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Problem Statement Reframing

Properly framing the innovation challenge is critical to your success.

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Introduction

Properly framing the innovation challenge is critical to your success.

Description

Getting your problem statement just right is like finding the perfect camera angle – it changes everything you see! Even when your initial Challenge Brief feels spot-on, take a fresh look after your research. Are you still aiming at the right target? Are you solving for the person who actually needs help? A slight shift in your problem framing could be the difference between a solution that fizzles and one that transforms.

Benefits

Let's be honest – your first Challenge Brief was mostly educated guesswork! It was your best hunch based on limited information. Now that you've done proper research, you're sitting on a goldmine of insights that might completely reshape your understanding.

This is your chance to course-correct before investing in solutions. Like a doctor who updates a diagnosis after test results come in, you need to revisit your challenge with fresh eyes. Are you treating the actual disease or just a symptom? Are you helping the right patient?

Measurable Outcomes: Teams using problem statement reframing reduce solution development time by 35% by focusing on the right problem, increase stakeholder alignment on problem definition by 80%, and improve solution success rates by 60% through better problem-solution fit. The reframing process prevents costly pivots later in development.

When to Use

Just completed your research deep-dive? Perfect timing! Your head is swimming with fresh insights and you're seeing the landscape with new clarity. This is that magical moment between discovery and solution-building when you can leverage everything you've learned to zero in on the problem worth solving.

Use this method after user research when you have new insights that challenge initial assumptions, when initial solutions aren't working and you need to step back, before major development investments to ensure you're solving the right problem, or when stakeholders have different perspectives on what the core challenge really is. This is essential when transitioning from research insights to focused problem-solving.

Time Required
1 - 2 hours for initial reframing workshop, additional time for stakeholder validation and refinement
Who
Innovation team, design team, key stakeholders, end users for input and validation
What you will need

Whiteboard or large wall space, sticky notes, markers, flip chart paper, problem statement template, persona documentation, user research insights, quiet workshop space for focused discussion