Lecture Notes: WHAT IS DESIGN?

Problem Solving
Applied creativity
Design as learning
Design as evolution
Design as social process/interaction
Good designers are good negotiators...
Design as a game or challenge.
Design as solving wicked/messy problems
Design as mastery of expertise

A Design problem is called a wicked problem because it has no rules/structure, similar to a game of chess.

Ten Characteristics of wicked problems:
1 No definitive formulation.
2 Have no stopping rule.
3 Solutions are not true or false but better or worse.
4 No immediate and no ultimate test or solution.
5 No opportunity to learn by trial and error, every attempt counts.
6 There is no well-described set of premises that may be incorporated.
7 Each is unique.
8 Can be considered to be a symptom of another problem.
9 Can be explained in numerous ways. Explanation determines nature of problems resolution.
10 Planner has no right to be wrong.

How not to design...
Clinging to you first idea.
Immediately jumping into the details.
Solving one aspect first.
Ignoring an aspect of the design.
Waiting for inspiration.
Ignoring tests that suggest the design might not work

Really nice advice.