Six Thinking Hats Template
Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats (1985) asks everyone to look at a problem from one angle at a time instead of arguing from fixed positions. Each hat becomes a branch, so you can see at a glance which angle the discussion skipped.
How to fill it in
- Write the decision or problem in the centre.
- White hat: facts and missing information.
- Red hat: gut feelings, no justification needed.
- Black hat: risks. Yellow hat: benefits.
- Green hat: new ideas. Blue hat: what we decide and do next.
Example: Should our club switch to online meetings?
Show as text outline
Move club meetings online? - White: facts - 40% miss in-person meetings - Free video tools exist - Red: feelings - Members miss socialising - Black: risks - Less engagement - Tech problems - Yellow: benefits - Members abroad can join - No room booking - Green: new ideas - Hybrid: monthly in person - Blue: next steps - Trial for two months - Survey afterwards
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Questions people ask
How do I use this six thinking hats template?
Click “Use blank template” to open it in the free editor, select any idea and start typing to replace it. Tab adds a new branch, Enter adds a sibling. Your map saves in your browser automatically.
Can I download it as a PDF or image?
Yes. In the editor, open Export and choose PDF (A4), PNG or SVG. Markdown gives you the outline as text.
Can I print a blank copy?
Click “Use blank template”, then Export → PDF straight away. You get an empty A4 worksheet to fill in by hand.