What is a How Might We template?

A How Might We template turns a problem you have found into an open, hopeful question you can ideate against. It sits between research and solutions, reframing what is wrong as an opportunity worth solving.

How do you write a How Might We statement?

Use the fill-in structure: 'How might we help [who] with [what need or problem] to feel [what outcome]?' Then add three measurable success criteria so the team knows what 'solved' looks like.

What should you use before and after a How Might We?

Before, use a customer journey map or a 5 Whys to find the pain point to reframe. After, ideate solutions and test the strongest with a concept test.

How Might We Template (With an Example)

A How Might We template turns a problem you’ve found into an opportunity you can ideate against. It sits between research and solutions: once you know what’s wrong, a good “How Might We” (HMW) reframes it as an open, hopeful question — broad enough to invite ideas, narrow enough to stay useful.

Why it works: “the checkout is broken” shuts thinking down. “How might we help first-time buyers feel confident at checkout?” opens it up. The phrasing decides whether your team generates one obvious fix or a range of options.

The fill-in structure

How might we help [who] with [what need or problem] to feel [what outcome]?

We’ll know we’ve succeeded when [KPI 1], [KPI 2], and [KPI 3].

Each blank does a job:

Who — the specific user, not “users.”
What — the pain point or need, drawn from research (a journey map or 5 Whys is a great source).
Feel — the emotional outcome, which keeps the framing human.
Success criteria — three measurable signals, so the team knows what “solved” looks like.

How to use it

Start from a real pain point, not a guess. Pull it straight from research.
Keep it in the Goldilocks zone. Too broad (“how might we improve the app”) gives nothing to grab; too narrow (“how might we make the button blue”) is already a solution.
Write several. Reframe the same problem a few ways, then pick the one that opens the most promising space.
Define success up front. The three KPIs stop the team from declaring victory on vibes.

An example

Reframing a pain point from our journey map example — Maya never knows when a client has paid:

How might we help freelancers like Maya with the uncertainty of not knowing when money has arrived to feel in control of their cash flow?

We’ll know we’ve succeeded when: time-to-confirm-a-payment drops, call-center contacts for “did I get paid?” fall, and self-reported financial confidence rises.

From there, ideation is easy: a deposit notification, a clear balance widget, a “recent activity” digest. The HMW opened the door; the success criteria will tell you which idea actually worked.

What to use before and after

Before: a customer journey map or a 5 Whys gives you the pain point to reframe.
After: ideate solutions, then test the strongest with a concept test.

For how this reframing becomes part of a portfolio story, see the UX case study guide.

A sharp How Might We shows you framed the right problem — exactly what a strong case study proves. Folioverse helps you turn that thinking into a case study recruiters trust. Try it free.