Challenge Definition

This stage describes the role of ideation within innovation processes, providing the designers with a range of different tools and techniques to get a deep dive understanding of the end-user’s problem, making them familiar with the problem.

It shall be encouraged to always start with the problem, never with a solution with first understanding of the problem to be solved. Every problem shall have a clear problem statement that consolidate and capture the end-users needs. A problem statement shall mark the starting ideation phase.

The methods to support the creation of a problem statement include:

• Context mapping which shall help to recognize contexts and patterns in the collected information.
• Cause-effect diagrams which shall help to differentiate the causes and the impact of problems.
• Questions to help to transfer the resulting problem definition into design opportunities.