Business Thinking for Designers

The Situation-Complication-Resolution (SCR) 
Framework
If you’re familiar with the 5 paragraph essay structure for 
writing, the SCR Framework is similar. The beauty of it is that it 
can be tailored for the circumstances of a specific decision. 

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Communicate the options
The framework allows you to structure your argument as 
a series of situations and complications, which leads to a 
resolution. The acronym represents the structure:
• Situation: The important, fact-based state of current 
affairs
• Complication: The reason(s) the current state of affairs 
requires action
• Resolution: The specific action required to solve the 
problem—the recommendation
The most basic approach for presenting business rationale 
with SCR is to highlight one situation, introduce three 
complications that require action, and conclude with a 
resolution to solve the problem. I like to think about it like an 
equation:
S+C+C+C+R = Business Rationale
From the pyramid structure, the situation is the “what,” the 
complications the “why,” and the resolution the “how.” With 
this basic format, a few best practice guidelines can help you 
develop a more complete SCR story.