Problem Briefs

In this step you're going to expand a problem statement from the previous exercise into a problem brief - a document that gives you the details you need to start solving the problem.

A problem brief expands on a problem statement by adding:

• Problem Description: Greater context and description of how the problem is currently being addressed (e.g. manual work, workaround, a funky series of 15 steps…).
• Impact Assessment: The cost of the problem today (e.g. time spent per week; breadth and depth of coverage; etc.)
• Value Proposition: Why solving this problem is important for the organization.
• Solution Criteria: What would it look like for this problem to be solved?

The document is helpful for:

• Shared expectations: Making sure teams are on the same page about the exact problem we're solving, so we all agree on what done looks like.
• Grounded decision-making: As we work through ideation, prototyping and testing, we'll have to make many choices, and this document serves as an anchor to ensure our choices align with our goals.
• Deciding if it's a problem worth solving now: This document format gives us a consistent way to compare problems and decide which ones to work on and in what order.

warning

Making assumptions here on the user's behalf is a common pitfall that leads to solutions that don't fit the real need.

State the obvious

It's hard to identify when you're making subtle assumptions. A good reporter trick to avoid that is to repeat back your understanding for confirmation, even if it seems obvious, and write it down.