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March 01, 2003
Wicked Problems
Someone posted this link to a definition of "wicked problems" on SIGIA in the context of CMS systems and general enterprise design impossibilities. "Wicked Problems" are those for which you don't understand the problem until you've developed a solution, for which there is no right or wrong, and which get harder the more stakeholders there are involved. Very interesting read.
The interesting thing is that there are clearly models for handling these problems, since they do get solved. Freeways get built, cars get designed, and (interestingly) open-source operating systems get built. See the talk I linked to yesterday for more.
Posted by Andrew at March 1, 2003 04:02 PM
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The opening quote on that page reminded me of the Schleswig-Holstein Problem:
It is little wonder that Palmerston, the English Prime Minister, is reported to have said: "There are only three men who have ever understood the Schleswig-Holstein Problem: one was Prince Albert, who is dead; the second one was a German professor, who became insane. I am the third - and I have forgotten all about it."
Reading through through the history of Schleswig-Holstein explains just why it's considered so confounding.
Posted by: Eric Scheid at March 2, 2003 06:36 AM
There's an essay in "The Idea of Design" by Richard Buchanan called "Wicked Problems and Design Thinking" that also discusses wicked problems, especially the indeterminacy of subject matter that typifies wicked problems. It's more theoretical, but a pretty decent introduction to his work and a different approach to wicked problems.
Posted by: chad at March 2, 2003 05:57 PM
There is a yahoo group working on Pattern Languages as one way of approaching wicked problems
You can view the entire set of pattern proposals -- as well as the
new one
at http://diac.cpsr.org/cgi-bin/diac02/pattern.cgi/public
-- PLB (Pattern Language Bot), Public Sphere Project
___________________________
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)
is the oldest non-profit, mass membership organization
working on social impacts of computer technology.
To learn more, go to http://www.cpsr.org
To join, use http://cpsr.org/membership
Valerie A. Brown, Local Sustainability Project
Australia
Posted by: valerie brown at May 6, 2003 09:48 PM
"Wicked Problems" and the methodologies that grew up around it (e.g. IBIS) certainly privide an analysis of "why things are tough" question, though I'm not sure it actually provide answers. I have used dialogue mapping techniques and it is a useful recording methodology, it didn't quite get to any solutions. "First know thyself..." a good start; but not the solution
Posted by: Alan at June 18, 2003 04:06 PM