In a nutshell

Slow down and truly explore a problem before solving it.

By breaking down the wording of the challenge statement itself using free association we can loosen assumptions, surface hidden insights and discover a clearer, more insightful definition.

Play a word-at-a-time or free association game first to warm up.

Set up

• One person as the Problem Owner and a facilitator to guide the process.

• A visible shared space to record (e.g. whiteboard, flip chart, online doc).

• Around 15 to 20 minutes

Activity flow

1. Name the problem
   Ask the Problem Owner to give a simple, unpolished definition of their problem.
   → Resist the urge to refine it or dig into it yet. Just write it down.

2. Underline the key words
   Skip the intro (e.g. “How do I/How might we…”) and underline the main words or phrases.
   → Don’t underline everything – focus on key words & pronouns

3. Explore one word at a time
   Treat each underlined word as a lens and take a closer look at the underlined words in your original question. Ask:

   • Which words are carrying the weight?

   • Are there words that are vague, loaded, or open to interpretation?

   • What assumptions are baked into the way we’ve phrased it?

   Play around:

   • Swap key words (“we” → “our users” → “this person”)

   • Break abstract terms into specifics (“engage” → “ask,” “reply”)

   • Change the verbs: from “solve” → “support,” “let go of”

   • Add provocations: from “we” to “school of fish” “herd”

   Each change reveals a slightly different version of the challenge.

   → To encourage flowing free association don’t judge and capture all ideas

4. Highlight key words
   Circle the words that have energy behind them and see how changing a word changes in the problem definition changes the nature of the issue.
   → This is the heart of the technique: seeing the boundaries of the problem flex.

5. Redefine the problem
   Ask the Problem Owner to reframe their problem starting with:
   → “How might I / we / they…” or “In what ways might…” 
   This encourages fresh language and perspective. The Problem Owner might need help from the group here!

6. Sense-check as a group
   Invite the group to challenge, stretch, or test the new definition.
   → But the final say remains with the Problem Owner.

Results

• A more meaningful, actionable, and precise version of the original problem

• A shared sense of what’s really going on

• Greater ownership and readiness for ideation

Things to flag up

• The original problem wording often hides embedded assumptions.

• The power is in shifting the lens, not fixing the phrasing.

• Keep the group from jumping into solutions too early.

Riffs & variations

• Have one group do Frame Game and another group do Framestorming and compare results