Activity: Framing Your Design Challenge
From “I’m Overwhelmed” to “How Might I…”

Objective: To narrow down a broad life change into a focused, actionable design challenge that you will work on throughout this course.

Step 1: The Brain Dump (Unpacking the Fog)

Don’t worry about being “neat” here. Write down everything that feels messy, challenging, or uncertain about the change you are currently facing.

• What is keeping you up at night?

• What part of your experience feels “heavy”?

• If you had a magic wand, what one specific thing would look different tomorrow?

Example: “I’m exhausted. Work is taking over everything. I don’t have time for the gym or my family. I feel like I’m failing at everything.”

Step 2: The “Goldilocks” Test (Scoping)

Look at what you wrote above. We need to find a challenge that is “Just Right.”

Too Broad (The Ocean): “I want to be happy and successful.”

• Problem: No starting point.

Too Narrow (The Puddle): “I need to buy a blue yoga mat.”

• Problem: The solution is already decided.

Just Right (The River): “I want to create a sustainable morning routine that gives me energy.”

• Result: Actionable and open to many ideas.

Draft your challenge here (Go for more than 1! Try things out rather than trying to get it perfect):
I want to… __________________________________________

Step 3: The Reframing Tool (The HMI Formula)

Now, let’s turn that challenge into a How Might I (HMI) statement. This helps shift your brain from problem-mode to possibility-mode.

The Formula:
How Might I [Action/Verb] so that [Desired Change/Feeling] despite [The Constraint/Context]?

• Example: “How might I redesign my work boundaries so that I feel present with my kids despite having a demanding job with unpredictable hours?”

Your Turn:
How Might I __________________________________________ so that __________________________________________ despite __________________________________________.

Step 4: The Gut Check

Read your HMW statement aloud.

1. Does it truly represent you (the human) and your needs?

2. Does it allow for multiple solutions (not just one)?

3. Does it feel exciting to solve (even if a little scary)?
   
   

Step 5: Share & Pivot

WhatsApp Community Task: Post your draft HMW Statement in our WhatsApp group.

• Give Feedback: Look at one other person's post. If it’s too broad, ask: “What’s one small part of that we could start with?”

• Receive Feedback: Be open to your peers helping you “trim” or “expand” your challenge.

EXAMPLES (Can be displayed as side panels)

Example Persona 1: The “Career Pivot” (Professional Change)

The Context: Sarah has been a corporate accountant for 15 years. She is burnt out and wants to move into the non-profit sector to find “meaning,” but she’s terrified of the salary drop and losing her professional status.

• The Problem: I hate my job, but I’m scared to leave because of the money.

• The HMI Statement: “How might I experiment with social impact projects so that I feel a sense of purpose despite my fear of financial instability?”

  
  

Persona 2: The “Overwhelmed Juggler” (Personal Change)

The Context: David is a new father and a middle manager. He feels like he is failing at everything. He hasn’t exercised in six months, his work performance is dipping, and he feels disconnected from his partner.

• The Problem: I have zero time for myself and I’m exhausted.

• The HMWI Statement: “How might I design a ‘micro-recovery’ routine so that I feel energized and present for my family despite having a demanding job and a toddler at home?”

Persona 3: The “Life Stage Voyager” (Identity Change)

The Context: Elena’s youngest child just left for university. For 25 years, her primary identity was “Mom.” Now the house is quiet, and she feels a vacuum of identity and doesn’t know what her next chapter looks like.

• The Problem: My kids are gone and I don’t know who I am anymore.

• The HMI Statement: “How might I explore new creative communities so that I can redefine my identity beyond motherhood despite the discomfort of being a ‘beginner’ again at age 50?”