Defining a Problem Before Solving It

Lab Brief #3

🎯 Your mission

Master the concept. Use it tomorrow.

⚡ The twist

The first design always fails. That's the point.

What you'll learn

Engineers begin by stating exactly what needs to solve, for whom, and how success will be measured. A vague problem produces a vague design; a problem written as a testable statement tells you immediately whether your prototype worked.

Key words

design brief
A written statement of the problem, the user, and how success will be measured.
criteria
The requirements a solution must meet to count as successful.

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: what's the weakest part of this build?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "design brief" and "criteria" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Pick a real annoyance in your classroom or kitchen. Write it as a one-sentence problem statement naming the user and one measurable success test, then swap with a partner and check theirs is testable.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

A good problem statement must include a way to:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Criteria are the:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🛠️ The first computer bug was a literal moth stuck inside a machine in 1947.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: Prototypes and Iteration All lessons

🎯

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We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: Your phone, your bike, your shoes — all designed with this idea.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Build something — anything — out of stuff in your recycling bin.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”

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Defining a Problem Before Solving It

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