The Customer Problem Canvas

Patrick van der Pijl

Report

The Customer Problem Canvas helps you move from assumptions to a clear, structured understanding of a problem.

Customer problem: It forces you to define the real problem, its context, and triggers—separating root causes from symptoms.
Who has it: You identify specific customer segments, avoiding the trap of designing for “everyone.”
Size of the problem: You assess frequency, impact, and scale to see if it’s worth solving.
Alternatives: You map what customers already do, revealing competitors and workarounds.
Value propositions: With these insights, you can design better, more targeted solutions.

Overall, it ensures you solve relevant, high-impact problems instead of guessing.

Patrick van der Pijl

Business Designer @ Business Models Inc.

Patrick van der Pijl is a business design leader and CEO of Business Models Inc. He co-produced Business Model Generation and co-authored Design a Better Business and Business Model Shifts. His latest book, Augmented Collaboration, explores how AI and humans work together to boost innovation. He helps organizations design better strategies through collaboration and experimentation.