Introduction

The Define phase is the bridge between understanding the user and generating ideas for solutions. It is the stage where teams make sense of the insights gathered during the Empathize phase, organizing them into a coherent and focused direction. The purpose of the Define phase is to clarify the problem, align the team, and establish a foundation for innovation. A well-executed Define phase ensures that the solutions generated are relevant, actionable, and deeply connected to the needs of the user.

This phase is critical because it shifts the focus from gathering information to making decisions about what matters most. By synthesizing data into a concise problem statement, teams can eliminate ambiguity, avoid scope creep, and set clear boundaries for ideation. The Define phase is not just about identifying a challenge—it’s about framing it in a way that inspires creativity and drives meaningful results.

Definition

Define is the process of organizing and framing insights into a focused problem statement that outlines the challenge to address while creating a foundation for ideation.

Process

The Define phase requires a structured approach to synthesize data and generate actionable insights. It moves teams from data collection to decision-making, ensuring that every insight contributes to a well-defined focus. This phase is iterative and requires collaboration, reflection, and validation to ensure the final problem statement is both meaningful and actionable. Below are the key steps:

1. Review Insights from Empathize:
   • Consolidate findings from interviews, observations, and secondary research.
   • Highlight recurring themes, patterns, and user pain points.
   • Reflect on the emotional and practical aspects of the user experience.
2. Identify Root Causes:
   • Use tools like the “5 Whys” or fishbone diagrams to uncover the underlying causes of user challenges.
   • Ensure the root causes align with the user’s lived experiences and context.
   • Address systemic issues that may influence the problem.
3. Cluster and Prioritize Insights:
   • Group related insights into categories to identify the most significant challenges.
   • Prioritize these challenges based on user impact, feasibility, and alignment with project goals.
   • Ensure that the most critical challenges are directly tied to user needs.
4. Frame the Problem Statement:
   • Start with “How Might We” to ensure the statement is open-ended and invites collaboration.
   • Include specific details about the user, their needs, and the desired outcome.
   • Use the “Help Who, Do What, Achieve Which Goals” model for clarity.
5. Validate and Refine:
   • Share the problem statement with stakeholders and users for feedback.
   • Refine the statement to ensure it is both actionable and inspiring.
   • Confirm that the statement aligns with user insights and project constraints.

Tools

The Define phase relies on tools that help teams make sense of complex data and articulate clear problem statements. These tools provide structure, ensuring that every insight contributes to the problem statement and that nothing critical is overlooked. Below are tools commonly used during the Define phase:

• Affinity Diagrams: Organize qualitative data into clusters to identify key themes and insights. This helps teams find connections and prioritize findings.
• Empathy Maps: Revisit empathy maps from the previous phase to ground the problem statement in user emotions and behaviors, ensuring a human-centered focus.
• Insight Cards: Summarize significant findings on individual cards to keep the focus on key points. These cards serve as a visual reference for framing the problem statement.
• Problem Framing Templates: Use structured templates to ensure problem statements follow the “How Might We” format and address specific goals.
• Root Cause Analysis Tools: Utilize tools like the “5 Whys” or fishbone diagrams to delve deeper into the underlying issues, ensuring that solutions target the real problem rather than symptoms.
• Prioritization Matrices: Evaluate insights based on criteria like impact and feasibility to focus on the most critical challenges.

Example

Building on the community gardening initiative, the team reviews insights from the Empathize phase and identifies key challenges:

• Urban residents lack access to gardening spaces.
• Many feel intimidated due to a lack of gardening knowledge.
• Access to affordable, high-quality gardening resources is limited.

To ensure these insights are actionable, the team organizes them using affinity diagrams and identifies key themes. They discover that the challenges fall into three main areas: accessibility, education, and resources. To explore root causes, they use the “5 Whys” technique and uncover that a significant barrier is a lack of community programs that address both physical space and knowledge gaps.

Using these insights, the team frames the following problem statement: “How might we help urban residents access affordable gardening resources and build confidence in their gardening abilities to create thriving community gardens?”
To validate their approach, the team presents this problem statement to local community leaders and receives feedback that emphasizes the importance of inclusive programs for beginners. The team refines the statement to: “How might we create inclusive community gardening programs that provide accessible resources and support urban residents in building gardening confidence?”

This refined statement is user-centered, actionable, and provides clear direction for the Ideate phase.

Common Mistakes

The Define phase is critical to the success of the Design Thinking process, but common pitfalls can derail progress. Below are mistakes to avoid and strategies to overcome them:

• Skipping Root Cause Analysis: Failing to identify the underlying issues can result in superficial solutions that don’t address the real problem. Dedicate time to digging deeper into user challenges and validating root causes.
• Overcomplicating Problem Statements: Statements that are too detailed or vague can confuse the team and stifle creativity. Strive for a balance of specificity and openness.
• Ignoring User-Centeredness: Problem statements that don’t prioritize user needs risk being irrelevant or ineffective. Ensure the statement is grounded in user insights and reflects their perspectives.
• Neglecting Validation: Avoid moving forward without testing the problem statement with stakeholders or users. Feedback ensures alignment and relevance.
• Rushing the Process: Taking shortcuts in synthesizing insights can lead to incomplete or inaccurate problem framing. Allocate sufficient time to ensure clarity and focus.
• Focusing on Symptoms: Addressing surface-level challenges without exploring root causes can lead to ineffective solutions. Use tools like the “5 Whys” to uncover deeper issues.

FAQs

• Why is the Define phase important? It ensures the team’s efforts are focused on the right challenge and aligned with user needs.
• What makes a problem statement effective? It is user-centered, actionable, and framed as an opportunity for innovation.
• How do we handle conflicting insights? Prioritize insights based on user impact and feasibility, and validate with stakeholders if necessary.

Next Steps

Craft a problem statement for your project using the “How Might We” format. Ensure it aligns with user insights and sets the stage for creative ideation. Then, move to the next article: Ideate, where you will learn techniques to generate innovative solutions.