How the Six Hats Method Transformed Our Feedback Culture
Have you ever left a feedback session feeling more deflated than inspired? You're certainly not alone.
In many teams, feedback can quickly become personal, chaotic, or unstructured—leading to frustration rather than growth. I've experienced this first-hand. Early in my career at Wikimove, feedback meetings often descended into confusion, resulting in lowered morale and stalled productivity. Recognising this, I sought a solution that would transform our feedback sessions into positive, constructive conversations. That's when I introduced the Six Hats method, one of the tools associated with design thinking, designed to structure feedback and facilitate better idea evaluation.
Understanding the Six Hats Method
Developed by Edward de Bono, the Six Hats method structures feedback by assigning different thinking roles, represented by coloured hats. Each hat symbolises a specific perspective:
- The White Hat represents facts and objective data.
- The Yellow Hat highlights optimism and benefits.
- The Black Hat identifies risks and potential pitfalls.
- The Red Hat allows emotional responses and gut feelings to surface.
- The Green Hat encourages creativity and alternative solutions.
- The Blue Hat focuses on managing the feedback process itself.
By guiding everyone to adopt the same perspective simultaneously, feedback becomes organised, inclusive, and actionable.
Transforming Chaotic Meetings into Constructive Design Thinking Workshops
Initially, our feedback sessions at Wikimove lacked preparation and structure. Imagine a typical scenario: a hot summer day, a Zoom call filled with exhausted faces, and an overwhelming array of wireframes appearing on screen. Without preparation, team members struggled to provide meaningful feedback, resulting in frustration and limited progress.
To tackle this, I recalled the Six Hats method introduced by my mentor during my UX training at CareerFoundry. Implementing this structured approach fundamentally changed our design thinking workshops. Before each session, participants reviewed designs in advance, coming prepared with structured observations. During the workshop, we collectively moved through each "hat," aligning our perspectives and enabling deeper discussions.
Using design thinking tools like FigJam to visually structure our thoughts further enhanced our collaboration, turning feedback sessions into enjoyable, interactive workshops.
The Positive Impact on Our Team and Products
The Six Hats method immediately brought several positive outcomes. Feedback became balanced, addressing positives, negatives, emotional reactions, and creative suggestions methodically. It fostered psychological safety, allowing everyone to speak openly without fear of criticism. This atmosphere strengthened team trust and significantly improved cross-functional understanding.
Moreover, structured feedback resulted in clearer, actionable insights, accelerating our product development cycles. By systematically addressing concerns and exploring creative alternatives, we achieved faster consensus and smoother iterations.
Why the Six Hats Method Belongs in Your Design Thinking Toolkit
The Six Hats approach isn't just a feedback method—it's a powerful addition to your design thinking toolkit that transforms team interactions. Whether you're refining products, exploring new ideas, or resolving team dynamics, the Six Hats framework offers clarity and structure.
By approaching feedback from multiple, clearly defined angles, teams can uncover deeper insights, foster genuine innovation, and build stronger relationships. The structured yet flexible nature of this method makes it ideal for diverse teams facing complex challenges.
Ready to Transform Your Feedback Sessions?
Introducing the Six Hats method turned our feedback culture from something we dreaded into a process we genuinely enjoyed and valued. If you're looking to foster innovation, improve team dynamics, and drive faster product growth, it's time to try this approach for yourself.
Start your journey today with our ready-to-use FigJam Six Hats template, designed to help your team experience the benefits immediately.
Together, let's turn feedback into your team's most valuable asset.
