The Limits Lens
Every problem has rules that shape the behavior of everyone involved. These include not just policy but limits of time and money or limits imposed by technology.
When we look through the Limit Lens, we see how these formal rules shape behavior around the problem, helping to reveal the informal rules beneath and unlocking new possibilities for how to change them.
GETTING STARTED WITH THE LIMITS LENS
1. What's a government regulation that significantly shapes the world of your problem? Frequently this is a law, but it can also be a policy that isn't technically a law like "don't ask don't tell" was in the U.S. military. If you know of any instances when the law has been broken, those can also tell us a lot.
2. What's one notable way in which people in the world of your problem respond to limits of time or money? Do these responses worsen the problem in any way?
3. Conventional limits are the ones most subject to change. Think about playing Monopoly with your family or friends -- you probably played with or without the "free parking" rule and may have even changed it mid-game. Are there any conventional limits that have changed in your time working on this problem? Remember, you are looking for instances of "we used to follow rule X, now we follow rule Y." Why the heck did that happen?