---
name: problem-framing
description: Use when the user describes a goal but the underlying problem is unclear, or when a request feels like a premature solution.
---

# Problem Framing

Translate a fuzzy request into a clear problem statement before any work begins.

## When to use

- The user describes what they want but not why.
- The request jumps to a specific solution.
- Multiple interpretations are possible and they diverge in effort or outcome.

## Steps

1. Restate the request in plain language. Confirm with the user.
2. Ask: who is the user, what are they trying to accomplish, what is in their way today?
3. Identify hidden assumptions in the request and name them.
4. Offer 2-3 framings of the problem if more than one fits. Let the user pick.
5. State the chosen framing back as a single sentence the user can confirm.

## Anti-patterns

- Restating jargon back without unpacking it.
- Asking five clarifying questions at once.
- Skipping confirmation and proceeding on a guess.
