ABSTRACT

Solving Critical Design Problems demonstrates both how design is increasingly used to solve large, complex, modern-day problems and, as a result, how the role of the designer continues to develop in response. With 13 case studies from various fields, including program and product design, Tania Allen shows how types of design thinking, such as systems thinking, metaphorical thinking, and empathy, can be used together with methods, such as brainstorming, design fiction, and prototyping. This book helps you find ways out of your design problems by giving you other ways to look at your ideas, so that your designs make sense in their setting.

Solving Critical Design Problems encourages a design approach that challenges assumptions and allows designers to take on a more critical and creative role. With over 100 images, this book will appeal to students in design studios, industrial and product design, as well as landscape and urban design.

chapter |6 pages

Introduction

Defining the drivers of design theory and practice

part 1|50 pages

Design and usability

chapter 2|10 pages

Design and usability

From universal to individual experiences

chapter 3|20 pages

Experiential and adaptive design thinking

chapter 4|18 pages

Design as dialogue

Case studies of experiential design thinking

part 2|52 pages

Design and technology

chapter |12 pages

Reciprocity and impact

chapter 6|14 pages

Networked design thinking

chapter 7|24 pages

Visualizing the invisible

Case studies of networked design thinking

part 3|51 pages

Design and sustainability

chapter 8|9 pages

Paradigm shifts

Designing resilient systems

chapter 9|15 pages

Ecological design thinking

chapter 10|20 pages

Creating resilient futures

Case studies of ecological design thinking

part 4|48 pages

Design and morality

chapter 11|12 pages

Making change, design as moral mediator

chapter 12|13 pages

Narrative design thinking

chapter 13|12 pages

Creating stories together

Case studies of narrative design thinking

chapter 14|8 pages

Conclusion

Putting it all together—design futures