words transform the problem
into an opportunity and an optimistic invitation to explore more: the “how” is
solutions-oriented, the “might” encourages optimism, and the “we” is collaborative.
A good “How Might We” question allows for a broad set of solutions, but is narrow
enough that you know where to start.

What’s the problem you seek to solve?

How might we...

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Inspire new thinking by discovering
what people really need
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6 Tips for Observing
When you get curious about real people, you spark fresh thinking on how to design
better products and services for them.
TI P 1
Look for things that prompt behavior
Some behavior triggers are obvious, like
signs that tell us where to go. Others are
more subtle, like the line printed on a
train platform to warn customers to
stand away from the edge.
TI P 3
Look for what people care about
You can tell a lot about someone from
the stories they tell and the things
they surround themselves with.
TI P 5
Look for patterns
Pay attention when people repeat
something. You might uncover themes
or routines, both of which can point
to underlying needs or values.
TI P 2
Look for adaptations
Adaptations are hacks or workarounds
that people come up with to make a
product or system work better. What
does the adaptation tell you about
their needs?
TI P 4
Look for body language
People smile when they’re delighted
and slouch when they’re tired or
detached. Interpreting people’s
nonverbal language is an easy way
to gauge their emotional needs.
TI P 6
Look for the unexpected
Things that are hidden or stand out in
surprising ways often invite you to
explore a deeper story.
For Continued Practice...
As an Individual
Practice staying curious as you commute
to work today. Keep an eye out for unmet
needs by looking for patterns or the
unexpected. Jot down two things that
inspire you.
With Your Team
Tune in to the nuances of how people
work on your team. Observe how the
environment (the space, tools, etc.)
impacts collaboration. Focus on what
people care about and how their body
language reflects their energy and level
of engagement.
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Inspire new thinking by discovering
what people really need
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Try It Yourself
Observing people’s natural behaviors helps you discover their unmet needs. Observation
is particularly effective when paired with interviewing because it allows you to better
interpret what you have observed. As you observe, get curious about people’s needs
and motivations.
O B S E RVE A P E RSO N O R S ITUATIO N R E L ATE D TO TH E P RO B LE M YO U ’ R E TRYI N G TO SO LVE .
What’s one thing you observe?
(Don’t interpret, just describe what you see.)
e.g., She has packed lots of different toys for kids. Decks of cards, a book...
Why might this be happening?
(Add your interpretation. Think in terms of motivations and unmet needs.)
This inspires me to think about solutions that...
(Think in terms of new products or services that could meet the need(s) you observe.)
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Push past obvious solutions to
come up with breakthrough ideas
Steps for a Mash-Up
This method is about bringing odd or unexpected things together
to spark fresh ideas.
STE P 1
Pick two broad, unrelated categories
The categories should be unrelated to
each other, but at least one should tie in
to the problem you are trying to solve.
Some categories work better together
than others, so it helps to generate and
try out a few pairings. Categories can
be wild and span a broad range of
topics, such as hobbies, children’s toys,
common office objects, or things people
do on vacation.
STE P 3
Randomly combine items from your two
lists to develop possible ideas for products
and services
Select items randomly or try putting
together items that seem the most
different. Go for wild ideas! Sometimes
there’s not a whole lot of difference
between ridiculous and brilliant. Push
yourself to imagine beyond what’s
comfortable or familiar.
STE P 2
For each category, generate a list
of responses
It generally helps to give yourself a
time limit (say, two minutes). You
can do this with a partner and tackle
one category each.
STE P 4
Describe your ideas and communicate
their value in ways that are relevant to
your problem
Adapt the original idea as necessary to
address the needs of those for whom
you’re designing.
For Continued Practice...
As an Individual
Resist the urge to jump on the first
viable idea this week. Be bold! Push
yourself to generate at least five more
ideas. Sometimes this can hurt a little.
But it gets easier over time, we promise.
This is also good practice to get you to
more innovative solutions.
With Your Team
Design in quick sprints with your team
to generate lots of possible solutions
(maybe you facilitate a brainstorm or
try out the Mash-Up) to encourage
collaboration and divergent thinking.
In these sessions, go for quantity. That
means deferring judgment and welcom-
ing bold, even ridiculous ideas.

REMEMBER

This is only part of the ideation process, which is part of the broader creative
process. After diverging to generate ideas, the time will come to select a few
top ideas. But that doesn’t mean throwing away all of your wild ideas and only
selecting what’s safest. Instead, consider what’s special about the wild ideas
and work backward toward more practical versions.

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 Try It Yourself
STE P 1
Pick two broad, unrelated categories.
Category 1
Push past obvious solutions to
come up with breakthrough ideas e.g., Things that give you energy
Category 2
e.g., Things found in an office
STE P S 3 AN D 4
Randomly combine items from the
two different lists to develop new
ideas. For each idea, describe its
value as it relates to your problem.

STE P 2 e.g., Music + chairs: At a lull in a meeting, someone

turns on a song. As it plays, everyone dances their
Generate items for each category. way to a seat in the different part of the room.

1. e.g., Sunshine 1. e.g., Stapler

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

6. 6.

7. 7.

8. 8.

9. 9.

10. 10.

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 Tips for Sketching For Continued Practice...
You can make anything tangible through a rough and rapid prototype. Think of As an Individual
your prototype as a prop that invites others to experience your idea and help you Practice getting your hands dirty this
transform an abstract concept into a meaningful product or service. Sketching week. Create early, rough representa-
Build rough representations is a foundational skill of prototyping and one of many ways you can make
tions of your ideas and get them in
of your idea your ideas tangible.
front of others for feedback. Don’t sell
P ICK I N G U P TH E P E N I S HALF I N CLU D E P EO P LE I N YO U R your idea and don’t defend it. Ask open
TH E BAT TLE I D E A S K E TCH E S questions to help you learn how to
Don’t worry about quality. Focus on Many people focus on only sketching improve it.
what you learn from getting rough and what their idea looks like or how it
scrappy. And have some fun with it! At works. But it’s also important to visual- With Your Team
first, you’re only drawing for yourself. ize how others will interact with your Hold the space for a prototyping
Any sketch that helps communicate product or service. That nuance will session. Provide a challenge and ask
your idea is a good sketch. help you consider your idea from a more everyone to build something in thirty
human-centered lens. minutes. Use whatever materials you
have (paper, pens, pipe cleaners,
MAK E I D E A S TAN G I B LE
U S E S I M P LE S HAP E S TO D R AW P EO P LE cardboard, etc.). This process will
AN D O B J EC TS TH RO U G H ITE R ATIO N S
create momentum for your team and
To draw a person, draw the torso as a Making ideas tangible doesn’t just stop
help you quickly learn what does and
rectangle, arms and legs as lines and with a sketch or two. In reality, this is
doesn’t work.
circles for hands and feet. Any action often the longest phase in design
can be captured this way. Use simple thinking. You test out many versions,
shapes, such as cubes and circles, to learn from customers, refine proto-
represent objects and show how people types based on those learnings, and
might interact with or use your new then test again. It’s an iterative process.
product. Show people in action to
represent how your idea for a new
service might unfold.

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 Try It Yourself
Sketch an idea two ways

Sketching will evolve your idea and help you explore two key questions:
Build rough representations
of your idea 1. What would it take to make this? 2. Why would someone want this?

Your idea will (and should) start to change as you make it tangible.

S K E TCH 1
Easiest to Make
Sketch the version of your idea that would be the
easiest to make. Think about which would require
the least effort, time, and/or money to build.
S K E TCH 2
Most Delightful
Sketch the version of your idea that would be most delight-
ful. What would make your idea appeal to people’s emotions?
Maybe it’s clever, humorous, or fun to use. Remember to
show how people will interact with your idea.

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S HAR E TH E 4 Tips for Story Impact
STO RY Storytelling is often neglected in the business setting. But stories inspire
momentum in others.
Craft a human story that inspires TI P 1
Make It Personal (or, bring a person into
others toward action
your story)
Personal stories resonate with us
and move us as human beings. And
there’s just something sticky about
character-driven narrative.
TI P 3
Use Anecdote and Reflection
“This happened…," “...and this
happened,” “then that happened…”
That’s anecdote. This simple
sequencing of events creates
suspense and carries people through
your story. Reflection reminds
people why your story matters. “I'm
telling you this story because…”
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TI P 2
Get Emotional
A lot of people will tell you otherwise,
but vulnerability is okay. Bring your full
self into your story.
TI P 4
Include a Call to Action
What do you want people to do after
hearing your story? Don’t leave this
open to interpretation. Spell it out.
For Continued Practice...
As an Individual
Next time you have a good idea for an
impact story, share it with a colleague.
Don’t worry about making it perfect. Be
brave! It might feel uncomfortable.
That’s to be expected. But it will help
you get ideas out of your head and into
the world.
With Your Team
Host a storytelling session with your
team. Ask everyone to share an idea for
just a couple minutes using the 4 Tips
for Story Impact. After, have a critical
discussion on what moments of each
story moved you and why.
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S HAR E TH E Try It Yourself
STO RY STE P 1 STE P 2

Briefly describe your idea and why it matters to people. Choose a tip to use when drafting your story.

Craft a human story that inspires MAKE IT PERSONAL USE ANECDOTE AND REFLECTION

others toward action

GET EMOTIONAL INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION

STE P 3 STE P 4

Write a rough draft. Use the tip to write a brief story of three
to five sentences that brings your idea to life. You can also
capture your main thoughts in bullet points.
Tell your story. Now imagine sharing your script or
story outline with a friend or colleague. It should feel
like an elevator pitch (i.e., concise and compelling).
Use your notes as reference, but speak from the heart.
That’s what differentiates a good story from a truly
memorable story.

e.g., Your alarm goes off. You fumble out of bed and then sleepwalk to the kitchen. There’s no way you’re making it to the gym before work. You slowly brew some
coffee and then pour it into your mug. Presto! You see...

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