Week 3: Problem Formulation

"The first step is admitting you have a problem"

Problem formulation is an essential step for evolving an idea into a successful product. Below, several techniques are used to expand upon the design proposal added last week.

Statement-Restatement Technique

1. Determine the real problem in contrast to the stated problem
   • The Stated Problem: Many users have several devices that output 3.5mm audio, but connecting these devices in different combinations with speakers and headphones requires the user to constantly plug, unplug, and swap cables
   • The Real Problem: Current commercial products for 3.5mm mixers and splitters do not have the right combination of features to be practical for an ordinary user
2. Determine the actual constrains or boundaries in contrast to the given or inferred boundaries
   • Inferred Boundaries
     • Product must be reasonably priced
     • Product must not sacrifice sound quality
     • Product must be easy to operate
   • Actual Boundaries
     • Product must be assembled in a way that is inexpensive enough so that the product can be sold at a price cheaper than more expensive solution equipment
     • Sound quality loss of product must fall within a reasonable margin (to be determined later)
     • Product must only contain necessary features, no extraneous bells and whistles that would distract the user. Physical design of product must also be intuitive
3. Identify meaningful goals in contrast to a set of given or inferred goals
   • Product will allow user to combine, adjust, and split four 3.5mm audio inputs into four 3.5mm audio outputs without touching any cables
   • Product will cost no more than $50
   • Product will only have loss of sound quality within a particular margin (to be determined later)
4. Identify relationships between inputs, outputs, and any unknowns
   • Cost of product will likely have a direct relationship with complexity of product
   • Sound quality of product may unfortunately have an inverse relationship with cost and complexity

Why-Why Diagram?

Kepner-Tregoe Situation Analysis

• Timing: The product should be able to be developed quickly, given that all of the technologies required for the product currently exist in seperate products, they just need to be integrated in a specific way
• Trend: The trend to move away from 3.5mm audio may be a problem; with wireless headphones becoming more widely available and companies like Apple moving away from the 3.5mm jack. However, 3.5mm audio has been an effective standard for such a long time that it will be a significant while before it is replaced
• Urgency: Users do not see the problem as urgent, many would not even see the problem at all. However, the solution proposed by the product could immediately offer a small, daily improvement to the user's quality of life

Kepner-Tregoe Problem Analysis

• What
  • What is known? The technologies required for the product
  • What is NOT known? How to integrate them together
  • What is important? Affordable, 3.5 mm stereo audio, mixing and splitting simultaneously
  • What is NOT important? Extra features including any adjustment beyond simple gain
• When
  • When did the problem occur? When users began to buy more devices that supported 3.5 mm audio
  • When must solution be implemented? If solution were to implemented at any day, solution could begin offering a quality of life improvement from that day forward
  • When is solution NOT needed? Solution does not require a sense of urgency with regard to the problem; customers do not depend on solution, it only serves to give a slight improvement to their day to day lives
• Who
  • Who can provide more information? Ordinary customers who know what they want in a simple device
  • Who can NOT provide information? Professional customers who are looking for more features than the average customer would use
  • Who is the customer? The average person with an appreciation for audio; someone who has 2+ pairs of headphones and a pair of speakers, someone who has several different electronic devices in a media center, someone who appreciates minimalist design without wanting the biggest and the best
  • Who is NOT the customer? Professional audiophiles are not an explicit customer, while they may be a legitimate customer, the product will not focus on their needs specifically. The average person who does not care about audio is also not a customer, he or she would have no use for this product if they only have one device and one set of speakers/headphones
• Where
  • Where is equipment located? The technology for the product already exists in many commercial products
• Why
  • Why is problem important? It saves the user a small amount of hassle almost every day; the short amount of time and the small amount of wear on audio jacks that are plugged and unplugged begins to become significant when it happens almost every day
  • Why is problem NOT important? No one is dying for this solution, the current solution is to spend a little bit of extra time doing something
  • Why does solution work? Solution combines technologies in a way that is not addressed by current commercial products