CRyder Design

In the Design Thinking process, the define step follows the empathizing step. The define step is one of the most complex in all of Design Thinking. This is the stage where designers are able to figure out what the problem is. The article, “Design Thinking Define Stage: Identify Your Users’ Core Challenge” states, “The purpose of this stage of the design thinking process is to define the core problems and create a problem statement in a human-centered manner.” Designers have to keep their users and the feelings and needs of their users in mind when stating what the problem is. Once the problem is figured out, they are able to take different approaches in order to figure out how to solve it. However, in order to come up with an ideal solution, the problem statement has to be revised over and over again.

To come up with a problem solution that best fits the issue at hand, a designer has to refer back to the empathize step and make sense of the information they gained from it. “Here, we begin piecing the information we’ve gathered during the empathize stage by analyzing the observations and synthesizing them” (“Design Thinking Define Stage: Identify Your Users’ Core Challenge”). It is important to refer to the perspective of the users to create a problem statement that is focused on relieving their struggles.

There are many different directions you could look at the problem from, and each would create a different problem statement. The article, “How Reframing a Problem Unlocks Innovation” states, “The simple process of asking ‘why’ questions provides an incredibly useful tool for expanding the landscape of solutions for a problem. Being able to look at situations using different frames is critically important when tackling all types of challenges.” By asking yourself “why” you are able to see many different aspects of a problem. “If I asked you to build a bridge for me, you could go off and build a bridge. Or you could come back to me with another question: ‘Why do you need a bridge?’ I would likely tell you that I need a bridge to get to the other side of a river” (“How Reframing a Problem Unlocks Innovation”). This is an example of how asking as many questions as possible can allow a designer to understand many different points of view on an issue. From this, they are able to create a well-crafted problem statement in order to solve the problem in a more efficient manner. 

The problem statement will be something that designers can constantly refer to throughout the design thinking process. “Your problem statement should serve as a guide, something you can continually refer to throughout the design process and in future feature discussions. Let it serve as a beacon to help you design with intent and keep you on track” (“Writing Effective Problem Statements”). The problem statement should be something that works to help a designer. In order for it to work, it may have to be recreated. It should be a general statement, but not too general. It should also be detailed, but not too detailed. In the article “How to Build a Problem Statement”, author Dan Brown states, “Problem statements fall apart when they’re too vague or too prescriptive. Ultimately, you and your team need to judge whether a problem statement is working for you. Does it help your team recognize what their focus is? Does it keep you aligned in the same direction?” When writing your problem statement, designers should be in sort of a Goldilocks state of mind to find the one that works just right for them.

The define step is like the foundation of problem-solving in the design thinking process. This is why it is so important to make sure that the problem statement is as well-crafted as it can get. “They spell out, as I like to say, the part of the world that’s broken. Whether your team is building a product to meet an unmet need, or to improve upon the experience of one already met, you need to internalize what isn’t working before you can explore possible solutions” (“How to Build a Problem Statement”). In order to move in in the process, defining the problem has to be completed as well as possible in order to complete the Design Thinking process as successful as possible.

Once the problem is defined, a designer is able to create solutions for solving it. It is important to have an organized problem statement to help you solve it more efficiently. Creating ideas for possible solutions is done in the next step of the design thinking process, ideation.