Apply Design Thoughtfully

A big part of a UX designer’s work is problem-solving. Indeed, the wide range of principles and mindsets employed by designers can be applied beyond the limits of design.

Enter the malicious problem. Basically, these are problems in the world that are incredibly difficult to solve, due to a complex web of factors. How to deal with them has always been one of the great challenges.

Since good design is human-centred, designers are positioned nicely to help. So where did this idea come from and how can design thinking help? Find out.

First, we’re going to start by looking at where the word “evil problem” first came from. Then we will see what creates a wicked problem and go through some examples. Finally, we’ll look at how rogue problems and design thinking interact and how you can apply them to UX design.

Why Design Thinking And Problems Can Go Together

Its emphasis on collecting evidence at the sympathetic level is useful for a strong understanding of the user, stakeholders, and interdependencies involved, as well as a clear basis for approaching a problem.

Its rapid repetition process (empathy → defined → ideate → prototype → test) is particularly appropriate for the unique, complex, and difficult nature of the evil problem.

Finally, design thinking often emphasizes the importance of failure because quick and cheap failures are a key part of the repetitive process. Each failure should be another step towards a solution.

We hope you enjoyed exploring our problems and design thinking. To delve deeper into the subject, why not look at our detailed guide to the key principles and steps of the design thinking process.