"How Might We...?" Brainstorming Tool

This brainstorming tool in Miro was developed to support the facilitation of team brainstorming sessions to address challenges meeting Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program Expectations. The template functions as a virtual collaborative white board that guides teams through a brainstorming session using the “How might we…?” HMW framework, which reframes a challenge into a question. It is important that your HMW question is not too broad or too narrow, so the brainstorming activity generates focused solutions. This reframing encourages teams to think differently for possible solutions. 

Before using this template: 

• Identify the challenge you want to brainstorm solutions to with your team 
• Convert the challenge into a HMW question for brainstorming with your team

Format of the Miro Template for Brainstorming

In addition to instructions and examples, this template includes header-prompts in each section of the board for participants to consider all aspects of addressing the challenge. These prompts help teams to not only develop solutions but also to bring awareness to what should be avoided or kept in consideration while addressing the challenge. It is important to remember that participants should not be limited to generating ideas that address the prompts: they are only there to support creative brainstorming. Other brainstorming guidelines that should be established within the group are:

• Defer judgement or praise
• Go for quantity
• Encourage “out of the box” ideas
• Build off other’s ideas
• Stay focused on the overall topic

Once the brainstorm is complete, your program will have a variety of ideas and considerations that can be grouped into themes to help find innovative solutions.