Problem Statement

Define the key problem state clearly and represent it in a simple sentence

• Develop a shared understanding of the problem with you teammates, partners and clients.
• Formulate the curated findings from the problem analysis
• Outline the direction and the framework for ideation
• Create a foundation to craft powerful How Might We questions.
• Develop a reference for the measurement of success

The Problem Statement framework is a foundational tool in the design thinking process used to clearly and concisely define the core issue that needs to be addressed. It serves as a guiding beacon for the entire project, ensuring that all team members and stakeholders share a common understanding of the problem at hand. By formulating the problem in a simple, coherent sentence, teams can focus their efforts on developing targeted and effective solutions. The framework emphasizes the importance of understanding the problem from the user’s perspective, incorporating key elements such as the actor (who is affected), the context (when and where the problem occurs), and the need (what the user requires). A well-crafted problem statement not only outlines the challenge but also sets the direction for ideation, hypothesis testing, and success measurement, ensuring that the design efforts are aligned with both user needs and business objectives.

• Clarity and Focus: Provides a clear and concise definition of the problem, ensuring that all team members are aligned and focused on addressing the same issue.
• Guides Ideation: Serves as a foundation for generating targeted and relevant ideas during the ideation phase, ensuring that solutions are directly addressing the defined problem.
• Prioritizes User Needs: Emphasizes understanding the problem from the user’s perspective, ensuring that solutions are user-centric and meet real needs.
• Facilitates Decision-Making: Helps in making informed decisions by providing a clear framework to evaluate ideas and solutions against the defined problem.
• Identifies Key Elements: Breaks down the problem into essential components such as the actor, context, and need, making it easier to analyze and address.
• Enhances Problem-Solving Efficiency: Streamlines the problem-solving process by providing a structured approach to defining and understanding the problem.
• Supports Hypothesis Testing: Creates a basis for formulating hypotheses that can be tested and validated, ensuring that design solutions are grounded in evidence.
• Encourages Iterative Refinement: Promotes continuous refinement of the problem statement through multiple rounds of discussion and feedback, leading to a more accurate and effective definition.

Problem statement definition FigJam Template courtesy of Juarez Filho

Scenario: A university is experiencing low enrollment numbers in its online course offerings and aims to understand and address the underlying issues to enhance student participation and satisfaction.

Application:

1. Objective: Before designing the app, the team wants to understand the daily routines, motivations, and challenges of potential users to ensure the app addresses their real needs.
2. Conducting Empathy Interviews:
• Preparation: The team develops an interview guide focusing on topics such as users’ fitness habits, motivations for staying active, challenges they face, and their experiences with existing fitness apps.
• Setting: Interviews are conducted in environments where participants feel comfortable, such as their homes or favorite workout spots, to encourage openness and honesty.
• Execution: During the interviews, facilitators ask open-ended questions like:
• “Can you describe your typical workout routine?”
• “What motivates you to stay active?”
• “What challenges do you face when trying to reach your fitness goals?”
• “How do you currently track your fitness progress, and what do you like or dislike about those methods?”
• Listening and Observation: The interviewers listen actively, noting both verbal responses and non-verbal cues such as gestures or facial expressions that indicate deeper emotions or frustrations.

1. Gathering Insights:
• Hidden Needs: Through conversations, the team discovers that many users feel overwhelmed by the abundance of fitness apps and struggle to find one that provides personalized guidance without being intrusive.
• Motivations: Participants express a strong desire for community support and accountability to stay motivated.
• Challenges: Users highlight difficulties in integrating fitness tracking with their daily schedules and a lack of seamless data synchronization between devices.

1. Informing Design:
• Problem Definition: The team refines the problem statement to focus on creating a personalized fitness tracking experience that integrates smoothly into users’ lives and fosters a supportive community.
• Ideation: Based on the insights, the team brainstorms features such as customizable workout plans, social sharing options, and smart notifications that adapt to users’ schedules.

1. Outcome:
• User-Centric Features: The empathy interviews lead to the development of key app features like personalized workout recommendations based on user preferences and schedules, community challenges to encourage social engagement, and seamless integration with various fitness devices.
• Enhanced User Experience: Understanding users’ frustrations with existing apps allows the team to design a more intuitive and user-friendly interface, increasing the likelihood of sustained app usage.
• Market Differentiation: By addressing the specific needs uncovered through empathy interviews, the app stands out in a crowded market, attracting a dedicated user base and fostering positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Outcome: By utilizing the Problem Statement framework, the university successfully identifies and articulates the key issues affecting online course enrollment and engagement. This clear and concise problem definition guides the design and implementation of targeted solutions that address the core needs of students, leading to improved participation rates and a more satisfying online learning experience.