Map the Problem Space
Map the Problem Space is a Stanford d.school activity in which you chart how a topic shows up on six layers: data, technologies, products, experiences, systems and implications. It comes from Sarah Stein Greenberg's book Creative Acts for Curious People, with Carissa Carter, Megan Stariha and Mark Grundberg credited as contributors. Filling the layers side by side makes visible how they depend on each other and where design work could intervene beyond the obvious product.
Facilitation script
- 1
Introduce the six layers with one familiar example, name the topic for the session and write it at the top of the poster.
5 min - 2
Fill the products and experiences layers. Everyone writes notes in silence for a few minutes, then posts and reads them out.
8 min - 3
Fill data and technologies. Ask what is collected, by whom, what runs in the background and what is new.
8 min - 4
Fill systems and implications. Ask which institutions, platforms and rules shape the topic, and what changes in society if things continue this way. Collect negative and unintended effects explicitly.
8 min - 5
Connect the layers. Have the group draw lines between notes that depend on each other and talk through the two or three strongest chains from data up to implications.
8 min - 6
Mark intervention points and the implications people care about most. Write two or three opportunity statements and agree which to take forward.
8 min
Tips
Groups fill products and experiences quickly and then stall on data and systems, so protect time for those two and ask who collects what, who sets the rules and who gets paid.
Push the implications layer past the first positive answers by asking who is worse off if this works at scale.
The connections between layers are the real output, so do not stop when the notes are up.
Common pitfalls
Stopping when the six layers are full without drawing connections, which leaves six separate lists and no view of how the layers interact
Listing only positive or intended implications, so the map supports the team's existing idea instead of testing it
Choosing a topic so broad that every layer fills with generalities and no intervention point stands out
Spending most of the time on products because they are easy, leaving data and systems thin where the less obvious opportunities sit
Treating the map as research; it shows what the group currently believes and needs checking with real users and sources
Variations
The activity is written for one person but works well in groups of three to six around one poster. Larger groups can split into teams, map the same topic in parallel and compare which layers each team saw differently. For a remote session, build the six bands on a shared whiteboard and give each layer its own note colour. Teams with more time can assign one layer per person as short desk research before the session and fill the map from findings instead of memory.
Where it fits
When to use it
A team is about to start a design project and so far talks about the topic only in terms of the app or product
The work involves data or emerging technology and you want consequences for society on the table before solutions are drawn
You have a broad theme and need to choose where in it to work
Specialists from different fields need a shared view of a topic that each of them knows from one layer only
You want a quick first map of a new field before planning research
When not to use it
The problem is already narrow and well understood; go straight to a point of view statement or How Might We questions
You need to find the cause of a specific failure; use the 5 Whys or an Ishikawa diagram
You need to understand actors and their relationships in detail; a stakeholder map or ecosystem map is more precise
Nobody in the group knows the topic; the map would be filled with guesses, so do interviews or desk research first
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Map the Problem Space?▾
It is a design activity from the Stanford d.school for looking at a topic on six layers at once: data, technologies, products, experiences, systems and implications. You write examples for each layer on sticky notes and then look for links between them. The result shows where design could intervene and what wider effects a solution might have.
What do the six layers mean?▾
Data is the information, sources and algorithms involved. Technologies are the technical building blocks, established or emerging. Products are the physical and digital things, experiences are the moments, spaces and feelings, systems are the platforms, institutions and governance around them, and implications are the resulting changes in society, whether intended or not.
How long does Map the Problem Space take?▾
The d.school gives 30 to 45 minutes. A group of four to six on a rich topic will use the full 45 minutes. Add time if you want to turn the marked intervention points into opportunity statements in the same session.
Can a group use it, or is it an individual exercise?▾
It is written as an individual activity and works for one person with a sheet of paper. Small groups of up to six can share one poster, which adds the benefit of different people knowing different layers. With more people, run parallel teams and compare maps.
Who created Map the Problem Space?▾
It is published by the Stanford d.school and appears in Sarah Stein Greenberg's book Creative Acts for Curious People. The d.school page credits Carissa Carter, Megan Stariha and Mark Grundberg as contributors. The resource is shared under a Creative Commons non-commercial share-alike licence.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Stanford d.school (Sarah Stein Greenberg, Creative Acts for Curious People; contributors Carissa Carter, Megan Stariha, Mark Grundberg).