Design, Hyperobjects, and Wicked Problems: a Call for a New Design Toolkit

Design thinking methods are great for generating desirable products, but not-so-great at solving complex social and ecological challenges.

March 31, 2022

The role of design and the designer is in flux

Design as we know it was born during the industrial revolution, focused on the physical manifestation of ideas into desirable forms for mass consumption. That conception translated into other forms of design, from graphic and communications design to digital user experience. The shape or form of objects has been the purview of design for decades, from blenders to mobile apps. "Keep the developers fed" means "Design, go 'shape' an object" so the developers (or engineers, just as in industrial design) have something to make real, something we can sell. However, in today's world, design's scope and altitude of operation are rapidly expanding.

Designers are asked to contribute to high-level strategy, facilitate alignment between diverse disciplines and stakeholders, contribute to omnichannel services planning, and even help solve complex economic and social challenges. The objects of yesterday are simple compared to the abstracted objects of today. As for user experience as a discipline, no one aligned certification exists for the design needs of yesterday, let alone for the complexities of the role today and as it evolves into the future. Simply, design and designers are ill-prepared for the next level of problem-solving.

How might we... stave off the end of the world?

I became keenly aware of the gap in preparation for design's new, emerging reality after reading Tricia Wang's article "The most popular design strategy is BS: The 'how might we' prompt is insidious..." on FastCo Design. While I disagree with a lot of the flak the "how might we" thought-starter gets in the article ("HMW' is not a design strategy, to start with), the following anecdote really paints a picture:

"Product and UX designer Cyd Harrell tweets: '& for real, designers, sticking a 'how might we' on the front of wicked problems is not useful…’ When I asked her to elaborate, she said she'd recently been invited to yet another hackathon that launched with 'HMW solve racism?'"

"How might we" is a way to reframe problem statements leading into ideation for everyday, market-based objects of consumption. When applied to a wicked problem such as racism, the reframe collapses under the weight of the challenge. This anecdote underscores that there are two different types of focus for "capital D" Design: 1) market economy objects and 2) societal and ecological hyperobjects. Completely different toolkits are needed for each.

Wicked problems and hyperobjects

I was introduced to hyperobjects through Matthew Wizinsky and his stellar book Design After Capitalism. The concept of hyperobjects was created by philosopher Timothy Morton, and is similar to wicked problems.

Wicked problem

A wicked problem is a social or cultural problem that's difficult or impossible to solve—normally because of its complex and interconnected nature.

Hyperobjects

Entities of vast temporal and spatial dimensions that are challenging to think of as "things," yet directly influence the human experience. Racism, climate change, and the very concept of universal entropy are all examples.

I see these two concepts as interconnected. Hyperobjects are the vast "things" that lead to the formation of wicked problems. Going back to Cyd Harrell's anecdote, racism is a hyperobject -- something huge that exists across space and time that creates wicked problems in its wake: social injustice, socioeconomic disparity, disruption or gentrification of communities, outright violence, and more. This isn't solving for increased customer conversion, and to think the same approaches will work on something as complex as racism is foolish. Yet, with the rapid expansion of design's purview (much of it accelerated by 'design thinking' as a buzzword espoused by the world's leading consultancies), someone thought "HMW solve racism" was an intelligent approach to undoing centuries' worth of injustice. 

A new toolkit is needed

A new set of tools, approaches, partnerships, interactions, and more are needed to prepare designers for what's next. I certainly don't have a magic recipe book that outlines strategic or tactical approaches. Design itself is a hyperobject, and its failings to adequately solve wicked problems is a wicked problem itself. I intend to expand upon the concept of a new design toolkit over the coming months and years, all documented here on the site, podcast, and newsletter. Much more to come.

This is an opening and invitation for conversation. What are your thoughts about hyperobjects, wicked problems, and design's capacity to operate at a vastly different level today and in the future? I'd love to hear from you!