The essentials of a customer problem statement

The problem statement is an essential aspect of creating products and services that effectively meet the needs of users. It's a straightforward yet powerful tool that brings clarity to the development process. In this article, we will delve into its nuances to ensure that your efforts align precisely with customer requirements. So, what exactly is a customer problem?

What is a customer problem statement?

The customer problem statement outlines customer issues and guides the development process to address real needs. It serves as a map, so you and your team can understand your customer journey pain points and focus on what really matters when developing solutions. Here are a few reasons why you should use a customer problem statement:

Clarity: Provides a clear understanding of what needs to be solved.

Alignment: Ensures team efforts are focused on customer needs.

Efficiency: Helps prioritize features or services that offer the most value.

How to use the customer problem statement according to your role

Each member of a product team interacts with the customer problem statement differently, reflecting their unique contributions to product development:

Product Managers

Use it to validate product strategy and prioritize features that directly address customer needs. They need a comprehensive understanding of the problem scope and its business impact.

UX Researchers and designers

Use it as a foundation for user research, design thinking, and to ensure solutions are deeply rooted in solving real user problems. They require deep insights into user behaviors, emotions, and the underlying reasons for their frustrations.

Developers

Rely on it to understand the context behind the features they're building, ensuring their work is aligned with user needs. They seek clarity on the problem to ensure their technical solutions are relevant and user-centric.

Marketing specialists

Craft compelling narratives around it, highlighting how the product solves critical customer issues. They look for emotionally resonant elements within the problem statement to connect with potential users.

Simple rules when writing your customer problem statement

When writing a customer problem statement, it is important to keep in mind a few simple rules to ensure that your statement is clear, concise, and effective:

Be Specific

A precise statement helps identify the exact problem, making it easier to address. For example, rather than saying "users find our site difficult to use," specify which aspect of the site is problematic, like navigation or checkout process.

Focus on the customer

Write from the perspective of the customer's experience. Avoid technical jargon and focus on how the problem impacts the customer, not the technology behind it.

Keep it simple

The statement should be concise and free of complex language to ensure it's easily understood by everyone on the team. Aim for one or two sentences that anyone, regardless of their role, can grasp.

The 5 components of a customer problem statement

A customer problem statement is used to identify the underlying issue that needs to be addressed. It provides clarity and helps to understand the root cause of the customer's problem. When drafting a problem statement, there are five key components that need to be considered:

1. The problem

Dive deep into the user's issues, leveraging qualitative and quantitative data to paint a comprehensive picture.

2. Affected users

Define the demographics or user segments most impacted, using personas as a reference to humanize the data.

3. Consequences

Explore both the immediate and long-term effects of the problem on users and the business, using scenarios to illustrate potential impacts vividly.

4. Scope

Quantify the extent of the issue, employing user data and market analysis to frame the problem's magnitude.

5. Vision for success

Describe the best user experience post-solution implementation, using aspirational yet achievable targets.

How do you write a problem statement?

When creating a problem statement, it is crucial to gather all the relevant information, clearly define the issue, and use language that is both precise and concise. To write an effective customer problem statement, you can follow these steps:

Empathize with your users: Start with user research to understand their needs and pain points.

Define the problem: Use insights from your research to write a clear statement of the problem, focusing on the user's perspective.

Identify who is affected: Specify which user groups are most impacted by the problem.

Analyze the consequences: Consider what will happen if the problem remains unsolved, both for users and the business.

Scope the problem: Determine the extent of the issue to understand its magnitude.

Envision the outcome: Describe the positive change that will occur by solving the problem.

What now? Improving your customer problem statement process

Start with broad user research

Diversify your research methods to include surveys, interviews, observation, and analytics to gather a wide array of insights about your users' challenges and needs.

Involve cross-functional teams early

Bring together members from product management, design, development, and marketing to collaborate on the problem statement. This ensures a holistic view of the problem from various perspectives.

Iterate with user feedback

Regularly validate and refine your problem statement based on continuous user feedback. This iterative approach ensures the problem statement evolves with your understanding of user needs.

Use tools for collaboration

Platforms like Miro facilitate dynamic collaboration, allowing teams to visualize research findings, brainstorm solutions, and refine problem statements in real-time.

Regularly review and update

Treat your problem statement as a living document that reflects the latest understanding of your users' needs. Schedule regular reviews to ensure it remains accurate and relevant.

3 Examples of Customer Problem Statements

Below are three examples of problem statements that can be used to identify issues and guide the development of solutions in various contexts:

E-commerce website

"Users find it challenging to locate products that suit their preferences within our extensive inventory, leading to shopping cart abandonment."

Why it works: This statement is specific (identifies the issue as product discoverability) and focuses on a critical metric impacting business success—shopping cart abandonment.

Mobile banking app

"Customers express anxiety and confusion when attempting to track their expenditures, indicating a lack of intuitive tools for financial management."

Why it works: It highlights emotional user experiences (anxiety, confusion) and points towards a solution—intuitive financial management tools.

Online learning platform

"Learners frequently disengage from courses before completion, citing a lack of interactive feedback as a key deterrent."

Why it works: This statement addresses both a symptom (course abandonment) and a possible underlying cause (lack of interactive feedback), suggesting a direct area for improvement.

Current trends and best practices

When you incorporate the latest practices and trends into your process of identifying customer problems, your product team can significantly improve their ability to recognize and express the core issues faced by your users. This, in turn, leads to the creation of more targeted and effective solutions and promotes a culture of empathy and user-centricity throughout the team. Check out the latest when it comes to crafting problem statements:

Data-driven insights

Leveraging big data and analytics to understand user behavior and identify problems. This trend emphasizes the importance of grounding problem statements in quantifiable evidence.

Empathy mapping

Using empathy maps to dive deeper into the user's emotional landscape. This technique helps uncover not just what users do, but why they do it, enriching the problem statement with deeper insights.

Agile iteration

Adopting agile methodologies not just in development but in the problem statement process as well. This approach involves rapid iterations based on user feedback and evolving market trends.

User story integration

Incorporating user stories into the problem statement process to create a narrative that vividly describes the user's journey, challenges, and needs.

AI and machine learning

AI tools are employed to analyze user feedback and behavior on a large scale, identifying patterns and insights that can refine the problem statement.

Use Miro for your customer problem statement

Crafting a problem statement to understand user issues is a complex process that requires a collaborative and dynamic approach. When using Miro, teams can benefit from a robust framework for defining and understanding user problems, as well as a platform that supports seamless transition from problem identification to solution development. This ensures that every effort is informed, focused, and aligned with delivering value to users. A well-crafted problem statement is the cornerstone of user-centric innovation, therefore reinforcing the importance of taking the time to get it right. Happy problem-solving!