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Solution Architecture

Sprint 1 · Due · ~30 minutes

Design the human process first.
Then figure out where tech helps.

1Human Process First
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Before you build anything, answer this: What's the human process that needs to happen?

Most people jump straight to "what should I build?" But that's backwards. The technology should support a behavior change — not replace thinking about what behavior needs to change.

Human process → Tech support

Design the behavior change first. Then identify where technology helps.

Think: What does your ideal day/week look like if this problem is solved? Describe the human behavior, not the tool.

2Use AI to Draft Your Architecture
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Use the Symbiotic Thinking Dojo to help you think through your solution architecture. This isn't about AI doing the work — it's about AI helping you think more clearly.

Starting Prompt for Dojo:

"I'm working on [your challenge]. Through the 5 Whys, I identified [your root cause/design opportunity]. Help me design a solution architecture by thinking through: (1) What human process needs to happen for this to be solved? (2) Where are the friction points where I typically fail? (3) Where could technology help reduce that friction? (4) What's the simplest thing I could build that would test whether this approach works?"

Open Symbiotic Thinking Dojo →

Important: Don't just copy what AI suggests. Use it to help you think, then write your answers in your own words based on what you actually believe.

3The 5 Questions
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Your submission is a graded survey with 5 essay questions. Think through each one carefully:

  1. Human Process: What behavior or habit needs to change for your challenge to be solved? Describe this without mentioning any technology.
  2. Friction Points: Where in that process do you typically fail or give up? What makes this hard?
  3. Tech Support: Where specifically could technology help reduce friction? Be specific about which friction points technology addresses.
  4. Solution Sketch: What will you actually build or create? Describe the simplest version that could test whether your approach works.
  5. Architectural Choice: What's one key design decision you made and why? What alternatives did you consider?

Quality check: Can someone reading your answers understand your full solution without talking to you? If not, add more detail.

4Your Submission
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Graded Survey: 5 Questions

  • Q1: Human Process What behavior or habit needs to change? (No tech mentioned)
  • Q2: Friction Points Where do you typically fail or give up?
  • Q3: Tech Support Where specifically could technology help?
  • Q4: Solution Sketch What will you actually build or create?
  • Q5: Architectural Choice One key decision you made and why
Format: Graded Survey (5 essay questions)
Due:
Points: 5 (auto-graded for completion)
Group: Sprint 1: Foundation
Submit on Canvas →