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6 Thinking Hats

Exploring multiple perspectives to broaden our thinking

Project Stage:
Develop

Who:
Customer
Experts
Decision makers
Service Providers

Design Principles:
03. We will design services together  06. We will challenge assumptions & design with evidence  07. We will design from the top down & the bottom up 



The 6 Thinking Hats method, developed by Edward de Bono, is a group discussion tool used to explore multiple perspectives on a problem or idea. Each “hat” represents a different way of thinking – ranging from emotional, creative, to logical – and helps the group consider an issue as a whole.

Use it to

  • Explore problems and ideas from various perspectives.
  • Encourage balanced decision-making by considering emotional, factual, and creative viewpoints.
  • Facilitate inclusive discussions, ensuring all voices and thinking styles are heard.

Top Tips

  • Encourage participants to focus only on the hat they are “wearing” at the moment to avoid confusion.
  • Rotate the hats systematically to ensure all perspectives are considered.
  • Ensure no one dominates the conversation by wearing only one hat.


How – to

  • Introduce the issue or topic for discussion and set a time limit.
  • Assign a “hat” to each participant. You can stick to one hat per participant, or cycle through the hats after a certain time. Each coloured “hat” is described below:
    • White: Interested in information which is known and needed – Facts
    • Red: Emotions and feelings, likes, dislikes, love and hate.
    • Black: Judgement and risks why won’t this work.
    • Yellow: Optimistic and confident, sees the positives.
    • Green: Creativity and possibilities, what are the alternatives.
    • Blue: The Facilitator makes sure everyone stays in their role.
  • Rotate through the different hats, asking participants to contribute from the mindset of the specific hat that they are wearing.
  • Support the Blue hat, to keep everyone on track and in their roles.

Resources

6 Thinking Hats

The 6 Thinking Hats Worksheet

Related Methods

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Personas

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Problem Statements

Walkthroughs

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