I Like, I Wish, What If

The “I Like, I Wish, What If” is a tool that provides you with a structure to collect feedback from your users. This tool invites your users to provide open feedback by coming up with three kinds of statements. In “I Like…” statements, the user is encouraged to convey the aspects that he or she liked about the prototype. This provides with positive feedback about the prototype. In “I Wish…” statements, users are prompted to share ideas of how the prototype can be changed or improved so as to address some concerns or issues. This is an avenue to collect negative feedback and constructive criticism.  Lastly, in “What If…” statements, the user can express new suggestions that might not have a direct link to the prototype. This opens up possibilities for new ideas to be explored in future iterations of prototypes.

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Format TemplateTimeframe 15-30 minutesGroup Size 1-100Facilitation Level BeginnerRequired Materials Whiteboard / paper

Steps

  • Prepare for the exercise. Depending on the size of the group you are working with, you can either print out the forms for each participant to fill out or draw the three categories on a whiteboard, on which the participants will stick their comments
  • Collect likes, wishes and what ifs. Each participant should have up to 10 minutes to note down their comments in the corresponding field. Note: Instead of “What if” you can use “I wonder”, “How to”, “How might I”
  • Analyse feedback. Transfer the input to an excel spreadsheet or a mind map. For there you can look for patterns and plan your next steps.

Benefits

  • Easy to facilitate.
  • Easy to understand with little to no prior explanation.
  • It frames the feedback that someone is about to provide in a constructive and positive manner, enabling an open discussion or absorption of his or her feedback.

Tips

You can change “What If” to “I Wonder” or “How Might I” if preferred. It’s fun to change up the headers of this activity to fit the project as needed. Remember, the purpose of this activity is to gain positive, constructive criticism. Positivity breeds openness and emotional safety, which lead to a deeper exploration of ideas. Negativity stifles innovation and fosters an environment of isolation. Which atmosphere would you prefer to work in?

Download Tool Supporting Files Not available