Problem space is the area of software engineering where all of the questions on business requirements and processes are answered. First, we want to research the problem. To successfully research a problem we need to research questions that describe what the user needs to accomplish, what the system needs to accomplish and what the interaction requires. The main goal is to answer all of these questions to a reasonable point. The second part of the problem-solution confusion is solution space.
Solution space is the area of software engineering where solutions to a problem are developed.
In solution space you capture concrete responsibility and design through models such as storyboards, class diagrams and object interaction diagrams. You gain focus by working on the problem from the user's prospective not from the prospective of any past, current or future solution. Good problem space describes quantitatively what problem the user has asked us to solve. For example, notice the different between the following two requirements. Purchasing, Sales and Accounting all need to know about receipt of inventory to perform follow on processes.