What is Problem, Solution, Result?
Problem, Solution, Result is a three-part story for a short video. First, show a specific friction the viewer recognizes. Next, show what you did or how the product fits into that moment. Finally, show the observable outcome and one useful takeaway. The structure works because each beat answers the question raised by the beat before it.
The result does not need to be dramatic. In UGC, a small, believable change can be more useful than a sweeping promise. A desk organizer can visibly hold the supplies you filmed. It cannot, from that clip alone, prove a lasting productivity improvement.
Define a problem you can actually show
Name the situation in the viewer's words: ‘I never know where to put these cables’ is clearer than ‘my life is so chaotic.’ Show the relevant scene immediately. The problem should connect directly to the product's real role and to an audience that would recognize it.
Avoid building a false failure just to make the reveal look bigger. If the old setup is staged, frame it as a demonstration: ‘Here are two ways to organize this drawer.’ That keeps the comparison useful without pretending the scene documents an earlier lived experience.
Show the solution as an action
Put the product on screen and demonstrate the actual action: separate the cables into the organizer's compartments. Name the product once the viewer knows why it is relevant. Explain only details the footage or verified brief supports, such as how many items fit in the filmed example.
If the product requires setup, cleaning, or special conditions, show enough of those steps for the result to make sense. Hiding a meaningful limitation makes the story less useful.
Make the result visible and appropriately narrow
Use the same angle before and after when possible. Let the viewer inspect the difference rather than asking them to accept a slogan. In this example, the result is that the three filmed cables are separated and visible. Whether that setup stays useful over time is a different claim, and one short clip cannot establish it.
For personal testimonials, say only what you genuinely experienced. For products that make health, financial, performance, or other consequential claims, use wording the brand can substantiate and approve. The FTC says endorsements must reflect honest experience, and endorsers should not make unsupported claims.
A 20-second Problem, Solution, Result script template
Treat the timings as a drafting aid, not a platform rule. If a clear demonstration needs longer, give it room. Write the visual first, then the shortest spoken line that explains what the viewer is seeing.
When should you choose another format?
Use a demonstration when the viewer mostly needs to see how the product works. Use an unboxing when the packaging and first look are the real story. Use a comparison when the decision is between two options. Problem, Solution, Result is a useful structure when the before state and the action genuinely explain the after state; it does not need to be forced onto every brief.
Before recording, ask: Can I show the problem honestly? Does the product address it in the way the script says? Can the viewer see the result? If any answer is no, narrow the claim or choose a different story.
Frequently asked questions
Does the result need numbers?
No. A visible, specific result is enough when that is what the footage supports. Use numbers only when they are measured, relevant, and approved.
Can I use this framework without showing my face?
Yes. Hands-only footage, screen recording, or voiceover can show the problem, action, and result clearly.