A design-led approach to transforming wicked problems into design situations and opportunities

Abstract

This article argues that using a design-led approach is highly beneficial when tackling complex problems to transform ambiguity into actionable design briefs and solution opportunities. This is evidenced by way of an ongoing project with a large public-sector organization. Northumbria University’s School of Design academic experts use design-led approaches to innovation that promotes ‘creative fusion’ between diverse stakeholders in order to tackle ‘wicked problems’. The authors continue this work as part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council/ European Regional Development Fund-funded programme entitled Creative Fuse North East (CFNE), involving five regional universities, of which the project discussed here is a part. The main objectives of CFNE are to develop and deploy approaches to innovation that apply skills from creative graduates to benefit the wider creative economy, address barriers to innovation and promote growth and sustainability within and without the Creative, Digital and IT sector (CDIT). The authors propose that to do this it is vital to convert stakeholders into co-creation activists empowered with the creative confidence and tools required to speculate about uncertain futures.

Design Listening: What Designers Hear and How They Respond

“…In the former, it is deployed in pursuit of insights and ideas that will enable the designer to deliver better designs. In the latter, it is employed to aid the participants achieve greater understanding of the situations and opportunities (Bailey et al, 2019) within their enterprise setting and shape a preferred future for their organisations (Simon, 1996).…”

“…Moving forward from the challenge and probe facet of the response, DFs and participants start to 'co-reflect' upon their ideas, allowing a collaborative thinking process to happen (Yukawa, 2006). 'Through co-reflection, [DFs and participants together] weigh reasons, arguments, and supporting evidence and examine alternative perspectives to achieve a clearer understanding by drawing on collective experience' (Yukawa, 2006, p. 206) and become 'co-creation activists' (Bailey et al, 2019).…”