terry,
while feelings and emotions can hardly be denied in any design activity, the
difference between tame problems and wicket problems is that tame one's
conform to the classical problem solving paradigm (common to mathematics,
engineering, and planning) while wicked problems do not as they arise from
different stakeholders visions.
you may recall our discussion of my three kinds of motivations for
designers:
A Challenges, troublesome conditions, problems, or conflicts that have
escaped (re)solution
B Opportunities to change something to the better -- not recognized by
others -- to contribute to their own or other communities' lives
C Possibilities to introduce variations into the world that others
may not dare to consider, creating something new and exciting -- just as
poets, painters, and composers do -- aimlessly and for fun.
(see page 28 of my 2006 "The Semantic Turn; A New Foundation for Design").
it would be unfortunate to limit design to tackling tame problems only and
ruling wicket problems out as ill-defined (perhaps untamable as horst rittel
would say). i cannot possible agree that motivations to design other than
problem solving would be epistemologically inconsistent.
klaus
-----Original Message-----
From: Terence Love [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 7:33 PM
To: 'Klaus Krippendorff'; [log in to unmask]
Subject: A problem of wicked problems for design research
Dear Klaus and all,
I agree.
I feel that one of the roadblocks in building coherent design theory and a
sound discipline of design research has been the peculiar focus on
attempting to use external things to try explain internal human activities
such as feelings, creativity, thinking, deciding, judgement etc.
It simply doesn't work. Its like trying to explain the way the motor in a
power drill is constructed by looking at drilled holes. Even worse, it is
like trying to develop a model of humanity with our complex of human
functioning, thinking, feeling, illusions, delusions, hidden knowledge,
motivations and all those fuzzy human internal functions that are dictated
by our biological evolution - by looking at holes drilled by power drills.
Silly.
The obsession with wicked and ill-defined design problems has a similar lack
of connection with design thinking. To attempt to use wicked problems as
the basis for a theory of design thinking is epistemological dodgy -
regardless of the emotional feelings that designers may have that they feel
that design thinking is represented by wicked problems. We all have 'common
sense' simplifications and naiveties but those are no basis for
epistemologically sound theory .
It makes perfect sense for a DESIGNER to be interested in classifying types
of problems. A designer's primary interest is trying to solve them. It
makes good sense for someone trying to invent automated design methods to
classify design problems. Their aim is to use physical knowledge of the
external world to predict and identify design solutions to difficult design
briefs. The terms wicked, ill-defined, variation, routine etc are simply
classifications to make process identification and automation easier.
To try to use wicked or other problem classifications as the basis for
theorising about human internal feeling-driven design thinking behaviours is
epistemologically incoherent. Daft.
Best regards,
Terry
===
Dr. Terence Love
Tel/Fax: +61 (0)8 9305 7629
Mobile: 0434975 848
[log in to unmask]
===
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Klaus
Krippendorff
Sent: Thursday, 29 March 2007 12:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: wicked problems
"ill-defined" is a category from inside the problem solving paradigm.
it signifies being closed to other ways of thinking of conceptualizing
design.
klaus krippendorff
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gordon
Rowland
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 11:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: wicked problems
For related early work, also see the following. Reitman referred to these
sorts of problems as ill-defined.
Reitman, R. R. (1965). Cognition and thought: An information processing
approach. NY: John Wiley & Sons.
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