Dear Richard,
The Problem Finding you speak of is quite similar to Schon's Problem Setting which is very instructive in terms of the common notion that design is a super form of problem solving. The issue as I see it, is that there are many people open to Problem Solving and few people able to Problem Set. This is found in other areas, such as the arts - there are many authors who can work quite well within a tradition (the problems have been set) and a few who can disclose a new understanding of the tradition (re-setting the problem domain). Some critics are open to setting problems but not, at the same time, solving the problems they set.
Workshops in this area would be good.
all the best
keith russell
OZ newcastle
>>> richard buchanan <[log in to unmask]> 09/20/04 05:37am >>>
Dear Terry,
I liked your post a lot, and I would like to extend the matter a bit
further. I have found that most people (design students included) tend to
look at problems from a perspective already learned or acquired. This may
lead to good analytic thinking, if the perspective is sound and well
learned. But it may actually lead to an inability to find new problems, as
opposed to solving set problems.
This leads to the idea that part of education (for designers as well as
others) should address "problem finding" as a distinct area of thinking.
This is important, of course, for design practice. But it is also
important for design inquiry and design research.
This leads, in turn, to the idea that problem finding may rest on fresh
perception of what is given in a problem situation. And this means the
ability to see new data, before interpretation has settled in and narrowed
perception. This is where the idea of "topics" or "placements" has value.
To be concrete, I have made it a practice in teaching to begin with the
problem of data and the ways we can move systematically or intuitively
behind the categories that one or another person typically accepts from
previous education. In short, I try to help students see the rich variety
of what data can be in a problem situation, and not be constrained by what
others regard as data.
Of course, this matter is closely related to "invention" in rhetorical
theory. And invention theory has its counterpart in design, found in a few
writings such as Jay Doblin's "Design Cookbook." The latter was never
published, to my knowledge. In itself it is not a profound manuscript, but
it does show how "topics" can be applied in design. My own "Wicked
Problems" article and the "doctrine of placements" points toward this, as
well.
Perhaps there should be a workshop on just this matter. It might be a lot
more important than discussions of creativity.
Just some thoughts from Pittsburgh.
Dick
Richard Buchanan
Carnegie Mellon University
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