Register

Register for the class on Maven:

Class Timeframe

• 4 weeks
• 4 hour class commitment per week
• 5 hour homework commitment per week
• 16 total live class instruction hours

Class Level

This is an introductory ProblemOps class. It covers the foundations you need for more advanced ProblemOps coursework.

Overview

UX designers, UX researchers, product owners, and product managers don't just deliver solutions. At the heart of it all, they solve problems.

They're either solving problems for users, for clients, for colleagues, or for a business for which they work. Problem-solving is at the heart of ALL the work.

Teams also need to communicate the significance of the problem and convince people why it's worth solving. They need to build a common understanding across different work functions. Without doing this, they're simply taking orders and who knows if the solution will actually meet needs in the world. It depends on whether you're solving the right user problems in the first place.

The advent of AI can help teams tell the right story about problem scenarios they are trying to solve. This class teaches you how to solve the right problem, and how to solve the problem correctly, and how to utilize AI as a tool for powerful requirements delivery on Agile teams.

Why Take This Class?

The next time someone asks for a solution, you'll be equipped with tools to break it down into user problems, user goals, user need, and more. You’ll have the skills to build a common understanding with all different kinds of work functions so that you can work together. Through this you will build better things for the world and empower teams to do better work.

Skills Taught in This Class

Technical Skills

1. Problem-Solving
2. Critical thinking
3. Prioritization
4. Requirements writing

Interpersonal Skills

1. Communication
2. Buy-in generation
3. Decision making
4. Collaboration

Deliverables

1. Discovery Backlog
2. Assumption maps
3. Requirements
   1. Problem statements
   2. Use cases
   3. User goals
   4. User needs
   5. User stories

Audiences

1. UX researchers and UX designers
2. Product managers and product owners
3. Project managers
4. Technical experts
5. Business analysts
6. Business leaders

Learning Outcomes

1. Communicate current state scenarios and challenges for different audience.
2. Build a shared language around anticipated changes.
3. Understand how solve the right problem, and solve the problem correctly.
4. Implement problem-solving operations in Agile teams.
5. Document user, business, and technical needs.
6. Understand the applications for problem-solving in different work industries.
7. Create well-crafted user stories and acceptance criteria.
8. Analyze how problem-solving applies to different kinds of work on teams.

Weekly Schedule and Dates

Go to the specific page to find your cohort’s schedule:

Costs

This class requires a $50.00 USD registration fee per student.

Register

Register for the class on Maven.

Curriculum

Week 1 - Introduction to Scenario-Based Problem Solving

1. Introduction to ProblemOps
2. Continuous and incremental problem-solving
3. Agile product and service development
4. Who owns requirements?
5. What does it take to build requirements?
6. The 4 C's of ProblemOps
7. Developing a common language around change

Week 2 - Understanding the Current State of the World

1. Assumption forming and testing
2. The solution vs. the problem vs. the goal vs. the need
3. Understanding the current state of the world
4. Depicting use case scenarios
5. Forming use case-based problem statements
6. Forming situational goals and situational needs
7. Communicating the language of change

Week 3 - Problem Statement Working Sessions

Working sessions dedicated to creating and revising requirements:

1. Use cases
2. Scenario-based problem statements
3. Situational user goals
4. Situational user needs
5. User story statements

Week 4 - Problem Statement Working Sessions

Working sessions dedicated to creating and revising requirements:

1. Use cases
2. Scenario-based problem statements
3. Situational user goals
4. Situational user needs
5. User story statements

Class Workshop Templates

1. Scenario-based Problem Statements
2. User Goals, User Needs, User Stories
3. Discovery Backlog

Homework

1. Current state use cases
2. Scenario-based problem statements
3. Situational user goals
4. Situational user needs
5. User story statements

Class Tools

1. Collaboration - We’re going to use Figjam for class collaboration and discussions.
2. Communication - We’ll use Maven's portal for communications.
3. Class meetings - We’re using Google Meet for class meetings. All classmates will be invited to the calendar invites from the email they use to register.
4. Documentation - You should document your homework and assignments in Figjam. This helps you draft and revise content easily, and allows you to work with others to do it.