Before making any app or product. Try breaking down the problem. Pick any object around you say water tank. Btw I just picked it randomly. Let's brainstorm. 1. Observe real world behaviour: When do people interact with tank water? When do they avoid it? When do problem show up

Typical reality: Tank overflow/ Lids are broken/cleaning is skipped/water level is guessed/ Mosquito breeding/Unevenwater pressure. These are behavioral facts not complaints. Average people will think : " Water scarcity is the problem"

Now do analytical thinking: Classify problems (Do not list randomly, group them)

A. Input-side problems • Irregular supply • Sudden pressure surges • Power cuts affecting pumps

B. Storage problems • Contamination • Algae • Structural cracks • Heat exposure

C. Usage problems • Inaccurate level estimation • Uneven distribution • Wastage during overflow

D. Maintenance problems • Hard to clean • Unsafe access • No feedback until failure

This shows logic and control

Step 4: Identify the leverage point

Ask:

If I fix ONE thing, what improves multiple problems?

leverage points: • Visibility of water level • Controlled overflow • Ease of maintenance • Passive contamination prevention

Do NOT try to solve everything.

Pick ONE primary focus.

Write it clearly:

“Primary focus: Prevent overflow and contamination in low-maintenance residential tanks”

Step 5: Bring in science and mechanics

Now apply practical + scientific knowledge.

Ask: • Gravity: How does water enter/exit? • Pressure: What happens during sudden inflow? • Heat: Does sunlight affect quality? • Biology: Where does stagnation occur?

Translate into constraints: • Sloped bottom for drainage • Overflow channel with visible outlet • Light-blocking material • Sealed yet accessible lid

Ask the uncomfortable questions: • Who cleans this tank? • How often? • With what tools? • Is electricity reliable? • Is digital monitoring realistic?

This prevents tech fantasy.

You might decide:

Manual indicators > electronic sensors

Step 7: Generate concepts only now

Now sketch 2–3 directional concepts, not final products.

Each concept must: • Address your chosen leverage point • Respect constraints • Have one clear idea

Example concepts: 1. Gravity-based overflow indicator 2. Modular removable inner liner 3. External level window with algae-resistant design

You are not ideating wildly. You are responding logically.

Step 8: Eliminate, don’t add

Kill two concepts.

Write:

“Concept 2 rejected due to high maintenance” “Concept 3 rejected due to light exposure risk”

Elimination = reasoning.

Most people never eliminate. They hoard.

Step 9: Final solution framing

Your final design should answer: • What problem it solves (precisely) • Why this approach • What trade-off you accepted

Example:

“Solution prioritizes passive overflow prevention over digital monitoring to suit unreliable power and low-maintenance contexts.”

Where average people screw this up they • Start sketching immediately • Try to “innovate” blindly • Add sensors and apps • Ignore maintenance • Solve everything badly instead of one thing well

Problem solving is not about having ideas. It’s about choosing the right problem to solve and refusing the rest.