six-hats-method

Six Thinking Hats Method

**Origin**: Edward de Bono, *Six Thinking Hats* (1985). Parallel thinking paradigm that separates ego from exploration.

Core Concept

Instead of arguing different positions, everyone (or the AI) wears the same "hat" at the same time, exploring one perspective fully before moving to the next. This prevents:

• **Ego defense** — ideas aren't "yours" or "mine"
• **Argument** — you're not debating, you're exploring perspectives
• **Incomplete analysis** — each hat forces a perspective that might be skipped

The Six Hats

White Hat — Facts & Data

• What do we know for certain?
• What data exists? What's missing?
• No interpretation or opinion — just facts
• **AI application**: State what's objectively true about the idea, what evidence supports it, what data would be needed

Red Hat — Feelings & Intuition

• What's the gut reaction?
• Emotions, hunches, instincts — no justification needed
• **AI application**: This is the ONE hat where user input is critical. AI should ask: "What's your gut feeling?" If user defers, AI infers from engagement patterns.

Black Hat — Risks & Caution

• What could go wrong?
• Where are the dangers, weaknesses, pitfalls?
• Devil's advocate perspective
• **AI application**: Be genuinely critical — not token concerns. Identify real risks: market, technical, adoption, unintended consequences.

Yellow Hat — Benefits & Optimism

• What's the best case scenario?
• Why could this work? What's the upside?
• Look for value even in seemingly weak ideas
• **AI application**: Find genuine strengths. For weak ideas, ask: "What kernel of value exists here?"

Green Hat — Creative Extensions

• How could this be improved, combined, extended?
• New alternatives, modifications, provocations
• This is the divergent hat within convergence
• **AI application**: Suggest creative modifications, combinations with other ideas, unexpected extensions

Blue Hat — Process & Planning

• What would implementation look like?
• What steps are needed? What's the timeline?
• Meta-thinking about the idea
• **AI application**: Sketch the implementation path, key decisions, resources needed

Sequencing for Ideation Flow

Rapid Evaluation Sequence (Flame default)

White → Yellow → Black → Green → Blue

Red Hat is handled separately (requires user input).

**Rationale**:

• Start with facts (ground the discussion)
• Benefits before risks (prevents premature dismissal)
• Creative extensions after critique (rescue and improve)
• Process last (only relevant for shortlisted ideas)

Full Sequence (for top shortlisted ideas)

Blue → White → Red → Yellow → Black → Green → Blue

Starting and ending with Blue provides process framing.

AI Execution Notes

1. **Keep each hat brief** — 1-2 sentences per hat for rapid analysis, 1 paragraph for deep analysis 2. **Wear one hat at a time** — don't mix perspectives within a hat section 3. **Yellow before Black** — always find value before finding faults 4. **Green is where extension happens** — this is where "this idea could be better if..." lives 5. **Red Hat requires genuine pause** — don't rush past feelings to get to logic