Problem Statement Refinement

Origin. TRIZ problem formulation; Dorst's frame creation; 'How Might We' from IDEO.

Mechanism. The statement of a problem fixes its solution space. A statement containing an implied solution ('we need a better dashboard') admits only that solution's variants. Refinement strips the implied solution and restates the problem at the level of the unmet condition.

Procedure. Write the statement. Identify the solution smuggled into the noun phrase. Restate as an obstructed outcome, with the affected party, the desired state, and the obstruction named. Vary the scope up and down one level. Choose the scope at which action is possible.

Applies to. Prior to any generation. It is the single cheapest intervention available and the most frequently skipped.

Limitations. Widening the scope indefinitely arrives at problems that are true, important, and outside anyone's authority.