Six Thinking Hats - Edward de Bono

 

During a lecture, we were introduced to the Six Thinking Hats, a parallel thinking process by Edward de Bono that is utilised to help people be more productive, focused and mindfully involved in a project. The purpose is to learn how to separate thinking into six clear functions and roles. This can be utilised in Landscape Architecture by mentally wearing and switching ‘hats’ to easily focus or redirect thoughts or conversation. These coloured symbolic ‘thinking hats’ come in six colours, including:

The White Hat

Calls for information known or needed.

The Yellow Hat

Symbolises brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit.

The Black Hat

This manages risks, difficulties and problems – spots difficulties where things might go wrong, why something may not work, inherently an action hat with the intent to point out issues of risk with intent to overcome them, but can be a problem if overused.

The Red Hat

Signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves and hates.

The Green Hat

Focuses on creativity – the possibilities, alternatives and new ideas. It is an opportunity to express new concepts and perceptions.

The Blue Hat

Used to manage the thinking process – it is the control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats guidelines are observed. 

This will be an extremely useful tool when designing a new site, as it will prevent me from getting too caught up in one approach, as well as encouraging me to critically evaluate my own ideas. My lecturer suggested an alternative style of this method, in which the colours represent varying demographics of the local area. For example, considering my designs from the view of older people – this would involve the consideration of frequent rest points and lighting to create a safer environment, as well as areas that encourage socialising as loneliness is a fast increasing issue amongst the older generations.  Another suggested demographic was children, which would mean consideration of play, including areas that encourage discovery and adventure, such as water or hidden spaces, as well as safety measures to prevent parental concern. This is very different to the consideration of older people, yet as it is the same site and spaces, encourages me to approach my design with a diverse mindset, creating a place that is inclusive for everyone. 

References

The de Bono Group. (n.d.) Six Thinking Hats. Available at: https://www.debonogroup.com/services/core-programs/six-thinking-hats/ (Accessed: 9 March 2021)