Howwhich

Howwhich is a term used in information design and problem-solving contexts to describe a category of questions and prompts that combine a description of a process with a choice among alternatives. The word is a portmanteau of how and which, signaling the dual focus on procedure and option selection. The concept is used mainly in educational technology, user experience design, and prompt engineering to structure tasks that require both method and decision.

In practice, howwhich prompts typically present or request a method or procedure to achieve a goal and a selection among options, paths, or configurations. Example: “How should I configure the software to operate in safe mode, and which security profile should I apply?” In educational settings, a howwhich exercise asks students to explain a process and justify their choice of approach. In AI prompts, a howwhich style can ground a response by requiring steps and a justification for the chosen option. Critics note that howwhich can increase cognitive load and blur boundaries between instruction and decision, so clarity in definitions is important. See also how-to, which-question, decision theory, prompt engineering.