problem-framing-canvas

To define actionable problems, guide your team through the MITRE Problem Framing Canvas phases: Look Inward, Look Outward, and Reframe. This structured discovery process challenges assumptions, captures stakeholder impacts, and synthesizes a refined problem statement with a How Might We question.

The MITRE Problem Framing Canvas is a structured facilitation framework that prevents teams from jumping straight to solutions. It works by guiding discovery workshops through Look Inward, Look Outward, and Reframe prompts to capture symptoms, barriers, and marginalized voices before synthesizing a refined problem statement.

Run a discovery workshop by using structured facilitation prompts that explicitly challenge biases and surface impacted stakeholders. The workshop guides teams to identify who experiences the issue, who is excluded, and who benefits from the status quo to ensure the right problem is solved with equity in mind.

Yes, problem framing is ideal for messy discovery topics like retention, onboarding, or accessibility. The stakeholder and impact mapping prompts clarify who experiences the issue, who shares it, and who is excluded, making it highly applicable for complex product challenges.

The best way to generate a How Might We question is to synthesize captured symptoms, barriers, and marginalized voices through the Reframe phase. This approach turns documented stakeholder impacts and assumptions into a precise problem statement alongside a ready-to-use How Might We question for solution ideation.