Meet Nathan Crilly, Professor of Design at the Department of Engineering.

Exploring the Dynamics of Co-evolution: Prof. Nathan Crilly's Research on Problem Solving and Finding in Design Thinking

I generally research design, creativity and communication. My most recent work is on the interaction between problem solving and problem finding. It is often observed that during design projects, designers don’t just solve problems, they also discover new interpretations of the problem through the development of partial solutions. Designers can alternate between processes of problem solving and problem finding until they develop a good match between a candidate problem and a candidate solution (even if this solution does not solve the original problem, but another related problem). This process is often called ‘co-evolution’ and is presented as a trait of creative design thinking. I’ve been tracing the history of this theory across many creative practices, and presenting new directions in which the theory can develop in future.

Diving into the Realms of Problem Solving in Design Research: Navigating Interdisciplinarity and Diverse Perspectives in Analyzing Ideas and Innovations

Design research is an inherently interdisciplinary field. We are investigating people, the ideas they develop and how those ideas lead to products, systems and services. All this takes place in institutional settings, with organisational, managerial and economic concerns. To make sense of this, it is important to draw concepts, methods and findings from a broad range of disciplines. So, the research is very varied, with what you learn on one project becoming relevant in later projects, often in surprising ways.

What are the key challenges in the field of Design Research?

One of the challenges of interdisciplinary work is defining where the boundaries are. On the one hand, design activities can be identified by the work of professional designers, such as those who work on consumer products or mechanical systems or computer software. On the other hand, design can be identified in everyone’s work, wherever problems are being located and solutions are being planned and implemented. So, design research can be difficult to navigate, but that also makes it exciting as new disciplines are always being drawn in for what they can offer our understanding.

Tell us something interesting about your research or any projects you have worked on.

Members of my research group have recently been conducting studies on how design and creativity are influenced by working in virtual reality. We’ve studied professional innovation consultants designing and building in a fully virtual environment. The virtual environment includes physics simulation that permits rapid and realistic testing of the designs. It’s great to see how people respond to the feedback provided by testing, prompting them to really think about whether they have adequately explored the space of possible solutions. We’ve also studied designers sketching their ideas directly in three-dimensional space, examining the way that they use this technology to explore problems and develop solutions. It’s amazing to see people who are expert in drawing be able—for the first time—to draw their ideas life-size in three dimensions and then walk around and through their own drawings to refine their ideas.

Who/what did you have in mind when conceiving this course?

Skills related to creativity, problem solving and design thinking have been increasingly recognised as critical, and critical to a wide range of sectors and across all levels. As such, the course was developed with a wide range of people in mind. The key thing is to be open to the variety of perspectives and approaches that are useful for undertaking creative work. There are research studies demonstrating the effectiveness of general approaches to creativity training and also the effectiveness of specific creative methods. So, we can use those studies as the basis for what students will have the opportunity to trial, but they can then select from and combine those approaches in their own work, in ways that suit them and the contexts they operate in.

What do you hope learners will gain from this course?

The ability to undertake creative work is influenced by knowledge of the processes, perspectives and tools that are available, and also confidence in one’s creative abilities. The content and structure of the course are targeted at enhancing these aspects of knowledge and confidence. The course introduces processes, perspectives and tools for creative work, but also frames these in terms of the thinking skills required and the thinking biases that must be overcome. The exercises and assessments are structured so that learners can practice different creative approaches, applying them to their own work contexts. They will also reflect on their creative abilities and creative development, investigating how this can be communicated to others.

Why do you think this is an important area?

Individuals, organisations and communities face critical challenges that will require creative solutions. This includes challenges surrounding technology, health, society and the environment. Identifying, defining and reframing problems will be essential, as will exploring solution possibilities and then selecting and implementing those. There are a range of perspectives that are useful in this, including design thinking. There are also general processes for creative problem solving and specific tools that can be used in that process. Unfortunately, many people’s education has not emphasised these practices, and this course is an opportunity for learners to address this. They can develop their knowledge and confidence, and also their ability to represent their skills and experiences to others.

Who are your inspirations within this field?

I’m very fortunate to be able to work with a range of inventors, designers and entrepreneurs, from novices to experts. It’s inspiring to learn about their creative problem-solving processes. This provides many insights into how persistence needs to be balanced with flexibility during the development and implementation of new ideas. Research is also a creative process, so it’s great to be able to research creativity, and to see the parallels between the subject being researched and the process by which that research is undertaken.

What books or other media have you found useful or inspirational in this area?

I draw insights from a broad range of disciplines, including psychology, philosophy, anthropology and biology. My perspectives on creativity were heavily influenced by Thomas Kuhn’s book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. It’s useful for understanding the way that ideas develop and change through a series of paradigm shifts. My perspectives on design thinking were influenced by Daniel Dennett’s book The Intentional Stance. It’s useful because it distinguishes between the different models we construct when understanding the behaviour of people, technology and other systems.

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