Over the past six episodes, we delved deep into the Problem-Solution Symbiosis Framework for designing human-centered generative AI (genAI) tools. Today, I’ll recap the series and highlight the key takeaways and tools from the Framework that can help you and your team design genAI products that think with us, not for us.
ep. 44: Introducing the Problem-Solution Symbiosis Framework
GenAI is a technology solution unlocking new problem spaces at an unprecedented rate. This is a foundational challenge for human-centered design practitioners, because our current playbooks tend to focus on solving for existing problem spaces. I introduced the Problem-Solution Symbiosis (PSS) Framework to help resolve the tension between current human-centered approaches and the dynamics of genAI’s solution-first development.
The PSS Framework models the co-existence of problem space (solid purple line) and solution space (dotted orange line). When we embark on designing a new product built on genAI, problem and solution space exist in parallel. They converge over the course of product development, leading up to launch. This convergence is driven by touchpoints at which each space can symbiotically inform and evolve the other. Human-centered design practitioners can lead this convergence process, using the three PSS Framework tools we covered in later episodes.
ep. 45: Why We Need This Framework Now
This episode expanded on the foundational challenge of genAI unlocking new problem spaces at an unprecedented rate. We explored the first recorded use of the invention that inspired the phrase “a solution seeking a problem” - the laser.
The laser, like genAI and other disruptive technologies (e.g., the iPhone), was a technology solution unlocking new problem spaces. However, genAI differs from these other disruptive innovations due to its unprecedented speed of development and adoption. This takeaway is reinforced by the survey in today’s news roundup, suggesting that US-based genAI adoption has been faster than adoption of the personal computer and the internet.
GenAI’s rapid forward momentum creates urgency for human-centered design practitioners to sequence problem space exploration simultaneously with solution development, supported by the PSS Framework.
ep. 46: Why Systems Thinking
This episode introduced the link between the PSS framework and systems thinking to understand how genAI affects the ecosystems into which it is introduced. I shared the story of Operation Cat Drop: in the 1950s, the World Health Organization’s attempt to combat malaria in Borneo led to unintended consequences - decimation of the local cat population and a subsequent rise in rat-borne diseases. Equilibrium was only restored through the Royal Air Force airdropping cats to control the rat population.
Just as with Operation Cat Drop, problem-solving without considering system interactions can lead to unforeseen challenges. This is especially true for genAI, given its capacity for performing increasingly advanced “thinking tasks”. Practitioners need practical tools to think in systems, which is where episode 47 comes in.
ep. 47: How to Think in Systems: The Stakeholder Ecosystem Mapping Workshop
This episode introduced the Stakeholder Ecosystem Mapping Workshop, a practical tool from the PSS Framework. The workshop helps product teams reframe problem space as a system to proactively address risks and uncover hidden opportunities for genAI product design - insights that are often missed when focusing solely on the end user.
I walked through how to run this workshop, providing a free workshop template and examples. By considering the impact of AI solutions on an ecosystem early in the design process, teams can mitigate risks and uncover new opportunities for creating more sustainable and scalable solutions.
ep. 48: How to Understand Capabilities: Building GenAI Intuition
This episode introduces the second tool from the PSS Framework: building genAI intuition to help you and your team understand various genAI technologies’ strengths and weaknesses. This understanding can help you better identify what use cases the tech is best equipped to address.
I shared five practical intuition building strategies, from solo experimentation to structured playtests with your cross-functional team:
Get to Know Foundation Models: Spend hands-on time with frontier models to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Target Experimentation to Your Product Area: Use prompts and tasks specific to your domain to see how genAI performs in relevant contexts.
Learn from Your ML Engineers: Collaborate closely with ML engineers to gain insights into model capabilities and limitations.
Experience Your Competitive Landscape: Analyze and use existing tools your target audience currently employs to understand the ecosystem your genAI product will enter.
Team Workshops for Collective Understanding: Organize a cross-functional playtest workshop to build a shared comprehension of genAI capabilities.
ep. 49: How to Intentionally Delegate to Gen AI: The Cognitive Offloading Matrix
This episode introduces the third tool from the PSS Framework: the Cognitive Offloading Matrix. The matrix helps product teams decide which tasks to delegate to genAI to create solutions that are useful, desirable, and designed to think with us, not for us. I share guidance on how to apply the matrix to product design, marketing and for AI change management within organizations.
Conclusion
This series showcased how the PSS Framework can support industry practitioners in designing human-centered genAI technology. We examined why genAI poses a unique challenge compared to previous disruptive innovations, and introduced three practical tools for addressing this challenge: Stakeholder Ecosystem Mapping, Building genAI Intuition, and the Cognitive Offloading Matrix.
The primary aim of the PSS Framework is to provide teams with actionable strategies to think holistically and anticipate the impact of the technology they’re creating, ultimately enabling the development of genAI solutions that can benefit both individuals and society.
📣 Call to Action
The next step for the PSS Framework is to get more teams using it to help them navigate genAI product development, marketing and change management. If this sounds like you, let’s chat about how we can partner on a case study. Reach out at stef@sendfull.com
Human-Computer Interaction News
MIT Sloan Report on AI-Driven Business Strategies: This report shares insights on how to craft a strategy for leading and managing with AI in your organization. Topics include case studies on how eight leading companies (e.g., Pfizer, Comcast) are using genAI, and the importance of focusing on system design and ecosystem-level thinking when considering how to adopt AI in the workplace.
AI-Generated Images Can Teach Robots How to Act: Researchers from Stephen James’s Robot Learning Lab in London used image-generating AI models for creating training data for robots. The system could make it easier to train different types of robots to complete tasks - think training home robots to fold laundry, close drawers, and other domestic tasks. Read the full paper here.
The Rapid Adoption of GenAI: In August 2024, 39% of the U.S. population aged 18-64 used genAI. More than 24% of workers used it at least once in the week prior to being surveyed, and nearly one in nine used it every workday. Historical data on usage and mass-market product launches suggest that U.S. adoption of genAI has been faster than adoption of the personal computer and the internet.