HOW AND WHEN TO USE THE HATS

Systematic Use

Suggestions for Short Sequences

Blue: Set the focus and define the subject.

First Ideas

White: Lay out what we know about the situati Green: Generate ideas.

Quick Assessment

Yellow: Search for benefits and values. Blue: Summarize the good points.

Evaluation

Yellow: Search for benefits and values.

Black: Identify the difficulties and dangers.

Explanation

White: Lay out what is known about the situatio Green: Generate possible explanations.

Final Assessment

Black: Is it feasible? What are the difficulties?

What are the dangers?

Red: Now, how do we feel about it?

Design

Blue: What is the design task? Green: What are the possible designs?

Red: How do we feel about each possible desig

Action Possibilities

Green: Generate the possibilities. Blue: Summarize the possibilities.

White: Match the possibilities to the informatio

Usable Alternatives

Green: Generate alternatives.

Yellow: Find the benefits of the alternatives. Black: Find the defects and problems.

Improvement

Black: What are the weaknesses?

Green: How can we overcome the weaknesses? Also...

Blue: Focus on a point which is not a weakness Green: Find alternative ways of doing this. Direct Attention Red: What do we feel ought to be done? Black: What are the difficulties and dangers?

Choice

Green: (if the alternatives are not presented)

What are the alternatives?

Yellow: What are the good points about each

alternative?
Black: What could go wrong with each

alternative?
Red: Now, how do we feel about it?

Emotions

Red: How do we feel about it?

White: What is the actual situation?

Green: Is there another way to look at it?

Blue: What is the conclusion?

Caution

Blue: What exactly are we considering? White: What do we know about the situation? Black: Where do we need to be cautious?

Opportunity

White: What is known about the situation? Green: What are the possibilities? Yellow: What are the benefits of the idea?

Decision

Green: What are the alternatives?

Blue: How does each alternative fit our needs? Red: Which alternative do we like best?

Systematic Use
Problem Solving

Suggestions for Long Sequences

Blue: Define the problem. White: Look at available information. Green: Generate possible solutions. Yellow: Check the feasibility of each solution. Black: Assess the weakness of each solution.

White: Match between solutions and informatio

Are the solutions feasible based on the information we have?

Blue: Choice of final solution and next step.

Exploration

Blue: Define the area to be explored.

White: Look at available information.

Green: Generate hypotheses.

White: Explore more fully through the hypothese Blue: Summarize.

Creative Effort

Blue: Clarify the creative need. White: Look at information on the subject. Green: Generate ideas. Yellow: Find the benefits of the ideas. Black: Identify the faults in the ideas. Green: Remove faults. Red: Decide how we feel about the idea. Blue: Summarize the exploration.

Communication

Blue: What is really required? White: What is to be communicated?

Green: What are some alternative approaches?

Red: What approach do we like best?

Black: Are there reasons we should not make th

choice?
Blue: Summarize and plan next steps.

Decision

Blue: Define what we need to decide. Green: Generate and review alternatives.

White: Assess what is known about the situation Yellow: Assess fit of the alternatives. Black: Assess lack of fit of the alternatives. Red: Make a decision. Black: Assess the decision. Blue: Summarize and plan next steps.