For a long time, problem-solving has been considered the most important skill for designers. But I’ve always thought about it a little differently. If the very first decision—choosing which problem to work on—is wrong, everything that follows in the process of solving it becomes meaningless.
It isn’t designers’ fault that they became confined to a problem-solving mindset. Work processes were structured that way, and the physical act of executing design also took a great deal of time. As a result, however, designers rarely moved beyond the role of an operator.
The experience and execution skills needed to solve problems certainly remain valuable. But many designers now meet that standard, and as the times have changed, those skills have become less effective as a differentiator in the competition for jobs. The core skill now required of designers is no longer problem-solving.
Why problem framing has become important for designers
The change has already begun. With news about AI arriving every day, the time needed for design work is gradually decreasing—and it may almost disappear before long. But just as the role evolved from web designer to UI/UX designer and then to product designer, I believe this change will ultimately move in a direction that increases the value of designers.
The problem is that, along the way, some people will inevitably fall behind or be left out. Can I be sure I won’t be one of them? This shift towards requiring problem-framing skills is happening in other professions at the same time. It also seems connected to the increasingly blurred boundaries between roles.
What is problem framing?
When I mentor designers who don’t have enough project material, I often recommend a solo project that can be completed quickly. Because the goal is to finish in around three to four weeks, they actively use AI for everything from generating ideas to developing the content.
And the question most people run into during this process is: Which of the many ideas AI produces should I choose? AI draws on vast amounts of data to offer many ideas, but it cannot judge their value and importance. Its answers look plausible, but most of the suggestions would struggle to gain recognition in the market. Unfortunately, most designers in this situation also fail to choose a problem worth solving.
So how can I make a better judgement than AI, quickly? This is the problem-framing ability designers need, and the human intuition that is difficult for AI to surpass.
When we meet someone for the first time, we form an intuitive first impression. After exchanging a few words, that impression becomes much clearer. The intuition may be wrong, but if we have accumulated enough data from human relationships, its accuracy can improve. Human intuition is not simply a gut feeling; it is the result of years of experience and complex context being processed in an instant. It is the human ability to connect subtle nuances and fragments hidden among countless pieces of data almost instantly.
AI is undoubtedly capable, but the real world is made up of countless variables that cannot be quantified. It is difficult for AI to make sound judgements amid complex interests and relationships involving context that numbers cannot capture, subtle psychology and shared understanding between people.
Ultimately, as technology advances, the capabilities we need will shift entirely towards understanding complex contexts that technology cannot replace and judging which problems to choose.
How much more value will design lose?
Design alone will no longer be enough to drive a designer’s career forward. The ability to design excellent products is still valuable for now, but before long, it seems that this area could be sufficiently replaced by an eye for design.
And even that is merely a fundamental skill that is unlikely to differentiate someone in UI/UX. The value of the skills designers have long been expected to possess will inevitably become more standardised and automated at a rapid pace. To build a good career, problem framing will inevitably become the most important criterion for judgement. So what should we do?
How is problem-framing ability developed?
I believe problem-framing ability is built through the following four stages:
Accumulating data (Input)
This is the stage of collecting the raw material for perspectives. Just as AI learns from data, people need to learn from writing and experiences across a range of fields.Broadening perspectives (Processing)
Perspectives are tools for interpreting data. As the information we collect becomes connected, our view of the world expands, enabling us to analyse a particular problem from multiple angles.Forming intuition (Systemising)
When these broader perspectives become internalised through repeated learning, we develop an intuition that lets us instinctively recognise the right direction without needing a lengthy explanation.Improving problem-framing ability (Output)
Refined intuition ultimately manifests as the ability to judge a problem accurately amid many variables, without a complex reasoning process.
How can you improve problem-framing ability?
It is difficult to create a good product through excellent design alone. A good designer is not simply someone who is good at design, but someone who uses design as a tool to create real value.
For years, I have read every article introduced on design communities, every day. It isn’t easy, but to recommend good articles, I also read all the pieces that don’t end up being curated. As a result, I have been able to maintain strong intuition without any other particular effort.
To add some credibility to that claim, the companies my mentees most often tell me they have been accepted into include highly competitive ones such as Toss, Naver and Kakao. If there is a more effective method, it is to make many attempts and experience many failures in actual work. But given real-world constraints, reading is the most practical, lowest-cost way to keep gaining experience indirectly.
Thinking about the next step for designers
As I’ve mentioned a few times, I did not major in design, nor did I have a senior mentor or receive formal design training. I built my career through a great deal of trial and error. I began at a small company, then worked at an agency, various startups and a large company before becoming a founder. Along the way, I read a wide range of articles and broadened my perspective on my own.
I have long believed that anyone can build a good career if they understand the information they need and put their effort in the right direction. But after running the service for more than six years, I realised there was a limit: people interpret things differently, or cannot apply them to their own circumstances.
