Problem Framing Canvas

Purpose

Guide through the MITRE Problem Framing methodology to ensure you're solving the right problem — not just the first one you defined. Uses three lenses: Look Inward (examine your own biases), Look Outward (understand stakeholder perspectives), and Reframe (generate alternative problem definitions).

Key Concepts

MITRE Problem Framing

┌─────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌───────────┐
│ LOOK INWARD │ ──► │ LOOK OUTWARD │ ──► │ REFRAME   │
│             │     │              │     │           │
│ Your biases │     │ Stakeholder  │     │ New ways  │
│ Assumptions │     │ perspectives │     │ to see    │
│ Constraints │     │ Context      │     │ the       │
│ you impose  │     │ Real data    │     │ problem   │
└─────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └───────────┘

Facilitation Protocol

This skill asks 6-8 adaptive questions across three phases:

Phase 1: Look Inward (2-3 questions)

• What assumptions are you making?
• What constraints are self-imposed vs. real?
• Whose perspective is missing from your framing?

Phase 2: Look Outward (2-3 questions)

• Who else is affected by this problem?
• What data challenges your current framing?
• What would a different stakeholder say?

Phase 3: Reframe (2 questions)

• How would you state this problem if you had unlimited resources?
• What if the opposite of your assumption were true?

Application

Question 1: Current Problem Statement

Agent asks: "What problem are you currently trying to solve? Share your existing problem statement."

(User shares their current problem definition)

Question 2: Look Inward — Assumptions

Agent asks: "What are you assuming is true about this problem? List 3-5 assumptions."

Then agent challenges each:

• "What evidence supports this?"
• "What would change if this assumption were wrong?"
• "Is this a fact or a belief?"

Question 3: Look Inward — Constraints

Agent asks: "What constraints are you working within?"

Options:

1. Budget/resource constraints — Limited team, money, or time
2. Technical constraints — Platform, architecture, or integration limits
3. Organizational constraints — Politics, approvals, dependencies
4. Market constraints — Competitive pressure, timeline
5. Other (describe)

Then agent asks: "Which of these constraints are real vs. self-imposed?"

Question 4: Look Outward — Stakeholders

Agent asks: "Who else is affected by this problem beyond the primary user?"

Prompts:

• "Who benefits if this problem is solved?"
• "Who is inconvenienced if this problem is solved?"
• "Whose behavior would need to change?"

Question 5: Look Outward — Counter-Evidence

Agent asks: "What data or feedback contradicts your current understanding of the problem?"

Question 6: Reframe — Alternative Framings

Agent generates 3 alternative problem framings:

## Alternative Problem Framings

### Framing 1: [Shift in user segment]
"What if the problem isn't [current framing] but actually [reframed version]?"

### Framing 2: [Shift in root cause]
"What if the cause isn't [assumed cause] but [alternative cause]?"

### Framing 3: [Shift in scope]
"What if we zoom out/in: [broader or narrower problem]?"

## Recommended Framing
Based on the analysis: [recommendation with rationale]

## Next Steps
- [ ] Validate the new framing with [stakeholder/data source]
- [ ] Update the problem statement
- [ ] Share with team for alignment

Quality Rubric

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Confirmation Bias

Symptom: Reframing exercise produces the same conclusion you started with.

Fix: Force yourself to argue the opposite position. If your reframe doesn't feel uncomfortable, you haven't actually reframed.

Pitfall 2: Analysis Paralysis

Symptom: Endlessly reframing without committing to a direction.

Fix: Set a timebox. Reframe once, test the best framing with real users/data, then commit.

References

Related Skills

• skills/discovery/problem-statement/SKILL.md — Input: existing problem statement to reframe
• skills/discovery/discovery-interview-prep/SKILL.md — Validate new framing through interviews
• skills/discovery/discovery-process/SKILL.md — Full workflow that includes problem framing

External Frameworks

• MITRE Problem Framing Guide — Three-lens approach
• Edward de Bono, Six Thinking Hats — Multi-perspective analysis

Skill type: Interactive Domain: Discovery & Research