Wicked Problems & Communication Design
Researching the Communication Designer’s crafts and tools in relation to
tackling complex social issues
MASTER THESIS PROJECT
CATEGORY
DESIGN THEORY & RESEARCH. EDITORIAL DESIGN.
METHODS AND TOOLS
Desk research. Literature review. Analysis of case study. Academic writing. Visual exploration. Adobe Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.
INTENTION
This project set out to explore how communication designers with a traditional training in graphic design, go about working with complex social issues, described in 1973 by Horst Rittel as wicked problems.
The fundamental basis of this exploration was to look beyond the typical role of the graphic designer as a beautifier brought in at the end of the design process to work on a product’s aesthetic appeal, and instead focus on how communication design skills can be used throughout the process in various ways.
IDEA
Building its case around the historical development of the Graphic Designer, complexity research and the growing role of design in policy and within the public sector, the project highlights the three most important skills the communication designer contributes with in relation to tackling wicked problems: visualization, communication and interaction.
OUTCOME
The research was presented in a 79 page book complete with images and illustrations. As well as this, the project was exhibited at The Royal Danish Academy of Architecture, Design and Conservation through juli and august 2013.
Read or download the full version of the book at ISSUU
RESEARCHING COMPLEXITY
A great deal of formative research was done on the subject of complexity, before the project zoomed in on the specific complexity issues regarding wicked problems.
As part of this formative research, an extensive literature review was done on different branches of complexity in relation to design, varying from the scientific perspective of complexity theory to a more cognitive and behavioral psychological view as held by Donald Norman for instance, as well as classical design tasks in visualizing complexity such as infographics, videos and motion graphics.
However, the question of how we as a society go about tackling the complex social issues that the wicked problems are composed of, and the cross-disciplinary collaborations they call for comprised some interesting questions in regards to the field of communication design, and how/if a traditional education in graphic design in any way is of use when it comes to working with wicked problems.
