Week 3 · Adaptive Planning Program

15. Ideation and "How Might We"

30 min

By the end you'll be able to

Reframe problems as "How Might We" opportunity statements
Apply divergent thinking techniques to generate multiple solutions
Use convergent thinking to prioritize promising ideas

Transitioning from problem identification to solution generation requires a shift in mindset. This lesson utilizes the “How Might We” (HMW) question format to frame challenges constructively and spark creativity.

We practice divergent thinking techniques to generate a high volume of potential solutions before using convergent thinking to prioritize the most promising ideas for development.

Practice quiz

Question 1
Which question best follows the ‘How Might We’ format taught in this lesson?
- Why don’t patients show up to their appointments?
- What is wrong with our scheduling system?
- How might we make appointment reminders feel supportive rather than nagging?
- Should we send text reminders or email reminders?
Question 2
What is the relationship between divergent and convergent thinking in the ideation step?
- Divergent thinking generates a high volume of ideas, then convergent thinking prioritizes the most promising ones.
- Convergent thinking is used first to narrow the problem, then divergent thinking expands solutions.
- They are synonyms for the same brainstorming activity.
- Divergent thinking is used by leadership, convergent thinking by staff.
Reflection 3
Why does reframing a problem as a ‘How Might We’ question tend to spark more creativity than stating the problem directly?

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