Merrick Christensen's Avatar
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.Leonardo Davinci

Scenario vs. Problem Solving

2013-08-25

What is Scenario Solving?

A scenario is typically just one narrow manifestation of a much broader problem. Scenario solving is taking one narrow segment of a problem and solving it without considering the scope or context of the problem itself.

What is Problem Solving?

Problem-solving is considering the entire scope of the problem and implementing a solution. A problem can be thought of as an aggregate of scenarios, the solution to which resolves the majority of the problem's scenarios. A scenario is typically just one manifestation of a much more general problem.

The Difference

Scenario solving results in a fragmented user experience. While problem-solving results in useful primitives that can be composed to build features significantly faster and more efficiently.