Overview
The purpose of the problem framing activity is to help you focus on and define the problem you want to concentrate on during your service design journey.
The tool
Problem framing helps you to move a vague idea of what your problem or challenge is, to being able to articulate it in more detail. Using a problem statement template can help structure discussion and refine the problem you wish to work on.
When to use it
- Problem framing is used after you have carried out your user research, as you move into the define phase of the first service design diamond.
As you gather evidence in the ‘discover’ phase, more often than not, the challenge you started with will evolve. Before you start to generate ideas about how to solve your problem, you must first clearly define what the problem you are trying to solve/improve is.
How to use it
Allow about 30 minutes for the activity, dividing this time into:
- Introduction and outlining the goals of the activity. Make it clear that this activity is about defining the problem and setting the scope for development activities. At this stage, you are not trying to solve the problem so much as making very clear what exactly the problem you are going to solve is.
- Brainstorming to fill in the template.
- Gaining consensus (you may wish to use affinity mapping here).
You can use problem framing either remotely or face-to-face.
A problem solving template is available.
Additional information
- Atalassian. (2023) Problem framing. Available at: https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/problem-framing#instructions (Accessed: 5 December 2023).
Downloads
- Problem framing template