Framing the problem

Sun, Oct 6, 2019

Each day has its own set of challenges. Whether you’re working on projects or daily tasks, we need to understand what we are trying to solve. Sometimes it feels like the best thing to do is jump into the code to figure it out but without a proper way to contextualize the problem, you may be setting yourself up for failure.

Brainstorming

You can’t go wrong with pen and paper. Being able to draw out the problem or even write down the requirements can help with a high level overview of the situation. It also helps you develop good housekeeping practices if the problems get more difficult to manage from memory alone. Just get the pen moving and the rest will fall in place.

Problem emphasis

Understanding the big picture helps you divide out the steps to solve the problem. As an added bonus, being able to explain it to another also reinforces our comprehension. Talking it out can help you engineer better solutions to solve the problem.

Problem solving

Now that you have all the information necessary to SOLVE the problem, don’t be afraid to take a step back and validate your understanding. You might surprised what alternatives you can come up with!