Chapter 4 – Define
problem
Dr. Pham Thi My Dung
Recap chapter 2
• Definition of Empathy stage
• Methods
• “Observation: Watching What People Don’t Do,
Listening to What They Don’t Say”
• “Empathy: Standing in the Shoes (or Lying on the
Gurneys) of Others”
• Tools
Objectives
• Synthesize Findings: Combine information gathered
during the Empathize stage.
• Articulate the Problem: Clearly define the problem to
be solved.
• Create a Problem Statement: Develop a concise and
actionable problem statement.
• Create a “How might we” question.
Define problem
Definition
• The "Define" stage in Design Thinking is the second step in
the process, following the "Empathize" stage. During this
stage, designers focus on synthesizing the information
gathered during the Empathize stage to define the core
problem that needs to be addressed.
Definition
• The define mode is when you unpack your empathy findings
into needs and insights and scope a meaningful challenge.
• Based on your understanding of users and their environments,
come up with an actionable problem statement: your Point Of
View.
Aims of define problem
• The goal of the Define mode is to craft a meaningful and
actionable problem statement – this is what we call a point-of-
view.
• This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and
needs of a particular user, or composite character.
• Insights don’t often just jump in your lap; rather they emerge
from a process of synthesizing information to discover
connections and patterns.
• Define mode is sensemaking.
Key Actions
•Analyze Data:
• ◎ Review and organize insights collect from
the Empathize stage.
•◎ Identify patterns and themes in user
feedback.
Key Actions
• Formulate Insights:
• ◎ Translate user needs and challenges into key
insights.
• ◎ Focus on the most significant problems that
need solving.
Key Actions
• Develop a Problem Statement:
• Provides focus and frames the problem
• Inspires your team
• Informs criteria for evaluating competing ideas
• Empowers your team to make decisions independently in
parallel
• Captures the hearts and minds of people you meet
• Saves you from the impossible task of developing
concepts that are all things to all people (i.e. your
problem statement should be discrete, not broad.)
Key actions
• Create a “How might we” question.
• How Might We” (HMW) questions are the best way to open up
Brainstorm and other Ideation sessions.
• HMW opens up to Ideation sessions where you explore ideas
that can help you solve your design challenge.
• By framing your challenge as a How Might We question, you’ll
prepare yourself for an innovative solution in the third Design
Thinking phase, the Ideation phase.
• The “How Might We” method is constructed in such a way that
it opens the field for new ideas, admits that we do not currently
know the answer, and encourages a collaborative approach to
solving it.
Analysis and Synthesis
Analysis and Synthesis
• Analysis is about breaking down complex concepts and
problems into smaller, easier-to-understand constituents.
• the Empathies stage, when we observe and document details that relate
to our users
• Synthesis, on the other hand, involves creatively piecing the
puzzle together to form whole ideas.
• organize, interpret, and make sense of the data we have
gathered to create a problem statement.
Analysis and Synthesis
Develop a Problem Statement
• A problem statement helps focus on the specific needs that you
have uncovered.
• Defines the RIGHT challenge to address, based on your new
understanding of people and the problem space.
• An actionable problem statement: Point of View.
“Framing the right problem is the only way to create the
right solution.”
Develop a Problem Statement
• A good point of view is one that:
• Human-centered. This requires you to frame your problem statement
according to specific users, their needs and the insights that your team has
gained in the Empathise phase.
• Broad enough for creative freedom. This means that the problem
statement should not focus too narrowly on a specific method for implementing
the solution.
• Narrow enough to make it manageable. On the other hand, a problem
statement such as , “Improve the human condition,” is too broad and will likely
cause team members to easily feel daunted.
• (i.e. your problem statement should be discrete, not broad.)
Develop a Problem Statement
Develop a Problem Statement
• User ________ (name of user)
need a way to __________ (their needs)
because of / supprisingly ____________ (insights)
Develop a Problem Statement
Create How Might We (HMW)?
• How Might We (HMW) is a design thinking method that allows
designers to reframe and open up their problem statements for
efficient, targeted and innovative ideation sessions to help solve
design challenges.
• It's a re-wording of the core users, their needs and your
insights about them, which you have uncovered through a
deeper interrogation of the problem.
• “How Might We” (HMW) statements are small but mighty
questions that allow us to reframe our insights into opportunity
areas and innovate on problems found during user research.
Create How Might We (HMW)?
• “How" suggests that we do not yet have the answer. “How” helps us
set aside prescriptive briefs.
• “How” helps us explore a variety of endeavours instead of merely executing on
what we “think” the solution should be.
• “Might" emphasises that our responses may only be possible
solutions, not the only solution.
• “Might” also allows for exploration of multiple possible solutions, not settling
for the first that comes to mind.
• “We" immediately brings in the element of a collaborative effort.
• “We” suggests that the idea for the solution lies in our collective teamwork.
Create How Might We (HMW)?
Create How Might We (HMW)?
• For example, hypothetical problem statement
• “University students need to save as much money as possible when buying
their textbooks for their courses because it’s a big expense for them each
academic year and they don’t have a lot of disposable income.”
• HMW questions :
• “How might we help students connect with each other so that they can buy
and sell their textbooks from each other at discounted prices?”
• Or
• “How might we collaborate with local bookstores to facilitate the purchase
and sale of low-cost university textbooks on and off campus?”
Create How Might We (HMW)?
Create How Might We (HMW)?
• Step 1: Start with a point-of-view/problem statement
• Step 2: Break down the POV/problem statement
• Step 3: Write as many How Might We's as you can
• Step 4: Decide on which to move forward
Integrated HMW?
• break the bigger problem down and then start writing
HMW in front of every aspect of the problem.
• It's okay to write some that are too narrow or too broad since
you can assess them after. Just write!
• After you (and your team) generate HMW statements and pick
1-2 to move forward with, I
• Once the best two ideas are chosen, work with the designer to
create prototypes, which should then be usability tested with
users! Learn from the usability tests, and keep iterating.t is time
for the next step.
Integrated HMW?
• POV/problem statement:
People who like to listen to podcasts need to be able to
easily bookmark or save interesting parts of podcasts
while commuting because having to find these points
afterward is time-consuming and difficult.
Integrated HMW?
• Amp up the good: HMW make an entire podcast interesting for users?
• Remove the bad: HMW present interesting parts of podcasts to users?
• Explore the opposite: HMW make finding interesting parts of podcasts the
most exciting part of listening to podcasts?
• Question an assumption: HMW make podcasts more tactile or voice-
assisted?
• Go after adjectives: HMW make bookmarking or saving easy instead of
difficult?
Integrated HMW?
• ID unexpected resources: HMW use other apps to make searching within podcasts
easier?
• Create an analogy from need or context: HMW make bookmarking or saving interesting
parts of podcasts like a game?
• Play against the challenge: HMW make searching for interesting parts of a podcast
something people want to do?
• Change the status quo: HMW make the search experience inside a podcast more
delightful?
• Break POV into pieces: HMW make searching entertaining? HMW make it possible for
people to bookmark on-the-go? HMW reduce time spent searching for interesting parts
of a podcast episode?
Not all of these are perfect and even doable,
but using these prompts will help if you are
stuck in the brainstorming stage of writing
statements! Keep it creative and exciting,
then cut back on what doesn't make sense
after. As in improv, always remember "Yes,
and..."