Framing the problem before the solution

A problem statement says who is struggling, with what, and why it matters. It does not name a solution. "Students miss assignment deadlines because due dates are scattered across three portals" is a problem.

"Add a calendar" is a solution pretending to be a problem. Pair the statement with a success measure you can check later, such as fewer missed deadlines or a faster task time. Some teams then write "How might we" questions to open up ideas, for example "How might we show every due date in one place?".

This framing drives the rest of the roadmap. Research checks that the problem is real, design explores answers and usability tests check them.