Designing the Design Problem

Designing the Design Problem
David Sherwin
26 May 2010

Photo 4598317299 by Nasa Goddard Photo & Video
remix cc license at flickr.com

I have a problem with
how we describe design problems.

Problem (n.):
A question or matter involving
doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty

These are not design problems:

Why aren’t our customers interested
buying our new product line?

What new services should we create
to keep up with our competitors?

How can we avert disasters
caused by disease?

To answer these questions,
we need to redesign our notion of
what a problem represents.

Problems are spaces for change
from the real to the ideal.

Work in Progress: Some Thoughts on Design Leadership David Sherwin © 2010 frog design April 14, 2010 6

Closed problems
How might we repair a flat tire?
“A dead man is in a room with 53 bicycles.
What happened?”


“ W I T H o P e n - e n D e D P ro b l e m s o n e CA n o n ly o f f e r s u g g esT I o n s
As To H oW T H e P ro b l e m m I g H T b e s o lv e D.”
— e DWA r D D e b o n o

Open-ended problems
Design problems (complex)
Corporate problems (X-problems)
World problems (wicked)


To l e A r n m o r e A b o u T TAC k l I n g X- P ro b l e m s
As PA rT o f P ro D u CT & s e rv I C e I n n ovAT I o n , r e A D
i n n Ovat i O n X by f ro g D es I g n ’s A DA m r I C H A r Ds o n .

Corporate problems (X-problems)
Automotive
mobile
music
real estate


World problems (wicked)
AIDs epidemic
Poverty
Hunger
Peak energy


We navigate through
problem spaces to identify
opportunities for positive
change—by design.


Example: Project Masiluleke
frog design, Pop!tech, iTeach,
Praekelt, Aricent, nokia siemens
and a number of other collaborators

http://www.frogdesign.com/services/project-masiluleke.html


South Africa hasgreatest burden of HIv / AIDs
south Africa has the
the greatest burden
of HIV / AIDS in the world. KwaZulu-
in the world. kwaZulu-natal province is one of the
hardest hit regions in south Africa, with
Natal province is infection rate. hardest
a 40%
one of the
hit regions in South African.

HIV / AIDS has overwhelmed the
healthcare system. 80-90% of hospital
How can we use design to foster
beds are ﬁlled with AIDS patients. There
the kind of change that influences
are 7,000 counselors in the entirety of
this world problem?
South Africa serving 48 million people.

1
Put everything you know aside.
Treat your research as data.


I n fo r m AT I o n .
o P I n I o n s.
b e l I e fs.
e m oT I o n s.
P oss I b l I T I es.
m e T r I Cs.
I n D I CATo rs.

A l l o f I T I s DATA .

DAtA (N): Information output by a sensing
device or organ that includes both useful
and irrelevant or redundant information
and must be processed to be meaningful.


R E M Ov E E X i st i n g
Pat t E R n s by:

WITHHolDIng
juDgmenT

m A k I n g A m ess cOMPEtItORS
C o D I n g by T y P e Directly
o f DATA competing,
CA l l I n g e v e ry complementary, tRENDS
Ass e rT I o n or comparative Large-scale
A H y P oT H es I s actions in markets societal or market
g I v I n g DATA eq uA l forces surfacing
v I s uA l s I Z e
over time
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
the behavior of
people observed
in context ORGANIzAtION
the “toolbox”
of what a client
can provide: IP,
technologies,
labor, culture


DATA C u l l e D f ro m
f ro g ’s P roj eCT
m As I lu l e k e

“How do you deliver
information—
which is what a
diagnosis is— young men in
at the lowest south Africa
possible cost…” continue to avoid
George Whitesides AIDs testing—
85% are less
“I don’t want likely to test.
people to see
me standing in
queues. I want
it to be private there are 7,000
and secret.” AIDS counselors
in the entirety
of South Africa
serving 48 million
people.


live with your research data.

2
Cluster the data into insights,
making new connections.


Making insight Happen

Action steps
Backburner
File for reference
b e H A n C e ACT I o n m e T H o D


Making insight Happen

Action steps Actionable Insight
Backburner Indicative Data
File for reference Dismissed Data
b e H A n C e ACT I o n m e T H o D “ I n s I g H T ACT I o n m e T H o D ”


sy n t H Es i z E t H E data .
b eg I n To C lu sT e r
I n s I g H Ts, s e e I n g
H oW D I f f e r e n T T y P es
o f I n fo r m AT I o n
s P e A k To T H e m es.


e AC H I n s I g H T s H o u l D
b e A s u m m AT I o n —
o n A n e W sT I C ky
n oT e— o f A rA I n b oW
o f DATA P o I n Ts. INSIGHt
A single sentence
describing what
the data indicates.

x5 x6 x4 x7


“How do you deliver
information—
which is what a
diagnosis is—
at the lowest
young men in
south Africa
INSIGHt
possible cost…” continue to avoid
George Whitesides
AIDs testing— Home testing isn’t
85% are less
likely to test.
an isolated event;
“I don’t want
people to see it’s an entry point.
me standing in
queues. I want
it to be private there are 7,000
and secret.” AIDS counselors
x5 x6 x4 x7
in the entirety
of South Africa
serving 48 million
people.


Actionable INSIGHt INSIGHt INSIGHt
Insight suggests Home testing isn’t
design opportunities an isolated event;
& solveable problems it’s an entry point.
x5 x6 x4 x7

Indicative x5 x6 x4 x7 x5 x6 x4 x7 x5 x6 x4 x7

Data establishes &
legitmatizes focus,
gives context to
design problems Dismissed
Data saved for
reference, may
be utilized later


be aware of assumptive patterns
during this process—especially
if your design solutions must
live across cultures.

“Myths are patterns which first arise
in the mind…
Once these patterns have formed something may
be found in the environment which justifies them or
else they dictate the way the environment is looked
at and so achieves a pseudojustification.”

—Edward de Bono


3
use the insights as a springboard
to articulate design problems.


?

? Problems live
on different
Organizational
strategy orbits within an
?
Product &
service
organization or
strategy
?
community.
design
strategy

tactics ?
?

?

?
?

your problem
space


Insight is the
insight
currency required
for acceptance
Opportunity of a design
? opportunity.
design
problems

design
ideas

your problem
space


INSIGHt OPPORtUNIty
Home testing isn’t Extend low-cost
an isolated event; testing beyond the
it’s an entry point. diagnosis without
requiring face-to-
face counseling.
x5 x6 x4 x7


INSIGHt OPPORtUNIty IDEAtION QUEStIONS
Home testing isn’t Extend low-cost How can support services—for either
an isolated event; testing beyond the positive or negative diagnosis—be provided
it’s an entry point. diagnosis without outside the health clinic?
requiring face-to-
How can we best provide testing materials
face counseling.
x5 x6 x4 x7 to people in their homes?
How can these materials be produced
in a cost-effective manner?
How can materials be easily assembled
in market, achieving economies of scale?

These are questions that
can be answered by design.


1 2 3 4 5 6

Mobile support services are integrated
solution: Drive the testing process via mobile phone.
throughout the experience.

The package opens easily to reveal simple instructions that rely
solution: make it simple to understand.
on minimal literacy. All components of the packaging are used.

solution: make it easy to transport and in large
The components can be distributed assemble.
volumes to rapidly achieve economies of scale.

then:
Test your design problems with a set
of potential design solutions to ensure
they will create desired change.

Maximum Length Client Name Maximum Length Project Name 24 september 2007 © 2007 frog design. client confidential. 37

“I think they would
Title this kind of test. P
so afraid to go to t
“I think they would love
this We would like to h
kind of test. People are
so afraid to go to the clinic.
test instead.”
We would like to have this
test instead.”

“It is“It is important, and this sy
important, and this
system can be because people ar
be easy, easy, because
people are afraid, but everyone
everyone needs to know th
needs to know their status.”

“We are all looking
“We are all looking forward
to them! you need to hurry
to them! You need
up and get them out, so I don’t
have to see my other friends die.”

“you’re very late.get them o
up and I’ve watched
don’t have to see m
so many of my friends die,
because they are too
scared to go to thedie.”
friends clinic.”
“You’re very late. I’ve watch
of my friends die, because

A f eW PA rT I n g T H o u g H Ts A b o u T P ro b l e m s :

Well-stated design
problems always suggest
related problems.


MXShare Testing Assets: Concept Storyboard Xs H A r e P ro D u CT I n k e n yA :
m ov I rT u / m
Used by the frog research team to explain sysT e mto users b o r roW I n g P H o n es
A the concept fo r W I T H P r e PA I D m I n u T es
Ideally used by theMovirtu small business owner to explain the concept to customers.

Problem: A similar testing solution may not be as effective
3
Movirtu Contextual Inquiry and Design Recommendations

in a country with fewer mobile device users.
© 2010 frog design. Confidential & proprietary.


Title

Accept that there is never
a perfect solution to
any design problem.


Title

understand that people are
unsolvable problems.


David Sherwin
email: david.sherwin@frogdesign.com
web: http://frogdesign.com
blog: http://changeorder.typepad.com
twitter: @changeorder

Designing the Design Problem

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