Good thinking.
Grounded in reality.

Understand
the context.

Before choosing a solution, define the question.

Start with the people, the place and the purpose. Establish what is happening today and what a better outcome would mean in practice.

• Clarify the challenge and the desired outcome
• Review available information and identify missing evidence
• Understand site, budget, operational and time constraints
• Agree what success would look like and how to assess it

Connect
the system.

Look for relationships that individual parts can hide.

Map how the physical systems, the data and the way people use them interact. A broader view can reveal dependencies before they become problems.

• Map the relevant systems and their interactions
• Identify the assumptions that influence the decision
• Compare alternatives within the same boundaries
• Make tradeoffs and uncertainty explicit

Explore
the possibilities.

Make the important assumptions testable.

Use an appropriate level of analysis, modelling or prototyping to investigate the question. The depth should match the consequences of the decision.

• Choose a method suited to the question
• Build models or prototypes where they add useful evidence
• Test different operating conditions and scenarios
• Review practical feasibility alongside technical performance

Refine
through evidence.

Let observations inform the next step.

Where a project proceeds to implementation, define how performance can be evaluated. A useful solution should remain understandable as conditions and needs change.

• Define meaningful observations and performance measures
• Compare intended behaviour with what can be observed
• Document findings, limitations and open questions
• Identify appropriate adjustments and future work