Wicked Problems & Design Thinking

Students were given the entire semester to produce one large project with multiple deliverables. Each student selected a “wicked problem” that they were going to research before deciding on the form of their final project. Their research was required to address ideas of scalar thinking, systematic diagraming, critical reframing, and seeking expert opinions. This assignment was highly influenced by Jamer Hunt’s writing in The Journal of Design Strategies: Transdisciplinary Design. In the first half of the semester the student’s interviewed an expert and designed a short publication documenting the transcript. Then they produced an infographic with an emphasis on web diagramming their problem and presenting the scope of their research. Finally, the students needed to synthesize their research and come up with a project that would help address their “wicked problem”. After doing the research most of the student’s initial assumptions about how to intervene in their topics shifted.

Lauren King