Learn how to set up a design thinking project for success. Scope the challenge, identify constraints, define success criteria, and align your team before research begins.
Every design thinking project starts with a simple question: what problem are we actually trying to solve? The Initialize stage exists to answer that question before you invest time in research, ideation, or prototyping.
Skip this stage and you will regret it. Teams that rush into empathy research without first framing the challenge tend to collect unfocused data, interview the wrong people, and end up three weeks later with a wall of sticky notes that don't add up to anything useful.
Most design thinking frameworks start with "Empathize." We add Initialize as a distinct first stage because, in practice, the difference between a productive design thinking project and a frustrating one almost always comes down to how well the challenge was framed at the start.
A well-initialized project gives your team three things:
Think of it as drawing the edges of the puzzle before you start filling in the pieces.
The challenge statement is a one or two sentence description of the problem space you want to explore. It should be broad enough to allow discovery but narrow enough to be actionable within your timeline and resources.
Here is what a bad challenge statement looks like: "Improve the customer experience." That is too vague. Improve which part? For which customers? What counts as "improved"?
A better version: "Reduce the friction that first-time users experience when setting up their account in our mobile app." That gives you a specific user (first-time), a specific context (mobile app setup), and a specific focus (friction/difficulty).
Notice that the challenge statement does not prescribe a solution. It does not say "redesign the onboarding flow" or "add a tutorial." It describes the problem space and leaves the solution open. That openness is intentional. If you already know the solution, you do not need design thinking.
Who are the people affected by this challenge? Be specific. "Our users" is not specific enough. You need to identify which segment of users you are focusing on and why.
Useful questions to answer at this stage:
You do not need full personas yet. That comes later, during the Empathize stage. Right now you just need enough clarity to plan your research.
Every project operates within constraints. Acknowledging them up front prevents wasted effort later. Common constraints include:
Constraints are not obstacles. They are design parameters. Some of the most creative solutions emerge precisely because of constraints, not despite them.
How will you know if your solution works? Define this before you start, not after. Success criteria keep you honest and prevent the common trap of declaring success based on how much effort you invested rather than how much impact you created.
Good success criteria are specific and measurable:
If you cannot define measurable criteria yet, that is fine. Start with qualitative goals ("Users should feel confident navigating the setup process without help") and plan to refine them as your understanding deepens during research.
If you are working with a team, spend 60 to 90 minutes in an initialization workshop. Here is a simple format:
Starting too broad. "Reimagine the future of healthcare" might sound inspiring, but it gives your team nothing to act on. Narrow it down. You can always widen the scope later if research reveals a bigger opportunity.
Starting too narrow. "Add a progress bar to the signup form" is a solution, not a challenge. If you have already decided what to build, you do not need design thinking.
Skipping constraints. A team that does not discuss constraints up front will inevitably propose solutions that cannot be built, funded, or shipped. Surface the constraints early so creativity happens within realistic boundaries.
Not involving stakeholders. If someone with decision-making power was not part of initialization, expect them to challenge your direction later. Get alignment early.
With the challenge framed, users identified, and constraints documented, you are ready to move into the Empathize stage where you will talk to real people, observe real behaviors, and challenge every assumption you wrote down during initialization.
The brief you created is a living document. Expect it to evolve as you learn. The point is not to get it perfect. The point is to get your team aligned and your research focused.
Related guides: empathize stage · define stage · ideate stage
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