Framework5 min read
The Five Questions Before You Start
Before any project, workshop or decision — five questions that surface assumptions, clarify the real problem and align your team before a single solution is built.
Read more
Resources
Thinking tools for people who want to do better work.
Practical frameworks, articles and guides on better questions, human-centred design and the kind of thinking that leads to better outcomes.
Featured
Start here.
Guide8 min read
How to Run a Problem Framing Workshop
A step-by-step guide to facilitating a problem framing session — from setting the right conditions to getting a room full of stakeholders to agree on what they're actually trying to solve.
Read more
Article6 min read
Why Your Project Is Solving the Wrong Problem
The pattern behind most project failures isn't a lack of effort or talent. It's a failure to pin down the real problem before investing in solutions. Here's how to spot it — and what to do instead.
Read more
Articles & Insights
Recent thinking.
Critical Thinking4 min read
The Assumption Audit: A Tool for Better Decisions
Most decisions rest on assumptions we've never tested. This simple audit helps teams surface what they're taking for granted — before it becomes a problem.
Service Design7 min read
What Government Services Get Wrong About Customer Experience
Government services are often designed around internal processes rather than the people who use them. Here's what that looks like in practice — and how to change it.
AI & Thinking5 min read
The One Thing AI Can't Do For You
AI is getting better at execution. But the ability to ask the right question in the first place — to frame the problem correctly — remains stubbornly human.
Facilitation5 min read
Why the First Workshop Is Never About Solving the Problem
The most valuable thing a first workshop can do is build enough trust for better conversations to happen later. Here's why — and how to design for it.
Leadership4 min read
Curiosity as a Leadership Practice
The best change leaders aren't the ones with all the answers. They're the ones who ask the best questions. What that looks like in practice.
Systems Thinking6 min read
Seeing the Whole System: Why Local Fixes Create New Problems
Optimising one part of a system without understanding how everything connects is one of the most common — and costly — mistakes in transformation work.
Frameworks & Tools
Practical tools you can use today.
Problem Framing Canvas
A one-page canvas for defining the real problem before you start building solutions. Covers problem statement, assumptions, evidence, stakeholders and success criteria.
PDF downloadAssumption Mapping Template
A workshop template for surfacing and prioritising the assumptions your project is resting on — and deciding which ones need to be tested first.
PDF downloadBetter Questions Cheat Sheet
Thirty questions that improve thinking across problem definition, decision making, stakeholder alignment and project review.
PDF downloadWorkshop Design Checklist
Everything you need to check before running a workshop — from room setup and agenda design to facilitation principles and follow-through.
PDF downloadDownloads coming soon — get in touch to request any of these tools directly.
Want these ideas at your next event?
Catherine brings these frameworks to life in keynotes and workshops tailored to your audience and goals.