A large project or large problem to solve can seem daunting. Where to begin? As a child, I liked to do jigsaw puzzles. I still do. Perhaps this metaphor provides some clues.
The 1,000 piece puzzle was huge to a five year old. It took up the whole card table. It was overwhelming if tackled as a whole. Instead, I first did the frame, searching out the straight edge pieces (frame the problem.) The picture on the cover was the only, one-page guide. Then groups of things, like clouds, oranges leaves, the house, grass, pond. Each was a chunk, a way to sort the pieces, and assemble the scenes. Later, the scenes were placed and connected in the frame, gaps filled in and the sea of blue sky completed.
The frame or context for the project is important to clarify. Who is the audience, what are their top needs or unanswered questions [1]. Where are the boundaries, the limits of time, cost and scope [2]. Where are the major groups of things to fit (the modules). You get the picture?
This is about breaking the large issues into smaller, digestible pieces. Chunking down the project in other words. |