Contents: 1. What is a complex problem? Well-structured, ill-structured and wicked problems. 2. Solving techniques: insight, process and creative strategic thinking. 3. Difficulties: design literacy, design education and responsibility. 4. Conclusion

1. Solving complex problems through design
Julia Moisand Egéa
15 OCT 2010

2. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 2
Contents
1. What is a complex problem?
Well-structured, ill-structured and wicked problems.
2. Solving techniques:
insight, process and creative strategic thinking.
3. Difficulties:
design literacy, design education and responsibility.
4. Conclusion

3. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 3
Well-structured problems (H.Simon)
1. Different steps to solve the problems are identifiable. 2. Any potential solution is testable.
3. The problem solver is aware of the «legal moves», 4. The knowledge to solve the problem is accessible
meaning rules, constraints, codes and laws. (example: bake a cake by following a recipe).
(example: rules chess)
5. Any action towards solution is visible and applicable 6. The solution is relatively easy to operate.
in our world.

4. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 4
Ill-structured problems (H.Simon)
1. ISP are elusive, infinite. ISP have no stopping rules. 2. ISP are not understandable, «the information is confusing»
The problem is never definitive, neither the solution. and there is a need of an orientation to look for relevant
information.
no definitive problem no definitive solution
3. There are many clients and decision makers 4. Each formulation is a potential solution and it is a matter of
creativity and good judgement to see potential solutions
and to determine which are valid.

5. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 5
5. The consequences of a solution are hardly 6. ISP are subjective and unique.
predictible. (Example: improve public transportation services
in Paris and in Austin)
problem: no more oil resources
we need oil for cars
in Paris: in Austin:
DISPATCH people INVITE people
and make room to take public
because it is too transportation
solution: let’s dig deeper in the ocean
crowded. and to leave their car.
«indeterminacy» (Buchanan)
explosions and oil
leak might happen

6. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 6
Wicked problems (R.Buchanan)
1. Wicked problems are ill formulated and social in nature.
Water access Gender parity Violence and crime in schools Homelessness
2. Solutions are good, good enough, bad, or worse. 3. The wicked problem solver is responsible.
They are not true or false because solutions are Every solution is expensive and has
assessed in a social context in which many parties consequences which can create new wicked
are equally equipped, interested, concerned and problems.
entitled to judge them.
ARCH partners Homeless without family Example: HIV prevention by selling cheap condoms.
A NGO distributed in South Africa cheap condoms to teenagers.
ARCH People started to use them as shoe polish because it was less
expensive than the polish itself.
Homelessness
The solution of condoms ditrisbution did not help to prevent HIV
solution 1 and created another problem to solve.
access to email
AC4D
Homeless with family

7. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 7
Complex problems (Julia)
1. Well structured problems (WSP) can be solved either by a person or by a computer.
It requires using algorithmic logic, following steps that are very identifiable: bake a cake with a receipe,
build a standard home with instructions, resize images by using a script in Photoshop.
2. Only people can solve ill structured problems (ISP) because it requires both logic and emotion.
Most of our problems in life are ill structured: buy a used car, build a unique home from scratch, find a job,
play golf.
3. All design problems are ill structured problems and it’s the role of the designer to transform them in WSP.
If they already have clear structure, then, it is not a design problem.
4. Design problems are wicked when they have a social impact: there is always a risk that solutions may have
consequences that turn out to be worse than the problem itself.

8. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 8
Solving complex problems by following
a process (H.Simon)
A. Initial stage: laying down general specifications and defragmenting the problem
square footage general style type of materials
A1. Problem: A2. identify general goal and «legal moves» in order to come up
building a house from scratch with general specifications.

9. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 9
A. Initial stage: laying down general specifications and defragmenting the problem
electrical utilities
floor plan heating system
A3. Aquire structure by decomposition in various A4. Make sure to coordinate numerous criteria
sub problems. All the sub problems become
well structured even if the overall is still
ill structured.

10. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 10
B. Expert stage: come up with new criteria that satisfy the experts
electrical expert floor plan expert heating system expert utilities expert
Experts bring and define new criteria to each sub problem.

11. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 11
Solving complex problems by developing
creative strategic thinking ( P.Johnson-
Laird)
A. Leveraging creativity by developing strategies and acquiring tactics
3 strategies to approach problems:
neo-darwinian: neo-lamarckian:
Generate Evaluate
Random Constraints act as filter
multistage:
Generate Select
Constraints govern the process Constraints govern the process

12. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 12
B. Acquire creative skills to get better insights
a. Develop visual perception that can lead to actions b. Define and relax the constraints
only look at the new car market
look at the new and used
car market
see: Gestalt theory
http://bit.ly/9HktcD

13. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 13
B. Acquire creative skills to get better insights
c. Reframe d. Reformulate
from a dentist point of view
Manipulating terminology and language
reframe the toothbrush
See Wired, writing new forms:
object
http://bit.ly/9HktcD
or in the context of an airplane

14. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 14
Solving techniques (Julia)
A good problem solver must:
1. formulate
2. visualize
3. reframe
4. be comfortable with multi-facetted problems
5. define, structure and relax the constraints
6. know how to use personal experience
7. acquire repertoire of tactics
The abductive logic summarizes and combines these skills:
I saw (understand, formulate, visualize)
I know (tactics, constraints, multi-facetted)
I’ve made (experience)
= my best guess to solve this problem
see J.Kolko: http://www.jonkolko.com/writingAbductiveThinking.php

15. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 15
Difficulties: design literacy (C.Pacione)
A. We need ill structured problems solvers
There are too many problems and not enough problem solvers
Wired teaches online «new» liberal arts: New York times has an online education network.
http://bit.ly/ayiMf2 Design should be added:
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/

16. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 16
Difficulties: design education
(R.Buchanan)
A. Design (thinking) as a discipline
Define the core methods of design Build legitimacy and define design as a core discipline

17. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 17
A. Design (thinking) as a discipline
define boundaries between masters and virtuoso
Design literacy makes masters: Design Education makes virtuoso:
The master practises scales The virtuoso practises scales, can play
and can play an opera. and create an opera.

18. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 18
Difficulties: responsibility
A. Design (thinking) as a responsibility
impact
design
solution
The wicked problem solver has a responsibility.
He takes the risk of creating good or bad impact on a community.

19. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 19
Conclusion
Julia’s Manifesto about solving complex problems
What we have today:
1. Most of the problems are ill formulated.
2. There are more and more wicked problems.
3. People are not educated to solve complex problems.
What we should do:
4. Establish design as a core discipline that has legitimacy (like doctor, lawyer, engineer).
5. Teach Design thinking literacy to eveybody in order to:
- understand and manipulate abductive logic;
- develop creativity to get better insights.
6. Change Design Education so designers become the «surgeons», as everybody else is a nurse with basic knowledge.

20. Describe the difficulties in solving complex problems. 20
Julia’s Manifesto about solving complex problems
How we should do it:
7. Teach design (thinking) literacy to everybody:
- online class (see: Wired and New York Times);
- start as early as possible;
- teach customers inside companies (see: Adaptive Path workshops).
8. Change Design Education:
- teach logic and emotion together;
- teach core strong methods and tactics to students;
- teach responsibility.
Design is both logic and emotion and it is a combination of rigor and intuition. That’s why it is so powerful.
We must teach students core methods that push towards science and core cognitive skills that push towards
psychology.