The problem with solutions - UX Collective

Being design school, the obvious point of this exercise was to work through the design process; problem + idea = solution. In the semesters and years that ... GetstartedOpeninappSigninGetstartedFollow427KFollowers·Editors'picksReceiveournewsletterPublishastoryAboutGetstartedOpeninappTheproblemwithsolutionsAndthesolutionstothatproblem.LeonFitzpatrickJan8,2020·5minreadOnmyveryfirstdayofdesignschool,duringmyfirstclass,thefirstthingthatcameoutofmyteacher’smouthwasthestatementthat‘designwasallaboutproblemsolving’.Wewerethentoldtogooffanddesignanalarmclock.Nowformanyofus,wakingupontimemayactuallybeconsideredaproblem.Butclocksthatmakeloudringingnoisesatpre-programmedtimeshavebeenaroundsincethe1800’s.Beforethisnaturalsolutionsprevailed;thesun,roosters,smallchildren,andthefearofbeingeatenbypredatorswhilesleepingdidaprettygoodjobofgettingpeopleupinthemorningtoo.Or,inthecaseofthelatter,preventedthemfromsleepingsoundlyatall.Whatdawnedonme(nopunintended)manyyearslaterwasthatwhatwewereactuallybeingaskedtodowastocreateaproblem,andthensolvethatproblemthatwe’dcreatedwithaneatandtidysolution—inthiscaseaphysicalproduct.Beingdesignschool,theobviouspointofthisexercisewastoworkthroughthedesignprocess;problem+idea=solution.Inthesemestersandyearsthatfollowedproblemswouldbedeliveredasabrief;astructured‘problemstatement’thatcontainsanynumberoffactorstoconsiderwhendesigningaproduct,oropportunitiesthatmightexisttocreatesomethingthatdoesn’tyetexist.Ithereforeenteredtheworkforceskepticallyundertheimpressionthatmyjobwastosolveproblems.WhatIcametorealiserelativelyquicklywasthattheproblemsneedingtobesolvedwereonesofprofitmarginsandshareholdersatisfaction.And,thatdesigningaproductsoldtoconsumersasasolutiontotheircurrentproblemwouldonlyliveuptothisforaslongasittooktodesignandmanufacturethenextmodel.Whichinturnwouldresultintheexistingproductbeinginstantaneouslyperceivedasaproblem.Repeat.Wedon’tneedabrieftohelpusidentifyproblems.Weliveinatimewheretheyarebroughttoourattentionwithsuchspeedandintensitythatitcanbetrulyexhausting.Connectivityhasdramaticallychangedthislandscape,makingitextremelyeasytopointfingersatproblemsandyelloutthatwehaveaglaringlyobvioussolution,andwonderwhynooneisdoinganythingaboutit.Dependingontheskillsyoupossess,andifyousubscribetoMaslow’shammer=nailequation,it’stemptingtoimmediatelystartprescribinghammerstoeverynail,eventhoughhittingoneusuallycausesanothertopopoutofplacesomewhereelse.Thethingsthatweperceiveasseparateproblemsaresymptomsoflarger,underlyingpatterns,andsettingoutto‘solve’problemswithoutunderstandingthemisakintopaintingtheleavesonatreegreenwhiletherootsrot.In1880around15,000horsesdiedonthestreetsofNewYorkcity.Horseswereoverworkedandabused,andhadalifeexpectancyofonlyafewyears.Theywoulddropdeadonexcessivelyhotorcolddays,theirbodieseitherbeingabandonedonthestreetsorthrownintotheriver.Theyproduced3millionpoundsofmanureeachandeverydayinNewYorkalone.Asolutionwasonthehorizonhowever,andtheautomobilewouldbecomethesaviourofthehorseinarelativelyshortperiodoftime.Fastforward140years.Withabillioncarsontheroademittingabout5metrictonsofCO2eachperyear,causingtoxicairqualityandfurtheringourrelianceonfossilfuels,andit’seasytocallwhatwasonceasolutionamassive,globalproblem.Solution:electricvehicles!Right!Right?IloveEVs,andwilltalktheearoffofanybodywhowilllistenaboutthepositiveimpactTeslahasmadeonanentireindustry.ButcallinganEVaworld-savingsolutiondoesn’trespondtotheimmenseamountofenergyandenvironmentalresourcesrequiredtomanufactureavehicle.Nottomentionapocalypticgridlock,howthecarisstillthedominantdesignconsiderationofcities,andhowithasenabledecosystem-destroyingurbansprawl.ButthatisnottosayweshouldlabelanEVasaprobleminandofitself,butasasteptowardsthenextthing.Anelectriccar—andmorespecificallyanelectricmotor—isnotafuturisticsolutionbutinfactalongoverduetransition.Theproblemwithsolutionsisthatwedefinethemasneat,tidy,andfinal.Nothingisfinal.Nomatterhowsolid,futureproof,indestructible,orpermanentasolutionissoldtobe,it’sstillinflux;atransitionfromonestatetothenext.Therearenorealsolutions,butratherprogressions.Ifwedefineaproblemas‘aninquiry’andasolutionas‘theactionofseparatingorbreakingsomethingdown’,thenwecanlookattheirrelationshipasoneofcreationanddestruction.Onegivesrisetothenext.Butwhatifweconsideraproblemtobeasignal,andasolutionasaresponsetothatsignal?Thenthere’dbeafewdifferentwaystodealwiththem.Deflectit.“That’snotmyproblem,man.”Absorbit.Buryitdeepdownuntilitbecomesacaps-locksocialmediatirade.Turnitintosomethinguseful.Thecreationofpurpose.Ifproblemisacalltoaction,rememberthatitmightbeonethatonlyyoucanhearorsee.Thisdoesnotdiminishtheimportanceofthatcallinanyway.Wecandogoodthingsifweavoidbeingentangledtheleavesandbranches,andseektounderstandtherootsinstead.Indoingsowecanconnectwithalargerpurposebecauseafterallit’sresistancethatbuildsstrength,notease.Thereisoneperfectsystemthathasneitherproblemsorsolutions,butaperfectlybalancedseriesofinputsandoutputs.It’scallednature,andit’samazingwhatitcandowhenwelearnfromit,protectit,andleaveitbe.Themysteryoflifeisnotaproblemtosolve,butarealitytoexperience.—FrankHerbert*originalsketchesbymeLeonFitzpatrickDesignDoing/FutureThingswww.leonfitzpatrick.comFollow4471447 4471DesignProblemSolvingUXStartupBusinessMorefromUXCollectiveFollowWebelievedesignersarethinkersasmuchastheyaremakers.CuratedstoriesonUX,Visual&ProductDesign.ReadmorefromUXCollectiveMoreFromMediumBLOCKCHAINWEEK4|MicroUXDavidHanAreyouanArchitectofLight?-12MostBeautifullyDesignedSpaceswithPlayofLightandShadowTeamKaarwaninkaarwanREAD/DOWNLOAD]ManualofMuseumExhibitionsFULLBJaidynscarletACulturalAtlasforChicagoJulianaMcMillan-WilhoitMETCHA|AchatwiththesneakerheadBeijaMarieVelezTransaInc.EamesandthePowerofanInterdisciplinaryCareerEvaHoffmaninTheHistory,PhilosophyandEthicsofDesign.Doesdesignmatter?(Mostimportantly,doesitmattertoyou?)CraigJanssen15BestAppDesignsforYourInspirationin2019MonicaSwift