Circles method

The Circles Method is a framework for structuring product design thinking, particularly useful when facing open-ended product questions. Developed by Lewis Lin, it provides a systematic approach for moving from problem understanding to solution proposals. The acronym CIRCLES guides you through: Comprehend the situation, Identify the customer, Report customer needs, Cut through prioritization, List solutions, Evaluate trade-offs, and Summarize your recommendation.

Why it matters

Product design questions are often ambiguous. "How would you improve Instagram?" or "Design a product for airport travelers" can go in countless directions. Without structure, answers become unfocused - jumping to solutions before understanding problems, or exploring tangents without reaching conclusions.

The Circles Method matters because it provides a reliable structure for navigating this ambiguity. Whether in interviews, brainstorming sessions, or actual product work, the framework ensures you consider essential elements systematically rather than haphazardly.

The circles framework

C - comprehend the situation

Before solving anything, understand the context:

What is the product? What does it do? Who offers it? What's the core value proposition?

What's the goal? Is this about growth, engagement, revenue, or something else? Understanding the goal focuses your approach.

What are the constraints? Are there technical, resource, timeline, or strategic limitations to work within?

What's the current state? How does the product work today? What's already been tried?

Don't assume you understand. Ask clarifying questions. The right solution to the wrong problem wastes everyone's time.

I - identify the customer

Products serve people. Before designing solutions, understand who:

Who are the users? Create distinct user segments. An "airport traveler" might include business travelers, families, anxious flyers, frequent flyers, or first-time flyers.

Which segment to focus on? You can't solve for everyone. Pick a segment - often one that's underserved, large, or strategically important.

What defines them? Demographics, behaviors, motivations, and circumstances that shape their needs.

This step forces specificity. "Users want it faster" is vague. "Business travelers during short layovers need to find gates quickly because missing connections costs them meetings and money" is actionable.

R - report customer needs

With a specific customer in mind, identify their needs:

What are they trying to do? What job are they hiring the product to accomplish?

What problems do they face? What frustrates them? What takes too long? What fails?

What do they currently do? How do they solve this problem today, even imperfectly?

Use methods like user journeys, pain point mapping, or jobs-to-be-done framing. The goal is a clear list of needs ranked by importance.

C - cut through prioritization

Not all needs are equally important. Prioritize:

Which needs are most painful? Intense, frequent problems deserve more attention than mild, rare ones.

Which needs are most addressable? Some problems you can solve; others are beyond your scope.

Which needs align with goals? Focus on needs that, when solved, advance the stated goal.

Select 2-3 needs to address. Trying to solve everything solves nothing. Explicit prioritization prevents scope creep.

L - list solutions

For each prioritized need, brainstorm multiple solutions:

Generate options. Don't stop at the first idea. Push for 3-5 solutions per need.

Vary approaches. Consider different solution types - feature changes, UX improvements, new capabilities, partnerships.

Stay grounded. Solutions should address the identified needs. If they don't connect clearly, they're solving a different problem.

Quantity matters here. Better ideas often emerge after obvious ideas are exhausted.

E - evaluate trade-offs

Every solution has trade-offs. For each potential solution, consider:

Impact. How much does this improve the user experience or advance the goal?

Effort. What does implementation require in time, resources, and complexity?

Risk. What could go wrong? What's uncertain?

Trade-offs. What do you give up by choosing this option? What alternatives does it preclude?

Compare solutions against each other. The best solution isn't always the highest impact - it's the best balance of impact, effort, and risk for the current context.

S - summarize recommendation

Pull everything together:

Restate the situation. Briefly anchor your recommendation in the context.

Name your customer. Make clear who you're solving for.

Articulate the need. State the prioritized problem you're addressing.

Recommend a solution. Propose your preferred option with reasoning.

Acknowledge trade-offs. Note what you're giving up and why it's acceptable.

A clear, confident recommendation demonstrates decision-making ability. Hedging and "it depends" suggest incomplete thinking.

Using circles in practice

Product interviews. The method provides structure for design exercises in PM interviews. Interviewers often look for systematic thinking more than specific solutions.

Brainstorming sessions. Teams can use CIRCLES to structure ideation, ensuring they've covered essentials before committing to directions.

Product exploration. When investigating new opportunities, CIRCLES ensures thorough analysis before jumping to solutions.

Communication. The framework structures how you explain product reasoning to stakeholders.

Circles limitations

Not a replacement for research. CIRCLES structures thinking but doesn't provide customer insight. Real user research produces better understanding than hypothetical reasoning.

Can feel mechanical. Rigid application can feel formulaic. Adapt the framework to the situation rather than forcing every conversation through all steps.

Bias toward rationality. The logical structure may underweight emotional factors in user experience.

Better for exploration than execution. CIRCLES helps think through problems; it doesn't replace detailed requirements, designs, or implementation planning.

Circles and product sense

The Circles Method develops and demonstrates product sense - the intuition for what makes good products. Each step exercises a product management muscle:

Practicing the framework builds these capabilities; using them well demonstrates product sense in action.

Tools like Klero provide the customer insight that makes CIRCLES more effective. When you comprehend situations and report customer needs based on actual feedback rather than assumptions, recommendations improve accordingly.