A Solution in Search of a Problem

“People always ask me for a boat,” a designer friend once said to me. “I wish they would just ask for a way to get across the river.”

We all get two types of requests.

Type 1: A problem in search of a solution.
Classic, but oddly rare. Example: “Our museum has run out of space for educational programs.” Clearly a problem without a solution yet. Solutions: building, renting, moving, rethinking, etc.

Type 2: A solution in search of a problem.
Strangely, perhaps most common. Someone comes to you with a solution they want help to create. But the problem isn't fully identified. So the solution doesn't fully solve it.

Some solutions that aren't problems:

“We need a touchscreen so visitors can donate in bitcoin.”
"We need an immersive art show that retirees will Instagram.”
”We need [insert anything] using holograms.”

Here’s the thing:
A solution in search of a problem usually falls short of what could have been.

Try asking (nicely), “What problem does this solve?” See if you can find the actual problem. And consider tweaking the solution ... to solve it.

Warmly,
Jonathan

P.S. Thanks to Trent Oliver for inspiring me to finish this one.