Are You Solving the Right Problems?
NOV 6th 9:00AM PST; 12:00PM EST; 17:00PM GMT (London); 18:00PM IST 22:30 PM IST
Non-member: $99
Open Circle: FREE, Join OPEN Circle…(NEW!)
Inner Circle: FREE! ($99 a month for all events plus Digital Library 250+ videos)
Are You Solving the Right Problems? (Right Problem Definition)
This is probably the most important question for all UX and Service Designers. Product people and Engineering usually focus on MVPs, roadmaps, and features. In short, technology-driven design. UX people bring user advocacy, and the need to define the right problem– from the user’s perspective.
The Importance of Defining the Right Problem in UX and Service Design
The problem: “Solutioning” or jumping straight into the ‘solution space’ can be tempting. It’s a bad habit. To lower your risks, start each and every design challenge with an understanding of the ‘problem space’.
What’s the big deal? A poorly defined problem often leads to solutions that miss the mark, wasting time, resources, and opportunities for impactful innovation. By thoroughly understanding and framing the problem, designers set the foundation for more effective, user-centered outcomes.
Understanding how your user frames their problem, given their context of use, is where the money is.
Check out this related Masterclass coming up on Designing for Context-aware experiences:
Right problem framing
Right problem framing acts as a compass, guiding the design process and ensuring that every step aligns with both user needs and business objectives. It enables teams to focus their efforts, prioritize features, and avoid the common pitfall of solving symptoms rather than root causes.
Techniques such as task analysis, stakeholder interviews, user research, and tools like personas and journey maps are invaluable in uncovering the true nature of the problem. These methods help bridge the gap between what users say they need and what they actually need, leading to more successful designs.
What really matters: Getting aligned on “right problem” definition leads to better stakeholder alignment. When everyone involved understands and agrees on the problem at hand, collaboration becomes more focused, and the path to a solution becomes clearer. This alignment speeds up the design process and increases the likelihood of delivering a product or service that meets the users’ needs and exceeds expectations.
In this Masterclass, Frank Spillers will share experiences of how to get your team to ‘snap out of’ solutioning and learn to ‘fall in love with the problem’ first.
Topics we will cover in Are You Solving the Right Problems?
- Common pitfalls of poor problem definition- the cost of Solution-led thinking
- Techniques for framing a problem statement effectively
- Problem framing tips: Getting stakeholders to ‘fall in love with the problem’
- Writing problem statements
- Establishing criteria for a successful solution
- Running a problem-framing workshop (with a follow up actual Workshop on how to do this)
About Monthly MasterClasses:
These monthly meet-ups are topic-driven live events with an informal presentation by Frank Spillers and group activities and discussions. Monthly MasterClasses are included as part of your membership. They allow a deep dive into important UX topics, with insights drawn from process best practices and case studies from Frank’s two decades in the field.
Cost:
Non-member: $99
Open Circle: FREE, Join OPEN Circle…(NEW!)
Inner Circle: FREE! ($99 a month for all events plus Digital Library 250+ videos)
| Date: | 06 Nov 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 08:00 am PDT 11:00 am EDT 04:00 pm BST 05:00 pm CEST |
| Check Your Timezone | |
