# How Might We (HMW) Participants reframe observed challenges and pain points into generative questions starting with 'How might we'. The group clusters the notes on a shared surface to choose priority directions for design. **Time:** 30 minutes. Participatory Methods suggests 20 to 30 minutes; structured here at 30 minutes to allow full whole-room clustering and debrief. **People:** 4 to 24. Individual note writing followed by shared whole-group board clustering ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Convert identified problems into open-ended questions that frame areas for idea generation. **Use it when:** Use during discovery, research synthesis, or the understand phase of a project when the group has raw problems and needs actionable starting points. **Skip it when:** Skip when the team has already defined their core problem statements, or when the team needs immediate crisis decisions rather than generative exploration. ## Materials and tools - Pad of bright sticky notes per participant - Thick felt-tip markers (one per participant) - Wall space, whiteboard, or foam core boards for posting notes - Low-tack masking tape if working on non-stick surfaces - Countdown timer - Personal laptops or tablets (for hybrid in-room participants) - Digital whiteboard platform (e.g., Miro, Mural, Padlet) for remote or hybrid delivery ## Before participants arrive 1. Clear a central wall, whiteboard, or table surface large enough for dozens of sticky notes. 2. Distribute sticky pads and markers to every seat. 3. Write the phrase 'How might we...' and this neutral example visibly on the main board: 'Problem: Meeting minutes take too long to read. HMW: How might we make project updates fast to digest?' 4. If running online or hybrid, prepare the digital board with pre-made sticky notes and verify project display. ## Say this to open We are going to turn our observations and pain points into open questions. When you hear a frustration or problem, start your note with the letters HMW, for 'How might we'. 'How' assumes an answer is possible. 'Might' gives us permission to explore wild ideas. 'We' reminds us that we solve this together. For example, instead of saying 'Nobody reads our status reports,' write 'HMW make project updates fast to digest?' Write one question per note using your marker, and focus on opportunities rather than pre-baked solutions. ## How to run it ### 1. Introduce the format (4 minutes) Read the opening script, explain the HMW breakdown ('How', 'Might', 'We'), and reference the neutral example on the board. Clarify the difference between a raw complaint, a locked-in solution, and an open opportunity question. Take up to two quick clarifying questions. ### 2. Write questions individually (7 minutes) Participants work silently and individually. As they review their notes, research, or observations from earlier talks, each person writes one question per sticky note, starting each with 'HMW'. Set a brisk pace to prioritize quantity over perfection. People who choose not to draft their own questions may serve as scribes for peers. ### 3. Post and sort into themes (9 minutes) Invite all participants to bring their notes to the shared wall or board. Working simultaneously as a whole room, participants group related notes into topical clusters. Anyone can reposition any note next to a related concept without debate. If an isolated note does not fit an existing cluster, leave it as a standalone seed. ### 4. Review clusters and debrief (10 minutes) Read the emerging cluster themes aloud. Invite two or three volunteers to name what patterns or surprises emerged. Ask the team to identify one to three priority clusters to carry into the next phase. For groups over 12, run debrief by having two participants answer the first debrief question and two answer the second debrief question. ## Debrief questions - Which questions opened up a problem that previously felt stuck? - Did any questions accidentally sneak in a single fixed solution instead of opening an exploration? **Finished output:** A board of clustered 'How might we' questions categorized by theme, with one to three focal clusters selected for downstream work. ## Remote Set up a digital board (such as Miro, Mural, or Padlet) with blank digital sticky notes pre-populated for each participant and the neutral example visible at the top. Run silent writing for seven minutes where participants add digital sticky notes. Bring everyone together to drag notes into affinity clusters while the facilitator coordinates and names the emerging groups on voice. ## Hybrid All participants, whether in-room or online, contribute to a single shared digital whiteboard projected at the front of the physical room. In-room participants type on personal laptops or dictate to an in-room designated scribe so all notes appear simultaneously in one shared space for clustering. Remote participants share thoughts on voice while grouping notes alongside in-person colleagues. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may dictate their questions to a peer scribe or use speech-to-text tools instead of handwriting on physical pads. - Participants who prefer not to draft original questions may choose an active support role such as grouping notes on the board or transcribing spoken contributions for others. ## If the session gets stuck **Participants write premature solutions disguised as questions (e.g., 'HMW build an app for this').** Prompt them to find the underlying need: ask what problem the app would solve, and rewrite the question around that intended outcome. **One cluster grows so large that it swallows most notes, obscuring distinct angles.** Split the cluster into sub-themes by asking the group to identify two distinct sub-problems inside the large pile. ## Terms used here - HMW: Short for 'How might we', a prompt formula used to turn a problem into an exploratory question. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in the Participatory Methodologies Library (participatorymethods.com), which describes HMW as a collaborative activity and core methodology used in Design Sprints. Retained the HMW acronym breakdown ('How', 'Might', 'We'), materials, and clustering flow from Participatory Methods. Added an explicit neutral example in setup and opening script. Rebalanced step timing across a 30-minute schedule so cluster synthesis and debrief have adequate time for up to 24 participants. Added digital whiteboard platform explicitly to the materials list to support remote and hybrid setups. [Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/how) [Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/how-might-we-hmw/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/how-might-we-hmw/