Functional foundation · Field guide
Problem framing
Define the decision, people, constraints, and evidence before committing to a solution.
Problem framing turns a request into a tractable design question. A useful frame states whose situation should change, what outcome matters, what is known, what remains uncertain, and which constraints are real rather than inherited assumptions.
Ways to practise the skill.
Choose methods because they reduce the uncertainty in front of the team—not because a template says they belong in the process.
Assumption mapping
List what must be true, then rank assumptions by importance and uncertainty.
Helpful whenA proposed direction sounds confident but rests on untested beliefs.How might we
Rewrite an insight as an open opportunity without embedding a preferred solution.
Helpful whenMoving from research synthesis into idea generation.Jobs and outcomes
Describe the progress someone is trying to make and the result they value.
Helpful whenFeature language is obscuring the underlying purpose.Problem statement
Write a concise statement connecting user, context, need, evidence, and intended outcome.
Helpful whenAligning a cross-functional team on what is—and is not—being solved.Continue into the field.
Practical standards and method guidance from established sources.