Framing

“Don’t start with the problem, start with the people, start with empathy.” Once we have empathy for the people who will be using our products, we define our point of view, brainstorm, and start prototyping to discover what we don’t yet know about the problem. This typically results in a reframe, sometimes also called a pivot. A reframe is when we t

But for many efforts, this is decidedly not the case, and some framing and true problem solving becomes critically important. Big projects—and, especially, initiatives (projects spanning multiple teams)—are common examples.

We don’t always remember to question the framing of the problem. We tend to fall in love with our first solution. We forget to ask, “How else might we solve this problem?”

Reframe Problems. Reframing is a change in perspective, and almost any design problem can use a perspective switch. • What perspective do I actually have? • Where am I now coming from? • What other perspectives could other people have? Name them, and then describe the problem from their perspective, not yours Redescribe your problem using some of t

Reframing is one of the most important mind-sets of a designer.

The most powerful tool for diagnosis is reframing the situation. At the simplest level, a “frame” is a way of looking at a situation. There are literally hundreds of academic papers on the subject, but a frame is simply a person’s point of view on something. Often, individuals have developed frames that work for them and the organization. The frame