Reframing A Problem

Tina Seelig, inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity:

• What is the sum of 5 plus 5?
• What two numbers add up to 10?

The first question has only one right answer, and the second question has an infinite number of solutions, including negative numbers and fractions. These two problems, which rely on simple addition, differ only in the way they are framed. In fact, all questions are the frame into which the answers fall. And as you can see, by changing the frame, you dramatically change the range of possible solutions… Mastering the ability to reframe problems is an important tool for increasing your imagination because it unlocks a vast array of solutions.