Creativity is a skill that can be developed.

We’ll practice one type of creative process for generating ideas for designs:

  1. Users and their Needs
  2. Insights
  3. Points of View (POVs)
  4. How Might We…? (HMWs)
  5. Solution Ideas
  6. Storyboards

Challenge

Problem statement: Waiting at a busy airport is stressful for parents with young children.

Point of View (POV): (the user) Harried mother of three, rushing through the airport only to wait hours at the gate, (the problem or opportunity) needs a way to entertain her playful children, because “annoying little brats” only irritate already frustrated fellow passengers.

How Might We (HMW) questions

  • Amp up the good: HMW use the kids’ energy to entertain fellow passengers?
  • Remove the bad: HMW separate the kids from fellow passengers?
  • Explore the opposite: HMW make the wait the most exciting part of the trip?
  • Question an assumption: HMW entirely remove the wait time at the airport?
  • Go after adjectives: HMW make the rush refreshing instead of harrying?
  • ID unexpected resources: HMW leverage free time of fellow passengers to share the load?
  • Create an analogy from need or context: HMW make the airport like a spa? Like a playground?
  • Play POV against the challenge: HMW make the airport a place that kids want to go?
  • Change the status quo: HMW make playful, loud kids less annoying?
  • Break POV into pieces: HMW entertain kids? HMW slow a mom down? HMW mollify delayed passengers?