Justify the need for a solution

Students need to ask the following questions to identify a problem from the situation.

What is the nature of the problem?

Who is it a problem for? 

Where is the problem occurring?

What is the cause of the problem?

What effect is the problem having? 

How a proposed solution can address the problem

Strategies to answer the questions may include:

Identifying a target user by applying brainstorming or

mind-mapping techniques

Interviewing, surveying and/or polling potential clients

Observing, filming and/or photographing users

interacting with a product

Collecting data from experts to confirm there is a real

need for a solution to the problem

Seeing the situation from the user’s/client’s point of view

(as an example, refer to “Paul Bennett finds design in the detail” at www.ted.com).