Aglet

Prioritize Which Product Problem to Frame Next

Problem framing competes with delivery pressure, so the queue should explain why one unclear problem deserves attention first. Prioritize cases where a wrong frame would send substantial work in the wrong direction or leave an important group without a usable outcome.

Decide where the work belongs

  1. Compare the consequence of framing wrong

    Describe what users lose when each candidate is misunderstood: time, access, confidence, continuity, or a downstream decision. Include the people who inherit the cost. Do not let a request with a larger budget automatically outrank a blocked outcome.

  2. Assess evidence and ambiguity

    Review the current journey, source records, interviews, and constraints for each problem. Mark where the request mixes several needs or prescribes one solution. Prefer a framing round when different interpretations would lead to different product choices.

  3. Choose a framing queue

    Select a problem, research question, owner, and review date. Defer candidates with a clear reason and a trigger such as new evidence or a changed constraint. Record a reversible next step instead of committing to a feature before the frame is tested.

What to carry forward

The priority output is a queue of problem frames with consequence, ambiguity, evidence quality, owner, and revisit trigger. Start with the frame whose misunderstanding would waste the most effort or exclude the most important outcome. Keep solution requests separate from the problem queue.

Technical background: GOV.UK user research guidance.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

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