Solution / Proposal
Kind of thought
Proposal: A fix, specified.
A proposal puts forward a specific change: the problem it addresses, what would be done, who would do it, what it costs and what could go wrong.
Use it when
You can name the problem, the change and the trade-offs.
A structure that works
- Describe the problem and who it affects.
- Describe the change in concrete terms.
- Say who would need to act, and what it would cost.
- Be honest about trade-offs and risks.
- Suggest a small first step that tests the idea.
Common mistakes
- Naming a problem without a specific change.
- Ignoring cost, trade-offs and who loses.
- Proposing something no one is positioned to do.
Starter headlines
- A public science notebook for problems communities face
- How to help a worker move sectors without losing years
- A civic reform a skeptic could support
Every thought of this kind on Think Tank is dated, labeled and open to reply. Read the house rules.