What is Problem Framing?

by Dana Vetan

How often do teams dive into solving problems without fully understanding them? Too often, right? That’s because today’s fast-paced environments push us toward action before reflection.

Here’s the issue: We’re solving problems, but are they the right ones? Misaligned priorities, stakeholder disagreements, and superficial understanding of user needs can derail even the best efforts.

This is where Problem Framing comes in. It’s not just a process; it’s a strategic reset button. It challenges teams to pause, think critically, and align before rushing to solutions. Problem Framing ensures that our energy, time, and resources go toward solving what truly matters.

Why Problem Framing Matters

As a product manager, innovation leader, or consultant, your role is to balance business objectives, customer needs, and team execution. That’s no small task. The challenges you face include:

• Misaligned Priorities: Stakeholders often have competing goals, leaving you stuck in endless debates.
• Siloed Teams: Sales, marketing, and engineering don’t always speak the same language or work toward the same goals.
• Feature Factory Syndrome: Teams build features disconnected from user needs and business strategy.

But these issues are symptoms of a deeper problem: misaligned strategy. Without clarity at the top, everything downstream—from roadmaps to execution—becomes messy.

Problem Framing addresses this by:

? Aligning stakeholders on a shared strategy.

? Connecting user insights to business objectives.

? Creating clarity and focus before execution begins.

?? Watch the full video to learn why Problem Framing is essential [free lesson from our Problem Framing Masterclass]

When Do You Need Problem Framing?

Let’s talk about when you might need Problem Framing.

• When everything feels ambiguous: Your team is stuck debating what the problem even is.
• When you’re facing failure: Traditional approaches aren’t solving the root cause.
• When you’re exploring new opportunities: You need clarity to focus on the right direction.

Problem Framing gives you a structured way out of the mess. It helps teams cut through complexity and move forward with clarity and confidence.

So you need it, you understand the benefits. Then why do you skip it?

Despite its benefits, many teams skip the Problem Framing stage, rushing straight to solutions. Why does this happen?

“We already know what the problem is.”

In most cases, teams focus on eliminating the “symptom” or the obvious pain point, mistaking it for the core problem.

“It’s uncomfortable.”

Spending time in an ambiguous space, exploring root causes, and questioning assumptions isn’t easy. It requires discipline, and we’re often trained to solve problems quickly rather than deeply.

“It’s hard work, and it takes time.”

Finding insights that force you to see the issue differently is exhausting. It challenges beliefs and requires listening to perspectives that might feel uncomfortable.

Skipping this step might seem efficient in the short term, but it almost always leads to wasted resources and solutions that miss the mark.

What is Problem Framing?

Problem Framing is a structured approach to uncover, define, and prioritize challenges. It connects business objectives with customer needs and helps leaders align on a clear direction before diving into execution.

Think of it as your team’s compass—it points everyone toward a shared understanding of what’s worth solving and why.

The magic of Problem Framing lies in its simplicity. It asks:

• What’s the challenge?
• Why does it matter?
• Who are we solving it for?
• What’s the most impactful way forward?

It sounds simple, but the impact is profound. With Problem Framing, teams don’t just react—they respond with purpose.

At its core, Problem Framing combines product discovery with a strategic decision-making process. It ensures teams align on the right problems before diving into solutions.

Here’s how it works:

1. Discovery:Identify opportunities, define your audience, and gather data to map the problem space. This phase typically takes 1–3 weeks.
2. Workshop Preparation:Organize and visualize insights, identify decision-makers, and prepare for stakeholder alignment.
3. Workshop Facilitation:Bring stakeholders together to define clear, actionable problem statements based on data and user insights.

Inside the Problem Framing Workshop

The Problem Framing Workshop is the centerpiece of this process. It’s not just a meeting—it’s a strategic decision-making session that aligns stakeholders, prioritizes business needs, and creates clear, actionable problem statements.

Four Phases of the Workshop:

1. Contextualizing the Problem:Stakeholders share perspectives, insights, and ideas about the problem space.The group converges to prioritize the most critical factors influencing the challenge.
2. Justifying the Business Need:Stakeholders bring their goals and objectives to the table.The group prioritizes metrics and business goals most relevant to the problem.
3. Understanding the Customer:Build empathy by exploring customer pain points and challenges.Identify the most critical pain points to focus on.
4. Defining Problem Statements:Brainstorm opportunities based on all previous insights.Collaboratively create clear, actionable problem statements that connect user needs to business goals.

Each phase follows a diverge-converge structure, where teams first explore a wide range of perspectives and insights (diverge) and then narrow down to prioritize and align on key decisions (converge), ensuring productivity and alignment at every step.

?? Learn more about this structured approach in this free lesson from our Problem Framing Masterclass.

Who is Problem Framing For?

Problem Framing is for anyone responsible for building and delivering impactful solutions. Whether you’re a product manager, innovation leader, or facilitator, this approach equips you to navigate complexity and drive meaningful results.

Key audiences include:

• Product Managers: Balancing exploration and execution while aligning diverse stakeholders.
• Innovation Leaders: Identifying opportunities and driving customer-centric innovation.
• Cross-Functional Teams: Breaking down silos between sales, marketing, engineering, and design.

?? Watch the video to explore who benefits most from Problem Framing [free lesson from our Problem Framing Masterclass].

How to Get Started with Problem Framing

Problem Framing is powerful, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Start with these three steps:

1.Prioritize Opportunities with the 4U Workshop:

Use the 4U framework (Unworkable, Unavoidable, Urgent, Underserved) to evaluate and prioritize challenges. This ensures your team focuses on the problems with the greatest impact.

?? Try the 4U Workshop Template.

2. Reframe Your Challenge from Business and User Perspectives:

Use the Problem Framing Canvas to analyze your challenge through both business and user lenses. This step helps you question assumptions, uncover insights, and rethink opportunities.

?? Explore the Problem Framing Canvas.

3. Gather Stakeholders and Align on the Target User Segment:

Run the Problem Statement Workshop to build consensus on your primary user segment and the problem you’re solving. This ensures alignment and sets the stage for effective solutions.

?? Discover the Problem Statement Workshop.

Ready to Master the Process?

Curious about taking your skills to the next level? The Problem Framing Masterclass is a complete end-to-end system for mastering this approach. Led by me and John Vetan CEO of Design Sprint Academy, this course equips you to:

• Conduct effective discovery work to identify opportunities and gather insights.
• Prepare and organize data for stakeholder alignment.
• Facilitate workshops that lead to actionable problem statements and stakeholder buy-in.

?? Watch the video to learn more about the course.

Every great innovation, every transformative product, starts with one thing: a clear understanding of the problem. Problem Framing isn’t about slowing down—it’s about ensuring that when we speed up, we’re going in the right direction.