Problem Framing Guide

A structured approach to understanding the core issue before jumping into solutions.

Why Frame the Problem?

Albert Einstein once said, "If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions." Problem framing prevents teams from wasting resources on solving the wrong problem or treating symptoms instead of root causes.

The 4 Ws Framework

Who?

Identify the specific user or stakeholder experiencing the problem.

"Who is actually affected by this issue?"

What?

Describe the nature of the problem. What is the gap between the current state and the desired state?

"What is the specific pain point or obstacle?"

Where?

Context matters. Determine the environment or situation where the problem occurs.

"Where does this problem manifest?"

Why?

Understand the impact. Why is it worth solving? What is the cost of doing nothing?

"Why does this matter to the user/business?"

Reframing Techniques

Once you have the initial problem, try these techniques to broaden or narrow your perspective:

Zoom Out: Ask "Why?" repeatedly to find the broader context. (e.g., "Why do they need a drill?" -> "To make a hole" -> "To hang a picture" -> "To decorate their home.")
Zoom In: Ask "How?" or "What part?" to focus on specific details. (e.g., "What part of hanging the picture is difficult?")
Perspective Shift: Look at the problem from the view of a different stakeholder (e.g., the support team, the power user, the novice).

Outcome

The goal is to arrive at a clear, actionable problem statement, often phrased as "How Might We..." (HMW).