Getting the wrong answer helps you innovate (and find the real problem faster)
Most design work begins with a problem statement.
Sometimes it’s crystal clear. But let’s be honest… most of the time, it’s not.
It’s ambiguous. Messy. Written by five stakeholders in a rush. It says “redesign the workflow” but doesn’t explain what’s broken, why users are frustrated, or what success even looks like. And that’s where most designers get stuck—polishing solutions to the wrong problem.
Here’s the twist: designing the worst possible solution might be the fastest way to find out what the real problem actually is.
The trouble with ambiguous problems.
When the problem statement is fuzzy, it creates what I call “false clarity.”
You think you understand the challenge.
You make assumptions about what matters.
You design neat, safe solutions that solve… something.
But if the problem itself is vague, you’re optimising for the wrong thing. That’s why so many redesigns look great but feel irrelevant—because the team never understood what they were truly solving.
Why the wrong answer brings the right questions.
When you sketch the worst possible solution first, something powerful happens:
You spot the assumptions buried inside the problem statement.
You uncover hidden pain points you didn’t even know existed.
You figure out what doesn’t matter so you can focus on what does.
It’s like deliberately drawing the map with all the cliffs, swamps, and dead ends first. Once you know where the danger lies, the safe paths become obvious.
The anchoring effect works in your favour.
Psychologists call this anchoring. Your first idea sets the baseline for everything else.
Start with something polished? You risk anchoring to a pretty but pointless idea.
Start with something awful? Suddenly, you see the edges, the extremes, the limits of what the design can handle.
You can’t define “good” without knowing what “bad” looks like first.
Six questions for exposing the real problem
Here’s what you should ask yourself when the problem statement feels vague:
How would I make this experience completely unusable?
How can I conceal the value so that nobody notices it’s useful?
What would instantly destroy trust?
How can I ensure that nobody can find or use this?
How could I make it unnecessarily slow or frustrating?
How could I make the user feel stupid for even trying?
By sketching the worst-case scenario, you quickly discover what people actually care about. That vague “redesign the workflow” request? You’ll discover the workflow isn’t the problem—the onboarding is. Or maybe it’s the speed. Or the feedback loop.
Finding the real edges
Here’s the key:
Constraints are the rules you can work within. Often negotiable.
Boundaries are where the whole thing falls apart.
Most problem statements blur the two. By exploring terrible ideas, you separate fake constraints from real boundaries—and discover the problem faster than endless rounds of “safe” brainstorming.
Why Innovation Needs a Little Chaos
Innovation doesn’t happen when everyone plays it safe. It happens when you explore the edges, including the ones that feel risky or wrong.
Think of Dyson building thousands of prototypes or Edison testing hundreds of filaments. They weren’t wasting time. They were mapping failure to find success.
Deliberately designing the “wrong” answer is the fastest way to stop guessing and start understanding.
How to try this today
Here’s a simple way to start:
Take your next ambiguous problem statement.
Spend seven minutes sketching the worst possible solution you can imagine.
Ask the six questions above.
Look for the real pain points hidden inside your bad idea.
Keep it rough. No Figma polish, no “final” designs. The point isn’t to build failure. It’s to learn from it.
The Takeaway
When problem statements are messy, and they usually are, starting with the wrong answer clears the fog faster than any “safe” design process ever will.
Terrible ideas reveal the real problem.
They give you perspective.
They ensure that the solution you ultimately ship is effective.
So yes, go on. Sketch the worst idea you can imagine this week. You might uncover the thing that turns an ambiguous brief into a crystal-clear opportunity.
Designed for Humans is here to create experiences that are not only thoughtful but different and innovative, exploring the worst possible ideas to make the best path forward shine.
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