Wicked Problems: A Designer’s Ultimate Enemy
“As human beings, it’s our responsibility to leave things better than we received them. It’s the greatest way to let the next person know it’s worth any value. It also says something about the person who just had it.”
The UX crew and I are tackling wicked problems this week and so far, the energy we have at the beginning of this project is going well. We are bouncing ideas back and forth, narrowing down on final case studies, and are approving each other’s ideas. Everything is going as planned. But behind our research, a dark problem is lurking. An issue that is not going away. I want to make this more apparent to the team, but everything is going so well.
I wouldn’t want to worry them about the unforeseen issues that could be in our way. But as it creeps into our design flow, I can’t help but worry it will appear at the worst possible time, ready to destroy our flow and morale. My team is alert and ready to take on any obstacle that comes our way. But I worry that even though we may do everything right, we could still fail.
Human, Nature
As individuals partake in the subject of design and technology…the practice of creating has become more complex. This practice reveals these “wicked problems” we are facing today. Assuming based on our surroundings what these problems are, makes it inefficient when looking for a resolution, thus the deep dive into the workings of human nature starts. And this, to me, is where things get complicated.
The team is identifying the individuals distressed by wicked problems with user personas and experience boards. Based on our prior research, we believe this individual to have unique, but relatable interests and characteristics. One general trait our persona has that I see in many of us is that we use the physical to entice our mental and emotional experiences. This is overlooked because it can be required to do so in many instances. This also doesn’t seem like a bad thing. Yet this trait can be warped into terms like vanity or materialism.
Let’s say an individual is an upstanding, exceptional human being, living life as just as they know they can. When do wicked problems begin to occur? Are they an outside force, or something internal? These questions are not being asked enough in an effort to solve something — anything, for results. It gets too vague and complicated. But isn’t this initial the problem to begin with? Do we just give wicked problems a mild slap on the wrist and move on?
What’s Wicked?
Many of us have been hurt, mistreated, robbed, taken advantage of, the list goes on. Amongst the countless “justifications”, I come to conclude it was the one who caused harm who is really in pain. Whether it’s being financially uncomfortable, physically aggravated, or mentally isolated, something inside snapped, causing that pain to extend to another person in the display of selfishness, violence, or theft. The bigger problem is that pain can be transmissible. It infects and grows, making it a problem for everyone.
So, what is a Wicked Problem? There are a lot of textbook definitions out there that circulate around the similar idea of wicked problems being “confusing social system problems” or “problems that are too complex to solve” hence the term wicked. As you may understand these types of problems:
- Involve many different types of people if not everyone
- Take a toll on the whole planet in the long run
- Seem brand new every time they show up, even when they’ve been here longer than we have
- Can feel like a ton of problems that are connected to each other
These problems seem to have no end in sight, are never absolute, and ultimately have never been solved. Yet here we are, rolling up our sleeves taking them head-on.
Where do we go right?
Our UX instructor made a great point about human beings saying, in brief, that we just “ figure it out”. No obstacle is too large at a point it puts one to a complete halt. People adapt and move on. So what about wicked problems? As they chip away at the world as we know it, where do we find closure in them?
Maybe I’ll get back to you on that. Because right now my opinion is that we either never get closure, we begin to enjoy the pain, or we find a way out and let it continue to destroy the lives of those that didn’t. I am not fond of any of those choices.
If it helps, Here are ways you can begin to approach a wicked problem.
Break it down into smaller pieces and tackle them bit by bit. Pace yourself and don’t panic. You won’t want to make the situation any more stressful than it already is.
Look at the bigger picture every now and then. This helps you remember the problem you’re trying to solve and keeps you guided.
Collaborate. Address the problem to others who are willing to listen and work to build ideas from experiences everywhere you can. You can find great inspiration or individuals who share the same mindset as you that would be eager to work with you.
Get right into it. Throw everything you have at the problem. If it doesn’t work, throw something else. Just keep going at it. If you get tired, relax a bit and take a break. When you’re ready again, get right back to hitting it with everything you got.
Don’t stop. When you think it’s over, revamp your solution. Make the solution stronger to the point it’s terrifying. And then, if you’re up for it, make a bigger one.
Final Thoughts
It’s always been like this. No single person is to blame. It might as well have been “every little mishap” that has added up to an obnoxious travesty. I can’t blame technology. That would be like blaming a hammer for stubbing your thumb as you use it to put a nail in a wall. I couldn’t blame people. We’re just people. Life is hard and never gets easier. We only get better at living.
Problems might be what makes us people. Kind of ironic, but without problems, would we be inspired enough to do the things we do? Maybe we are way too far gone to even ask that.
That’s it for this rabbit hole. Pardon me if this discussion raises more questions than answers, I don’t get it either. But within all this brings an incredible joy in designing for a reason. That feels like a good place to start.
