How to find a problem

The way we frame a problem can make or break the entire project. It’s the blueprint for everything that comes after. The question to ask ourselves is simple but crucial: What’s the best problem we can solve?

Too often, design teams jump straight into the weeds of discovery without truly understanding the problem at hand. We assume we know what the customer needs, and in doing so, risk solving the wrong problem. The key to success is taking the time to diagnose the problem upfront, which ensures we’re not chasing symptoms but addressing the root cause.

Take this example: “I need a new car, but I can’t afford it.”

At first glance, the problem seems obvious, the customer needs a car, but money is a barrier. This framing makes it feel easy to jump to familiar solutions. Find lower-cost vehicles, explore financing options or savings plans. But this kind of immediate solutioning assumes the problem has already been correctly defined.

A more careful approach is to resist that first framing and expand the inquiry before narrowing it again. This means stepping back into lived experience and understanding the context that produced the statement in the first place.

To do this, we must move beyond surface-level questions and dig into the bigger picture. Consider these two probing questions:

• “Tell me about a time you didn’t use your car to meet your needs." By asking about lived experiences, we can uncover deeper insights. Maybe the customer takes public transport when the weather is good, or walks if they have the time. We understand how people navigate constraints and hint at broader system failures.

• “Why do you need a car?” This question is deceptively simple, but it begins to surface intent rather than solution. A response like “I need to get to work and drop my kids off” reframes the issue entirely. The problem is no longer about vehicle ownership; it becomes about reliable access to employment, education and caregiving responsibilities within time and geographic constraints.

From these conversations, we might reframe the problem entirely. What seemed like a straightforward case of “I need a car” becomes a more complex but accurate statement. Perhaps something like “I need a safe, reliable and affordable way to take my kids to school and get to work.” This new problem statement opens the door to a wider array of solutions and encourages creative thinking. Perhaps alternatives to car ownership, or novel ways to maximise time and resources we may not have considered otherwise.

For designers and researchers working in complex systems, the discipline is not simply to “find the right problem,” but to stay with ambiguity long enough to understand how that problem has been constructed in the first place—and whether it is the right one to solve at all.

The most important work often happens before the problem feels clear.

For more on this, check out the HBR article Are You Solving the Right Problems by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg

Building Rapport: The Do’s to Not Do

For human-centred designers, there are clear do’s when it comes to connecting with participants. You know the sort of thing I’m talking about: be curious, be patient, be authentic.

But I’ve also learnt some things the hard way. The things that no one in design training told me is there's also a don'ts list of things to avoid doing. The things on this list are not as obvious.

To save you from experiencing the same awkward times I have, here's a refined list of some unlikely things I advise you to stop doing right away. You're welcome in advance:

Don’t Be Relatable

This is counterintuitive, but hear me out. I once interviewed a stay-at-home mum whose children were the same age as mine. Wanting to build rapport, I mentioned I was also a mother and shared some of my struggles with balancing work and daycare. Nice bit of mum-bonding, right? Well, no.

Instead, it did the opposite. She became noticeably more careful in how she described her own choices, particularly around not working outside the home. It felt as though she was now navigating not just the conversation, but my potential judgement of her decisions.

People are already making judgments about you based on how you look, sound and interact. Don’t add to that by over-sharing personal details. These days, I tend to share very little about my own life in interviews unless it is directly relevant to the research context. Rapport is not about similarity; it’s about creating conditions where difference doesn’t feel unsafe.

Building rapport is about creating conditions where participants feel safe to talk freely - it’s not about making friends.

Don’t Have Values

I’m being a little facetious here, because of course it’s not possible to remove your moral values from your research. But it is vital that you don’t let them influence how you respond to participants in the moment. It doesn’t matter if they’re sharing something you feel is positive or negative, you must remain neutral.

I once spoke with a teenager at length about joyriding cars, something that in any other context I would have probably flagged as dangerous and harmful. Because I stayed non-judgemental, he talked openly about what that behaviour represented in his world. I got a rare glimpse into his context and motivation that entirely changed how I understood his lived reality.

Dig deeper into motivations without giving away your moral values because once your values enter the conversation, it narrows what people are willing to share.

Your job is to understand, not judge.

Don’t Hold Eye Contact

This goes against all the advice on building rapport you will ever come across, but it’s a hill I’m prepared to die on. Prolonged eye contact is awkward. It often makes people feel rushed or intimidated, it leaves little room for natural pauses or thinking time, it makes participants feel observed rather than heard.

And if you’re cursed with an expressive face like me, you run the risk of influencing your participants by reading into your facial expressions and biasing your findings.

Over time, I’ve moved away from maintaining constant eye contact, and I have a few tricks I use to do this.

I focus my eyes on something else, usually a prop I bring with me. Like a paper (not electronic) notebook to write notes in, and only make eye contact briefly when asking questions or showing that I’m focused.

During ideation or prototype testing, I like standing side by side with participants, so we’re not forced into ongoing direct eye contact, making the experience feel more comfortable and collaborative. Some of my favourite interviews have happened while driving a car or going for a walk. That way, things feel more like a shared activity instead of an interrogation.

Don’t Be Helpful (At Least Not Immediately)

When participants struggle with something you know a lot about, resist the urge to jump in and help.

It’s tempting to offer your expertise because we want to be helpful. It feels efficient and kind. But your goal as a researcher is to understand their struggle, not fix it right away. If you solve their problem too quickly, you lose the opportunity to learn what’s really behind their challenges and won’t fully understand where the friction actually is.

Instead, focus on uncovering the reasons they’re struggling and how you can help reduce that struggle down the line. What are the assumptions, constrains or workarounds they’re using that shape their experience?

As well as it being good design practice, it’s also good conversation etiquette to hear someone explain their problem before offering solutions.

Moments of struggle and confusion are important data points, they’re not interruptions.

So there you have it. Four odd little tips to help you have less awkward and more honest interactions in work and life. Use as needed, responsibly.

Turn Intention Into Action

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.

Make Room for Growth

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.