Terms of use
Last updated: 28 March 2026
These terms govern your use of problemsmith.com and any services provided by ProblemSmith Ltd. By using this site, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, stop using the site.
Who we are
ProblemSmith Ltd is registered in England. The site is operated by Lee Smith.
Contact: [email protected]
What this site does
ProblemSmith provides problem engineering methodology, research surveys, and (when available) software tools for validating product development problem definitions. The site serves product design, development and engineering teams in high-risk industries where the cost of getting things wrong is high.
Your use of this site
You may use this site for its intended purpose: learning about ProblemSmith, participating in research, and (where applicable) accessing our tools. You agree not to:
Use the site to extract or reverse-engineer our methodology, scoring systems, or tools for competitive purposes. Scrape, crawl, or systematically download content from the site. Misrepresent your identity, company, or role when participating in research or requesting beta access. Attempt to access areas of the site or systems you're not authorised to use. Use the site in any way that could damage, disable, or impair its operation.
Intellectual property
All content on this site; including methodology descriptions, scoring frameworks, research materials, software, and visual design; is owned by ProblemSmith Ltd unless otherwise stated. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from this content without written permission.
The ProblemSmith name, logo, and associated marks are trademarks of ProblemSmith Ltd.
Research participation
If you participate in our research survey, your anonymised responses may be used in published research findings. By submitting a response, you grant ProblemSmith Ltd the right to use your anonymised data for research and publication purposes. Individual responses are never published or shared in identifiable form.
See our privacy notice for details on how we handle your data.
Beta access
Access to pre-release software is granted at ProblemSmith Ltd's sole discretion. If you are granted beta access, you agree to:
Confidentiality. Beta software, its outputs, scoring methodology, and interface design are confidential. You may not share screenshots, outputs, methodology details, or descriptions of functionality with any third party without written permission from ProblemSmith Ltd.
Feedback. Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide about the beta software become the intellectual property of ProblemSmith Ltd. You grant us an unrestricted, perpetual licence to use this feedback for any purpose.
No warranty. Beta software is provided "as is." It may contain bugs, produce inaccurate results, or be discontinued without notice. Do not make business decisions based solely on beta outputs.
Revocation. We may revoke beta access at any time, for any reason, without notice or explanation.
Competitor use. If you work for or represent a company that offers competing problem definition, innovation audit, or problem validation services, you are not authorised to access beta software. Requesting access under these circumstances is a breach of these terms.
Restricted sectors. ProblemSmith does not provide services, tools, or consultancy in the following areas: stoma care, ostomy products, wound care, or continence care. These sectors are excluded from our scope of work. We will not accept engagements, beta applications, or research commissions relating to these product categories.
Acceptable use and abuse
You agree to use ProblemSmith's site, research, and tools in good faith and for their intended purpose. The following constitute abuse and may result in immediate termination of access without notice:
Research abuse. Submitting false, misleading, or fabricated survey responses. Submitting multiple responses to manipulate findings. Using research participation to extract methodology rather than contribute data.
Software abuse. Using beta tools to generate outputs for resale or competitive product development. Attempting to reverse-engineer scoring algorithms, TRIZ mappings, or signal processing logic. Sharing access credentials with unauthorised users. Automated or scripted access to any ProblemSmith service without written permission.
Platform abuse. Attempting to access accounts, data, or systems belonging to other users. Introducing malicious code, attempting denial-of-service, or exploiting vulnerabilities. Using the platform to store, transmit, or process content that is unlawful, defamatory, or infringing.
If we reasonably believe abuse has occurred, we may suspend or terminate your access, retain evidence, and report the matter to relevant authorities where required by law. We are not obliged to provide notice or explanation before taking action.
Ethical use
ProblemSmith exists to improve how product development teams define and validate problems. Our methodology, tools, and research outputs must only be used in ways that are consistent with that purpose and with responsible professional conduct.
Intended use. ProblemSmith outputs; including scores, reports, signal scans, and validation frameworks; are decision-support tools. They are designed to inform professional judgement, not replace it. You remain responsible for the decisions you make using our outputs.
Prohibited use. You must not use ProblemSmith services or outputs to mislead stakeholders about the status of a programme or the strength of a problem definition. Fabricating, selectively editing, or misrepresenting ProblemSmith outputs to secure funding, approvals, or contracts is a breach of these terms. You must not use our tools to justify a predetermined conclusion or to suppress evidence of a poorly defined problem.
High-risk context. If you are applying ProblemSmith methodology to programmes where failure could result in harm to life, safety, or the environment, you accept that our tools supplement; not substitute; your own regulatory, safety, and quality assurance processes. ProblemSmith does not certify that a problem definition is safe, compliant, or fit for purpose under any regulatory framework.
AI and automation. Where ProblemSmith tools use AI or automated analysis, outputs may contain errors or reflect limitations in the data provided. You are responsible for reviewing AI-generated content before acting on it. Do not treat automated scores or recommendations as final without human review.
Reporting concerns. If you become aware of misuse of ProblemSmith outputs or methodology; whether by yourself or others; we encourage you to contact us at [email protected]. Reports are treated confidentially.
Limitation of liability
ProblemSmith Ltd provides this site and its services on an "as is" basis. We make no guarantees about accuracy, completeness, or fitness for purpose. To the maximum extent permitted by law:
ProblemSmith Ltd is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the site or services. Our total liability for any claim relating to these terms or your use of the site is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim (if any). Nothing in these terms excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under English law.
Third-party services
The site uses third-party services including PostHog (analytics), Google Workspace (data storage), and Netlify (hosting). Your use of the site is also subject to these providers' terms. We are not responsible for the availability or conduct of third-party services.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Changes
We may update these terms at any time. Changes take effect when published on this page. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance. For material changes, we'll update the "last updated" date above.