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Introduction
Introduction
Once we acknowledge poverty is complex, we need to find a way to manage its complexity. Since our birth we are socialized to deal with the complex world. We develop mental shortcuts that help us navigate the world easily. We have learned for example that if a qualified teacher shares knowledge in class it must be true, so we take note to learn from them. Or that if we read the newspaper, we can access the highlights through reading the headers. Sometimes running on auto-pilot can even save your life. For example, if you were shopping on Kampala road and all other people on the street start running and screaming, you are likely to join them without thinking twice. For designers, however, auto-pilot can be more disastrous than helpful.
Think about it, is teacher training always the solution to lack of learner-centered pedagogy? Does providing capital necessarily help student business that struggle with resource mobilization? Or does making the program free make more schools sign up? No! Problem framing helps you to take a step back and re-frame the problem BEFORE coming up with the golden solution.
Design skill
Design skill
- You will be able to apply problem framing to find more and creative solutions
Problem framing is part of the design profession
Problem framing is part of the design profession
We all carry a frame to each situation. This frame helps us observe, monitor, strategize and ultimately act. Imagine a teacher, architect and doctor entering a classroom, they are asked to come up with a strategy to improve skill development. The teacher would look out for the classroom set up, learning tools, the mood of the students, the lesson objectives etc. The architect would look at the lighting coming in from the window, the heat ventilation and durability of the materials used, etc. The doctor would scan for symptoms of disease, the weight of the learners, whether the furniture is fit for their height, etc. In other words, our profession trains us to use certain frames to act competently.
Donald Schon proposes a reflective approach to help professionals deal with complex situations differently. In his work he particularly focuses on designers. He emphasizes that more important than having a skill to find solutions is to have the skill to frame a problem. Because while frames help us act quickly, they can also blind us to valuable alternatives! Frames bias us towards focusing on part of the picture, selecting what to observe and what to ignore.
This doesn't mean we need to master different professions and start looking at every problem from different disciplines... Rather, as designers we should clearly define the problem we are trying to tackle and see if there are alternative ways to look at the problem.
The human-istic principle inspires us to look at the problem from the end-users perspective
The human-istic principle inspires us to look at the problem from the end-users perspective
The relation between problem frames & solution spaces.
"While frames help us act quickly, they can also blind us to valuable alternatives!"
How to reframe
How to reframe
For every design project there is a problem you are trying to solve. Are you trying to solve the problem of poor quality Skills Labs? Or youth unemployment? Or mismanagement of funds in a student business club? Reframing helps us look at the problem differently to find solutions. The four steps proposed below are inspired by the work of Razer and Friedman (2017).
Team up!
Team up!
We are often unaware of our blind spots, but others can help us see things differently.
1) Describe the problem
1) Describe the problem
How do you look at the problem now? Think of the cause and the effect of the problem.
What is the implication of this frame for the designer?
2) Investigate the problem frame
2) Investigate the problem frame
What different ways can you think of to frame this problem?
Some useful prompts:
- How would different end-users frame this problem?
- How has the current design contributed to the problem's existence?
Tip: Look for factual data that can help understand the problem better. Like actual teacher feedback or BML results.
3) Reframe the problem
3) Reframe the problem
Provide an alternative explanation for the initial problem. Look for a frame that helps you come up with a more effective action strategy.
Avoid frames that lead to a dead-end, these include:
- Lack of money
- People just never change
4) Brainstorm solutions
4) Brainstorm solutions
Within the new frame, brainstorm as many solutions as possible. Keep checking the solutions against the foundational principles of Educate!
Not able to come up with a solution? Go back to step 2.
By Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company
Keep in mind
Keep in mind
- Problem framing goes beyond asking people what they think the problem is. Not everyone always knows what they want or need.
- Don't give up if you don't immediately achieve a paradigm shift like the Parker Pen MD. The small prompts in the reframing exercise will help you see things differently slowly.
Assessment #2: Re-frame this problem
Assessment #2: Re-frame this problem
Follow the 4 steps to reframe the following challenge:
- Verification of Back Home Projects: Students falsely report having Back Home Projects.
Write up answers for each step and submit your work to designacademy@experienceeducate.org
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