This information primarily comes from the work of Edward de Bono.

The six hats represent different ways to look at information and provide perspective to a group process or project.  The types include:

The White Hat:  This hat is concerned directly with information and data (de Bono, 1993, p. 25).  Questions that person with this hat might want answered include:

What information do we have on this matter? What information do we need? What information would we like to have? and How are we going to get the missing information? (de Bono, 1993, p. 25). 

Mindtools.com (2009) describes this hat in the following way: “With this thinking hat, you focus on the data available. Look at the information you have, and see what you can learn from it. Look for gaps in your knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them. This is where you analyze past trends, and try to extrapolate from historical data” (¶ 8,9).

The Red Hat:  This hat is concerned with feelings and emotions, as considers emotions as an important component in the process.  This is the hat that may ask “Tell me what you feel” (de Bono, 1993, p.  26).

Mindtools.com (2009) describes this hat in the following way:  “Wearing the red hat, you look at the decision using intuition, gut reaction, and emotion. Also try to think how other people will react emotionally, and try to understand the intuitive responses of people who do not fully know your reasoning (¶ 10).

The Black Hat:  This hat is primarily involved with “caution” making sure the group follows the law and keeps the group from doing something illegal, wrong or dangerous.  This is the hat that would ask “What are the difficulties, what are the dangers, what could go wrong?” (de Bono, 1993, p. 27).

Midtools.com (2009) describes the hat this way: “When using black hat thinking, look at things pessimistically, cautiously and defensively. Try to see why ideas and approaches might not work. This is important because it highlights the weak points in a plan or course of action. It allows you to eliminate them, alter your approach, or prepare contingency plans to counter problems that arise. Black Hat thinking helps to make your plans tougher and more resilient. It can also help you to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course of action. Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of this technique, as many successful people get so used to thinking positively that often they cannot see problems in advance, leaving them under-prepared for difficulties” (¶ 11, 12).

The Yellow Hat: This hat represents the logical positive aspects of thinking. The yellow hat considers if something can be made to work.  This hat is optimistic but also realistic (de Bono, 1993, p. 28).

Mindtools.com (2009) describes the hat this way: “The yellow hat helps you to think positively. It is the optimistic viewpoint that helps you to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it, and spot the opportunities that arise from it. Yellow Hat thinking helps you to keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult” (¶ 13).

The Green Hat:  The green hat represents creativity, encouraging new ideas and further alternatives (de Bono, 1993, p. 28). 

Mindtools.com describes this hat this way: “The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is where you can develop creative solutions to a problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas. A whole range of creativity tools can help you here” (¶ 14)).

The Blue Hat:  The blue hat is the thinker who thinks about thinking.  The blue hat sets the agenda for thinking and plans and controls it (de Bono, 1993, p. 30).

Mindtools.com describes the hat this way: “The Blue Hat stands for process control. This is the hat worn by people chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they may direct activity into Green Hat thinking. When contingency plans are needed, they will ask for Black Hat thinking, and so on” (¶ 15).

In simple terms, each hat can be represented by a few words:

White hat – information.

Red hat – feeling.

Back hat – caution.

Yellow hat – benefits.

Green hat – creativity.

Blue hat – managing the thinking.

References

Mindtools.com. (2009). Six thinking hats: Looking at a decision from all points of view. Retrieved March 17, 2009 from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_07.htm.

De Bono, E. (1993).  Six thinking hats:  Application methods.  Des Moines, IA: The McQuaig Group, Inc.: http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php