Scenario Architects Problem Solving Exercise

Purpose

This imaginative group activity develops critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration by challenging delegates to reverse-engineer a complex real-world scenario from abstract, unrelated cues. Scenario Architects helps delegates embrace ambiguity, stretch their creative muscles and collaborate under open-ended conditions. This is an essential skill in today’s fast-moving and unpredictable professional environments. It also provides a fresh, playful way to practise systems thinking, narrative reasoning and innovative problem-solving. The exercise encourages lateral thinking, creativity and the ability to connect ideas in unconventional but meaningful ways.

Objective

Delegates work in small teams to construct a coherent and impactful real-world problem using a random set of abstract elements. Once they have designed their problem scenario, they then propose a creative, actionable solution, making sense of the surreal.

What You Need

• Prepared sets of Problem Blueprint Cards, each containing 4–5 abstract elements (see examples below)
• Flipchart paper or whiteboards for planning
• Markers

Setup

• Divide the class into teams of 3 to 4 delegates.
• Hand each team a Problem Blueprint Card. This contains a random combination of unrelated elements such as objects, sounds, settings or concepts.
• Instruct each team to do the following:
  • Create a realistic problem scenario that uses every element on the card in a meaningful way. It can be from business, community, tech, education, climate, etc.
  • Design a plausible, creative solution to the scenario they have invented.
  • Be prepared to pitch both the problem and the solution clearly to the group.
• Clarify the goal: the more cohesive, real-world relevant and creative the story and solution, the better. Encourage originality but require logic and coherence.
• Allocate 20 minutes for them to create a realistic problem, design a solution and prepare a presentation.
• Gather everyone and get each team to present to the class.
• Get other teams to provide feedback on creativity, decision making, analysis and presentation.
• Follow with a discussion.

Problem Blueprint Cards

1. A broken teacup, a flock of migrating birds, a single red string, the sound of a distant train
2. A leaking roof, a forgotten birthday, a dying tree, an old film camera
3. A whisper in a library, an unpaid invoice, neon lights, a cracked smartphone screen
4. A closed-down cinema, a handwritten map, bees, an empty fuel tank
5. A locked briefcase, falling snow, a power outage, a pair of muddy boots
6. A runaway goat, static on a radio, the smell of fresh paint, a blank billboard
7. A traffic jam, a cold cup of coffee, a ripped banner, a singing child
8. A lost dog, a broken elevator, an overheard confession, a glow-in-the-dark sticker
9. A half-finished crossword, a torn concert ticket, a silent protest, an antique mirror
10. A busker playing violin, a waterlogged notebook, a broken drone, a flickering streetlamp

Example Scenario (Using Problem Blueprint Card 1)

Blueprint Elements:

A broken teacup, a flock of migrating birds, a single red string, the sound of a distant train

Invented Problem:

In a coastal market town, retailers near the railway report unexplained shelf damage. The owner of a café had tied a single red string across a stack of cups as a simple tell-tale. After a 23:42 freight pass, staff found the string snapped and a broken teacup on the floor. At the same time, a flock of migrating birds is seen circling disoriented over the floodlit freight yard. Residents record the sound of a distant train at unusual hours; a temporary night-time freight diversion has introduced low-frequency vibration and glare that coincide with peak migration. With no formal monitoring and fragmented accountability, the town faces wildlife harm, stock losses and rising complaints.

Proposed Solution:

• Deploy a rapid, low-cost monitoring kit: phone-based acoustic logging keyed to the sound of the distant train (as a timestamp), and simple vibration ‘telltales’ made by stretching a single red string across cups/saucers and shelf edges to detect movement during passes.
• Coordinate with rail operators to implement a two-week ‘quiet window’ during peak migrating bird transits, fit temporary rail dampers and switch to downward-shielded, warm-spectrum yard lighting.
• Use collected data to optimise train timings and speeds, publish a mitigation plan with clear KPIs (stock damage incidents, bird behaviour counts, night-time dB levels).
• Support local traders (including the café with the broken teacup) with micro-grants and better shelf isolation mounts while longer-term fixes are installed.

Timing

Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes

Activity: 20 min design & prep + (10 min presentation & feedback x number of teams) = 50 min for 9 people

Group Feedback: 10 minutes

Discussion

Ask the following questions to spark reflection:

• How did your team make sense of unrelated elements?
• Which element was hardest to include? How did you work it in?
• How did the constraint actually help you be more creative?
• Can you think of real-world situations where problems are this complex or unclear?
• What parallels do you see between this exercise and workplace innovation?

Variations

• Solution Swap: After creating their problems, teams swap their scenarios with another group. They must now come up with a solution to a challenge they didn’t create.
• Theme Constraint: Add a specific sector (e.g. education, sustainability, public health) that the scenario must fit into.
• Add Crisis: Introduce a ‘crisis twist’ halfway through (e.g. a new variable or constraint) that teams must adapt to.

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