How well do you really understand the problem you are trying to solve?

You must understand the problem you are trying to solve. It sounds kind of simple, but often times programmers jump into solving something they don't understand. What do you think happens if you try to fix a problem you don't understand?

You must understand the problem you are trying to solve really well. You must understand every little part of the problem, including researching similar problems, and how they were solved. You must understand every single word of the problem. Only then can you create a good plan.

When we want to really understand something:

1. We can explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem for a client/ target audience
2. We can construct a detailed research plan, which identifies and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem independently
3. We can analyze a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem in detail
4. We can develop a detailed design brief, which summarizes the analysis of relevant research

Anytime you encounter a problem you should be able to think deeply about the problem. The idea here is to connect clearly understanding a problem to better solving the problem. There is a direct link between understanding a problem well and solving the problem. 

Explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target audience
Construct a detailed research plan which identifies and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem
Analyzes a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem
Develops a detailed design brief which summarizes the analysis of relevant research