---
title: "Prioritize Shared Context Before Exploring Solutions"
source: "https://virtualddd.com/heuristics/prioritize-shared-context-before-exploring-solutions/"
authors: ["Paul Rayner", "Andrew Harmel-Law", "Kenny Schwegler", "Andrea Magnorsky"]
tags: ["facilitating software architecture and design", "sociotechnical systems", "collaborative modelling", "software architecture"]
type: "guiding heuristics"
question: "Where should a team focus its initial energy when tackling a new design problem?"
submitter: "Paul Rayner"
---

# Prioritize Shared Context Before Exploring Solutions

Resist the urge to immediately jump into solutioning, as this often leads to solving the wrong problem. Dedicate significant time upfront to collectively establishing the context: where the team is starting from and the true nature of the problem. A shared and deep understanding of the context is the most critical foundation for effective design.

## Examples

Before brainstorming architectural options, the team spends a session focused only on defining the problem and current constraints. They explicitly avoid discussing solutions until everyone agrees on the context.