In a nutshell

Write a stronger design question—one that’s clear, open, inspiring, and actually points toward impact.

A good design question doesn’t rush to an answer. It invites creativity, encourages empathy, and leaves room for the unexpected.

Set up

You’ll need a real situation or challenge someone is trying to work on, and a group willing to slow down before speeding up.

Activity flow

Step 1: What are you working on? (5 mins)

Start by writing a simple sentence describing the problem or situation. Don’t try to sound clever—just get it down.
Then take a first stab at a design question. Try:

• How might we…

• What would it take to…

• In what ways could we…

This is your starter question, not your final one. Let it be messy.

Step 2: What are you aiming for? (5 mins)

Now write the outcome you’re hoping for.
Not just “what needs fixing”—but what would be meaningfully different if this went well?
What kind of change would you love to see?

Step 3: What’s the context? (5–10 mins)

List out the factors that shape the problem. These might include:

• Constraints (time, tech, money, permission)

• People involved (who’s affected, who has power)

• Environment (physical, digital, social, cultural)

• Sensitive dynamics (trust, fear, shame, pride)

Knowing the landscape helps keep your question grounded in reality—but not stuck there.

Step 4: Make it better (10–15 mins)

Now revisit your design question and refine it using what you’ve learned. Ask:

• Is it clear?

• Is it open-ended (not a yes/no)?

• Does it point toward ultimate impact?

• Does it invite multiple ideas, not just one answer?

• Is the language energising and human?

Test it:
Can you come up with five completely different ideas in two minutes?
If yes, it’s probably framed well. If not, tweak it.

Results

You’ll finish with a design question that:

• Clarifies what really matters

• Opens the door to fresh thinking

• Helps teams and collaborators focus on the right things

• Can serve as a creative brief or starting point for ideation

Things to flag up

• Avoid questions that embed a solution (e.g. “How might we build an app to…”)

• Don’t settle too soon—good framing often comes from the second or third try

• Language matters. Shift from “fixing” to possibility, from “problems” to potential

• Design questions are living things—they can (and should) evolve over time

Riffs & variations

• Do it together: each person writes their own version of the question, then share and combine

• Try writing three wildly different versions of the same question: one playful, one bold, one poetic

• Revisit the question partway through a project or workshop to see if your understanding has shifted?

Source: Stanford d:school