As designers, we often say we work with brands to solve their business problems. But in reality, there are two processes at hand – problem setting and problem solving.

Bill Buxton examines this distinction in his book, Sketching User Experiences. The key distinction is that problem setting is mostly about answering “what is the right thing to build?” while problem solving answers “how do we build this?”. Since design involves moving between these two phases, Buxton highlights how sketching can help navigate this process by generating multiple divergent concepts.

(diagram adapted from Bill Buxton’s version)

He argues against evaluating a single concept early in the design phase since most evaluations take the form of a cost-benefit analysis. The trouble is, in early stages costs are easier to identify and are thus given more weight than benefits. Hence, some of the earlier “flawed” designs may have greater potential if given the chance to develop. Allowing more concepts to breathe and evolve creates more opportunity to find the elusive “right design”.

This idea of finding the “right design” extends beyond our traditional view of design. As design as an approach moves into spaces filled with wicked problems like poverty and public health, it’s interesting to draw parallels to this way of thinking. Esther Duflo and Abhijeet Banerjee at MIT’s Poverty Action Lab use randomized control trials to explore multiple approaches toward a desired impact. For example, to improve school retention rates, it’s possible to test multiple ideas within numerous small communities. Each group is exposed to a different possible solution, ranging from mosquito nets to water purification tablets. Upon completion of the program, the outcomes per concept can be measured against the control group. This way, before spending millions on a single concept that may not be the “right design”, we’re able to vet more ideas and thus move towards a better solution to implement on a larger scale.

This mindset should be considered whenever we’re approaching design. It helps us to re-frame questions, abstract given problems to find a root cause and understand the messiness of design and how it helps us achieve clarity. Having an approach that understands the distinction between problem setting and problem solving, between the right design and getting the design right, will help all of us, designers and clients, reach effective, rich, and rewarding solutions. Maybe even the right design.