A well-framed problem statement can serve as a springboard for teams to clarify the right level of problem to solve for and guide the ideation session that follows. Making your problem statement too vague can lead to ideas that are scattered and broad. Too specific and there isn't enough room for creativity. Use Laddering to find that sweet spot of generative thinking when working on brief development or problem framing.
GET READY
Select the topic
Identify a topic for this session and craft a problem statement that's framed as an inspiring goal. i.e. "How might we support women who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color looking for local, social support resources?" Pre-populate the statement into the Laddering template as a starting place for the group session to follow.
Include people with diverse perspectives
Diversity drives creativity. To help ensure you are thinking broadly about potential impacts, make sure you include people with diverse perspectives and experiences as a part of your session.
LIVE ACTIVITY
Explain the purpose of this exercise and review team insights
Share the Laddering template with the team, and explain that this tool will be used to help right size the problem area of your project or program. If available, have the team review main points from the project work or research so it's top of mind for everyone.
Review session problem statement for feedback
Share the problem statement that's been created and invite the team to build on or finesse the statement (if needed).
Right-size your statement by laddering up and down
Get your problem statement just right. "Ladder up" by asking why-type questions to broaden the statement when needed, and "ladder down" by asking how-type questions to narrow its focus. Repeat until your statement feels like it can inspire a diverse array of ideas, while also providing enough focus to set a clear directional path. When you are able to repeat this exercise for multiple statements, your team will end up with a collection that feels conducive to provoking a clear and exciting direction for the person/group you are designing for.
NEXT STEPS
Determine next steps
If your team completed multiple exercises, vote on a set of statements that seem most clear and inspiring to clarify the opportunity space. As a next step, consider using the Conducting a Brainstorm exercise to transform these statements into big ideas.