Solution Statement Add/remove

Purpose:

A solution statement is a short sentence that clearly explains what your concept is, who it is for, and why it matters. Use this method when you need to communicate a concept to others (stakeholders, users, teammates), or test whether your idea is specific and understandable.

Step by step Facilitating tips Materials needed Goes well with Download template (pdf)

Tips to include participants who are not able to:

Ability to see

See

If participants are unable to see, verbally let the participant with the limited sight know how the template looks like, and remember to include their input equally, even though they cannot write the statement themselves.

Focus

If the ability to focus is limited because of time crunch, shorten down the time spent on creating the statement. If the ability is limited because of distractions, make sure facilitators keep a calm and attentive attitude, and prolong time for statement creation.

Hear

If participants have hearing impairment make sure they can communicate their thoughts either through a sign language interpreter (if present) or by asking them to write down their thoughts on the statement creation.
All participants could communicate through written form to include the hearing impaired participant.

Move

If participants are limited in motoric abilities, the template is either placed at a suitable height for wheelchair users or placed on the table.

Overview

Input

A concept you want to describe.

Output

A well-defined statement

Complexity

Medium

Time

15 mins

Participants

Min. 2

Activity

Core abilities:

  • Summarising and prioritising

  • Writing and refining wording

  • Agreeing on what matters most

Step by step:

  1. Choose the concept you want to describe (if more than one)

    1. Fill in the template quickly (do not overthink wording yet):

      • A [product/service] for [target customer]

      • that [what it does]

      • enabling [primary benefit]

      • unlike [existing alternatives]

  3. Read it out loud. If it sounds confusing or too long, simplify the language.

  4. Make an effort to make the statement specific. Replace vague words (e.g., “better”, “easy”, “innovative”) with concrete outcomes (e.g., “reduces setup time”, “supports one-hand use”, “works without an app”).

    Refine the sentence: aim for one sentence that anyone outside your project can understand quickly.

When doing this method you should consider:

  • A strong solution statement focuses on value and outcome, not a list of features.

  • Keep the target customer narrow enough to be meaningful (avoid “everyone”).

  • The “unlike…” part is important: it forces you to clarify what makes your solution distinct from what already exists.

  • If the statement becomes long, you are probably trying to include too many benefits – choose the primary one.

  • Expect the first draft to be messy. The method works best when you start writing anything and polish at the end.

Materials needed:

  • Solution statement template (printed or digital)

  • Pen and paper / post-its, or a shared document