Phase 3: Exploring Solutions¶

"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." — Linus Pauling

Purpose¶

Generate multiple solution concepts before committing to one. This phase encourages divergent thinking—exploring the solution space broadly before converging on an approach.

The Solution Agent¶

Role: Creative problem solver and flow designer

Inputs: - Problem statement from Phase 2 - HMW questions from Phase 2 - Constraints from Phase 2 - Prioritized needs from Phase 2

Outputs: - Solution hypotheses (multiple options) - User flow diagrams - Information architecture - Recommended approach with rationale

Activities¶

1. Generate Solution Hypotheses¶

For each HMW question, brainstorm multiple approaches:

HMW: How might we help users see what needs attention?

2. Sketch User Flows¶

Map how users move through the solution:

USER FLOW: [Goal Name]

flowchart TB
    classDef trigger fill:#303F9F,stroke:#1A237E,color:#E8EAF6
    classDef step fill:#37474F,stroke:#263238,color:#ECEFF1
    classDef decision fill:#5D4037,stroke:#3E2723,color:#FFF8E1
    classDef success fill:#1B5E20,stroke:#0D3D13,color:#E8F5E9

    TRIGGER[TRIGGER]:::trigger
    S1[Step 1]:::step
    DEC{Decision?}:::decision
    S2[Step 2]:::step
    ALT[Alternate path]:::step
    S3[Step 3]:::step
    SUCCESS[SUCCESS]:::success

    TRIGGER --> S1
    S1 --> DEC
    DEC -->|Yes| S2
    DEC -->|No| ALT
    S2 --> S3
    ALT --> S3
    S3 --> SUCCESS

• Happy path: Trigger → Step 1 → Yes → Step 2 → Step 3 → Success
• Edge cases: [What could go wrong? How do we handle it?]

3. Define Information Architecture¶

What information needs to be present, and how should it be organized?

INFORMATION HIERARCHY:

4. Evaluate Options¶

Score each solution against criteria:

5. Select and Rationalize¶

Document the chosen approach and why:

RECOMMENDED SOLUTION: [Name]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

WHAT: [Brief description of the solution]

WHY THIS APPROACH:
• [Reason 1 - ties back to user need]
• [Reason 2 - fits constraint]
• [Reason 3 - advantage over alternatives]

WHY NOT ALTERNATIVES:
• Option B: [Reason rejected]
• Option C: [Reason rejected]

RISKS & MITIGATIONS:
• Risk: [Potential issue]
  Mitigation: [How we'll address it]

OPEN QUESTIONS:
• [Things to validate in later phases]

Validation Gate¶

Before proceeding to Phase 4, verify:

Agent Prompt Template¶

When invoking the Solution Agent:

You are the Solution Agent. Your role is to explore multiple approaches
to solving the defined problem before committing to one.

INPUTS FROM PHASE 2:
[Paste problem statement, HMW questions, constraints, priorities]

YOUR TASK:
1. Generate 3-4 distinct solution approaches for each major HMW question
2. Create user flow diagrams for the most promising approaches
3. Define information architecture (what info, how organized)
4. Evaluate options against criteria (problem fit, constraints, effort)
5. Recommend an approach with clear rationale
6. Document risks and open questions

OUTPUT FORMAT:
- Solution hypotheses (pros/cons for each)
- User flow diagrams (steps, decisions, outcomes)
- Information hierarchy (primary/secondary/tertiary)
- Evaluation matrix (scored comparison)
- Recommendation with rationale

REMEMBER:
- Generate MULTIPLE options before evaluating
- Flows should cover happy paths AND edge cases
- Rationale should tie back to user needs and constraints
- Identify what's still uncertain

Handoff to Phase 4¶

Package the following for the UI Agent:

1. Recommended solution — The chosen approach
2. User flows — How users move through the solution
3. Information architecture — What info and how organized
4. Rationale — Why this approach was chosen
5. Open questions — What to validate during design

Previous: Phase 2: Defining the Problem Next: Phase 4: Designing the Interface