Reading through the three readings this week, I’ve begun to understand the complex and expansive nature of design thinking and the research that goes into it. In Jasper Liu’s article, Liu expands upon the different versions and iterations of the design thinking processes. With different visual interpretation from organizations such as IBM and Stanford, I realised there is never a single definition for what design thinking can be. Similarly, Liz Sanders introduces the visual representations or maps of design research. In her paper, Sanders presents the four key components of design research, Research Led, Design Led, Expert Mindset and Participatory Mindset. Both readings provide a helpful visual interpretation of the intricate field of design, as Sanders states, “Maps can be useful for showing complexity and change.” I really agree with this statement as, both Liu’s and Sanders’ visual aids helped me understand the different processes and research that go into both design thinking and research.
The final reading, Wicked Problems by Richard Buchanan, discusses the issue of “Wicked Problems”, which are defined as a “class of social system problems which are ill-formulated, where the information is confusing, where
there are many clients and decision makers with conflicting values,
and where the ramifications in the whole system are thoroughly
confusing.” To confront such conundrums, Buchanan suggests that designers must push the scope of what is considered the norm, and identify issues of specific circumstances, in order to create something previously though of as impossible. Buchanan’s description of design being “potentially universal in scope” especially intrigued me, as design truly is an endless subject, with an immeasurable amount of solutions to create. All of the readings showed me how important the design process is in creating a product. I feel that many consumers merely look at the final product, without considering the countless iterations it goes through to reach its goal, which is a shame considering the amount of work that gets put into it.