11.Defíne the Problem

No problem is so big or so complicated that it can’t be run away from.

Charles Schultz

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.

James Thurber

Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.

Picasso

There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.

Gore Vidal

Since all problems have solutions, it’s critical that you define your problem correctly.

If you don’t you might solve the wrong problem.

In advertising—the field that I’m familiar with— the statement of the problem is often called a creative work plan or a creative strategy or a mission statement or some such thing. It demands answers to questions like, “What are we trying to say and why are we ...

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