The 6 Thinking Hats method, developed by Edward de Bono, is a powerful group discussion and decision-making technique that encourages parallel thinking. Rather than debating or arguing from different perspectives at the same time, the 6 Thinking Hats system lets a team explore a problem from six distinct viewpoints — one at a time — to arrive at well-rounded, creative, and thoughtful solutions.
MockFlow’s 6 Thinking Hats IdeaBoard template brings this method to life with clearly organized sections for each thinking hat, making it easy to use for structured discussions, strategic planning, and team retrospectives.
What are the 6 Thinking Hats?
Each hat represents a unique thinking style. By mentally "wearing" one hat at a time, teams focus their thinking and prevent conflicts during brainstorming.
🟦 Blue Hat – Process Control: Focuses on managing the thinking process, setting the agenda, and defining the next steps.
🟨 Yellow Hat – Optimism & Benefits: Looks for the positives: opportunities, value, and benefits of an idea or solution.
⚪ White Hat – Facts & Information: Represents data-driven thinking. Focuses on available facts, figures, and objective information.
🔴 Red Hat – Emotions & Intuition: Allows team members to share gut feelings, emotional reactions, and instinctive responses without needing justification.
🟩 Green Hat – Creativity: Encourages free-flowing ideas, innovation, alternative perspectives, and lateral thinking.
⚫ Black Hat – Caution & Risks: Assesses risks, potential problems, and why something might not work.
Who Uses the 6 Thinking Hats Method?
This method is used across industries and roles, especially by teams needing a holistic approach to problem-solving:
- Product Teams – For evaluating product ideas from multiple dimensions.
- Marketing Professionals – To assess campaigns for emotional, logical, and creative impact.
- UX Designers – To balance creativity with caution and usability insights.
- Managers & Facilitators – To guide inclusive and constructive group discussions.
- Educators & Trainers – For classroom and workshop discussions to teach critical thinking.
How to Use the 6 Thinking Hats Template Effectively
To give you a head start, we’ve created a structured template with clearly labeled sections, so your team can dive into the 6 Thinking Hats process right away. Follow these steps to get the most out of the template:
Step 1: Set the Topic (Blue Hat)
Begin by writing the topic or challenge in the header section. Use the blue hat to guide the process — define the goal, decide the order of hats, and set ground rules for the session.
Step 2: Explore Facts (White Hat)
Gather all known information related to the topic. What data do we have? What do we still need to know? Stick to objective facts only in this phase.
Step 3: Express Feelings (Red Hat)
Let each participant share their emotional response to the topic. Encourage honesty — there's no need to justify gut reactions. This reveals underlying sentiments that could influence decision-making.
Step 4: Highlight Benefits (Yellow Hat)
Shift to positive thinking — what could go right? What opportunities does the idea present? Use this section to capture all possible advantages and optimistic outcomes.
Step 5: Identify Cautions (Black Hat)
Now think critically — what might go wrong? What are the risks, limitations, or downsides? The black hat section allows for constructive criticism without judgment.
Step 6: Generate Ideas (Green Hat)
This is the creative zone. Explore wild ideas, new approaches, and out-of-the-box thinking. No idea is too bold or too strange at this stage.
Step 7: Summarize & Decide (Blue Hat)
Return to the blue hat to wrap things up. Use the bottom section of the template to:
- Summarize key findings
- List final decisions
- Outline next steps
This ensures your session ends with clear takeaways and actions.
Start Using the 6 Thinking Hats Template in MockFlow – It’s Free!
MockFlow’s IdeaBoard makes it easy to apply the 6 Thinking Hats method in a visual, collaborative space. Whether you're brainstorming new ideas or evaluating decisions, this template helps your team think better, together.
👉 Sign up for MockFlow now and start using the 6 Thinking Hats template for free!
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