The artifacts of this phase
Each phase of the Problem-Driven AI methodology produces specific artifacts. They are not optional. They are the evidence that the work was done rigorously and the memory that feeds everything that follows. In Problem Phase, the four artifacts capture a distinct type of knowledge: who surrounds the problem, what questions to ask, what patterns emerge from listening, and what the distilled definition of the real problem is.
| Artifact | Format | Built by |
|---|---|---|
| Actor Map | Collaborative visual board (Miro, FigJam, or physical whiteboard) | The full team during the kick-off |
| Interview Guide | Document (Google Docs) | The team during the kick-off, after the Actor Map |
| Synthesis Board | Collaborative visual board (Miro, FigJam, or physical whiteboard) | The full team in the synthesis session |
| Problem Statement | Half-page maximum document (Google Docs) | The team. Validated by users and Decision Owner |
1. Actor Map
Visual map of all actors surrounding the problem: who lives it, who decides if it gets solved, who is affected by the solution, who has tried to solve it, and who has hidden information. It ensures discovery isn't limited to the most obvious perspective and prevents the Invisible Stakeholder anti-pattern.
- Format: Collaborative visual board (Miro, FigJam, or physical whiteboard).
- Built by: The full team during the kick-off, before selecting interviewees.
- When it's created: First artifact of the phase. Built at the kick-off, before any interview takes place.
2. Interview Guide
Open question guide without leading questions. Includes interviewee context, opening, exploration, depth, and closing blocks. Includes at least one question that challenges the main hypothesis. It ensures consistency across interviews without sacrificing flexibility, allowing different team members to interview at the same quality level.
- Format: Document (Google Docs).
- Built by: The team during the kick-off, after the Actor Map.
- When it's created: At the kick-off, immediately after the Actor Map is complete.
3. Synthesis Board
Visual map of findings grouped by patterns. Includes anonymized individual findings, affinity groupings, identified tensions, outliers, confirmed and refuted hypotheses. It is the memory of the team's thinking process — it allows returning to the data at any point and reconstructing the reasoning that led to the Problem Statement.
- Format: Collaborative visual board (Miro, FigJam, or physical whiteboard).
- Built by: The full team after interviews, in the synthesis session.
- When it's created: After all interviews are complete, during the synthesis session.
4. Problem Statement
Problem definition of no more than half a page with seven elements: gap, owner, success criteria, constraints, actors, temporal context, and cost of inaction. It is the entry deliverable for Phase 2 (Solution Phase). If this document isn't precise, everything that follows is contaminated.
- Format: Half-page maximum document (Google Docs).
- Built by: The team. Product Lead drafts the initial version. Validated at two levels: internal (team agreement) and external (stakeholders recognize their problem).
- When it's created: Drafted after the synthesis session. Validated before moving to Phase 2.
An Actor Map without interviews produces a theoretical perspective. Interviews without synthesis produce individual anecdotes. Synthesis without a Problem Statement produces an intellectual exercise. The four artifacts together form a system where each amplifies the others.