How to conduct a Design Critique using the Six Thinking Hats method?
What is the Six Thinking Hats method? ⚪🟡🔴⚫🟢🔵
The Six Thinking Hats method is a technique developed by Edward de Bono to facilitate both group discussions and individual thinking. Each hat represents a different way of thinking. This helps us look at a problem from many different angles and come up with good ideas.
This method is based on the idea that our brains think in different ways, and we can purposely challenge and use these different ways of thinking in a structured manner. It helps us come up with clever ways to think about specific problems.
⚪ White Hat (focus on facts)
Focus on describing the design as it is, without any personal opinions or biases, used to focus on facts and information.
→ “The design uses a blue color scheme”
→ “The design has three buttons.”
🟡 Yellow Hat (the optimist)
Focus on identifying the benefits of the design and why it is a good solution, used to focus on the positive aspects of the design.
→ “The design is easy to use”
→ “The design is visually appealing.”
⚫ Black Hat (the devil’s advocate)
Focus on identifying the risks and challenges of the design, used to focus on the negative aspects of the design.
→ “The design is not accessible to people with disabilities”
→ “The contrast is not good for readability.”
🔴 Red Hat (the emotional hat)
Focus on how the design makes you feel, used to express emotions and feelings about the design.
→ “The design makes me feel happy”
→ “The design makes me feel confused.”
🟢 Green Hat (idea generator)
Focus on coming up with new ideas to improve the design, used to generate new ideas and solutions.
→ “I think the design would be better if it had a different color scheme”
→ “I think the design would be more user-friendly if it had a different layout.”
🔵 Blue Hat (manager)
Focus on summarizing the discussion and making decisions about the design, used to summarize the discussion and make decisions.
→ “Based on our discussion, I think we should make the following changes to the design”
→ “I think we should move on to the next phase of the design process.”
How to conduct the design critique? 🎨
The colored hats are used as metaphors for the various states of mind. Switching to a certain type of thinking is symbolized by wearing a colored hat, literally or metaphorically. These six hat metaphors provide a more complete and comprehensive segregation of the types of thinking, bypassing the prejudices inherent in a person’s immediate thoughts. All of these thinking hats help people to think more deeply about a certain topic.
Time ⏱️
The session should be time-boxed to 60–70 min.
What will you need? 🖊️
- Post-its
- Pencils,
- Paper hats (or tags)
- A printed version of the interfaces that need feedback
- Or this template if you want to do it remotely & collaborate on it with your team 😎
Before:
- Create and distribute the scope and agenda for the critique. Share the work that will be critiqued — gives the participants time to really think about the work before offering feedback (potentially! 😅)
- Choose & invite the people who will participate in the critique. Ideally, this group will be crossdisciplinary 👨👩👧👦
During:
- Explain the Six Hats method 🎤— 5 min
Introduce the concept of the Six Hats method to the participants.
2. Introduce the designs 🎨 — 10 min
The facilitator/presenter of the critique should introduce the design to the group and provide the context, the target audience, the design goals, the design process, etc.
3. Assign the hats & give the team time to look at the designs 🎩 — 15 min
Ask participants to mentally or physically wear their assigned hat and provide feedback based on the thinking style associated with that hat
They can provide as much feedback as they want but are limited to one piece of feedback per post-it. Then post their notes around the designs, or you can use this template to work on it collaboratively and remotely.
4. Rotate the hats ↪️ — 30 min
Conduct the critique round by round, allowing each participant to share their feedback while wearing their assigned hat. Encourage everyone to contribute without interruptions, allowing each perspective to be heard.
5. Wrap up the conversation 🌯 — 5 min
At the end of the session, you will have tons of feedback from different perspectives and will be able to prioritize issues and define (or confirm) the right path for your design vision on the project.
After:
- Follow-up 📧
Email the participants or post a summary in a collaborative place so you can maintain momentum after the critique. Make designs readily available if necessary.
2. Organize action items in the documentation from the meeting 🏃🏻
Prioritize the areas for improvement identified during the critique & determine which areas need to be addressed first and create an action plan for addressing them.
3. Schedule follow-up discussions with individual participants to discuss any outstanding feedback 📆
Final Notes
🎤 Show your work quickly & efficiently
We tend to overexplain to protect our choices because we really care about our designs. After presenting, the team can always circle back if needed
🙌🏻 Yes and…
When giving feedback build on the ideas of others. Stay constructive & critique the idea, not the person
⏱ Mind the time
Keep an eye on the time, so that everyone has enough time to show their ideas
👂🏻 Listen before asking
Listen carefully & leave your questions for the very end
👩 Don’t take it personally
Presenting work can make the presenter feel vulnerable, remember not to take it personally; focus on improving your product
💬 Please feel free to comment & share your experiences 👍
