✍️ From Insight to Action: Framing Strategy with Empathy
1️⃣ Real-World Use Case
Reframing Urban Mobility for Non-Drivers
A mobility startup was struggling to improve adoption of its citywide app among non-driving residents—especially elderly users, young commuters, and low-income families.
Rather than guessing at features, the team ran a Design Thinking Define session using structured user insights. They used this prompt to translate interviews into a crisp problem statement and three "How Might We" (HMW) questions.
The result: fast alignment on the real challenge—and three focused directions for ideation around access, confidence, and support. All in under 20 minutes.
2️⃣ Powerful Prompt
Role: You are a strategy facilitator leading the Define phase of a Design Thinking session.
Context: You’ve just finished the Empathize phase. Based on the following verified insights, frame the next step.
Insights:
Many non-driving users feel uncertain about planning multimodal trips.
Real-time updates are often missed due to app fatigue or notification overload.
Confidence increases significantly after the first successful trip.
Task:
Create a problem statement using this format: “[User group] needs a way to [need] because [insight].”
Then, generate 3 “How Might We” (HMW) questions that directly explore the problem—no fluff, no theory.
Output:
One clear problem statement
Three tightly framed HMW questions
✅ Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Swap in your own user insights to reframe your product or service challenge.
3️⃣ Why It Works (mental-model stack)
This prompt stacks Design Thinking principles with proven strategy tools:
Empathize → Define → Ideate: Keeps your team in sequence—don’t skip the define.
Jobs to Be Done: Centers user needs instead of jumping to solutions.
Clarity-First Framing: Prevents vague ideation by anchoring in real problems.
The result? Shared understanding, crisp decision space, and multiple angles into idea generation.
4️⃣ How to Tweak It for Your Org
Sector/Team | Application Example | Tip |
|---|---|---|
Healthcare | Use for patient experience or caregiver design | “Caregivers need a way to…” |
Financial Services | Explore literacy, onboarding, or trust gaps | “First-time investors need a way to…” |
Public Sector | Tackle equity, access, or service barriers | “Unhoused residents need a way to…” |
Internal Ops Teams | Improve tools or workflow efficiency | “Ops staff need a way to…” |
Cross-Functional Teams | Split by persona or region | Compare how different teams frame problems |
5️⃣ How to Use This in Your Next Session
✅ Use when:
• You’ve finished user research and need a clear next step
• You’re kicking off ideation or shaping a sprint
• Your team is misaligned on what the real problem is
📥 What you need:
• 3–5 validated insights from interviews, surveys, or support logs
• A collaborative session (live or async)
🧭 Action flow:
Collect 3–5 sharp insights
Drop them into the prompt
Run it through your AI tool
Review and refine with your team
Use the HMWs as launchpads for ideation or prioritization
⏱ Time required:
• 15–20 minutes (10 mins solo + 10 mins team review)
Think better, frame smarter, decide sharper. – Clarity Prompts team
