Problems can be divided into two types, according to David Perkins in his book Archimedes’ Bathtub, The Art and Logic of Breakthrough Thinking. There are reasonable problems which merely require time to reason them out, and insight problems—those requiring a new insight or different way of thinking.1 For insight problems, many times the increased efforts of the problem solver only digs the hole deeper. What is required is a new key, or insight, into the problem.
We have all had those “eureka” moments when suddenly a solution becomes clear. As graphic designers, we at Design Corps are daily aware of how creativity helps in all forms of problem solving, not just in design. Right solutions to insight problems are obvious only after they are discovered, but are obscured before because they require viewing the problem in a different way. The inspiration for these breakthroughs are not beyond any of us, but they do require new habits of thinking creatively. Here are some steps that can help anyone to increase their chances in finding more of the inspiration they need in solving tough problems:
Step One: Gather Information
Do the Math
Michael Gelb, in his book Discover Your Genius2, describes how Brunelleschi won the competition to build the dome on the cathedral in Florence. Brunelleschi’s creative solution was laughed at but, because he had received mathematical training, he had literally “done the math”. Therefore, he could proclaim with confidence that “there could be no other solution.” An in-depth analysis is often the first step to showing us a new creative approach is needed.
Examine Logical Relationships
Often a solution is implied when we examine the relationships within the problem, or at least a clue of how the current approach is not working. Many paradigm shifts came about because of incongruity in the accepted paradigm after it was examined in-depth. Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the solar system is one such example. His model was in opposition to the common perception of anyone looking up in the sky where, of course, it appeared that all heavenly bodies revolved around the earth. By looking at the logical relationships we gain insight into the root of the problem that may lie in our assumptions and even our perceptions.
Step Two: Question Existing Assumptions
Determine the proper context
By determining how the problem relates to the real priorities, we can often find quick solutions logically implied. Determine the most important needs and remove other considerations that are acting as obstacles. The solution may have been obscured because of personal distractions, such as it requires someone (even yourself) doing something he or she doesn’t want to do. Or the problem may have been presented with presumptive thinking that inhibits a solution.
Ask the right question (the one that isn’t being asked)
Many times that ‘eureka’ moment comes not just by getting an accurate view, but by asking a more insightful question, one that represents the problem differently. Often the original problem is unreasonable because it assumes certain limitations. Are those limitations valid?
The cliché of “thinking outside the box” now means to most just thinking differently. But what it really should encourage us to do is to seek a bigger picture. Don’t ask just how to accomplish the task at hand, but ask the deeper questions: “what is the real need? … what is the real purpose?, … what is really important?” By ordering the priorities rightly we often can see better in order to jettison the distracting presumptive thinking.
When NASA wanted to build a reentry vehicle they determined the top priority to be finding a material that would not burn off but resist heat up to 3500°. After a fruitless search someone rephrased the question to be “What will keep the astronauts safe from heat?” The answer was a material that gradually burned off, but as it did so it took heat with it.1
Attack the problem from multiple angles.
We tend to approach things the same way. Thinking about the problem differently often requires that we try some variety. Many of the solutions by inventors mentioned by Perkins came when they left the problem to do something else. Gutenburg found the solution for mechanical printing at a festival with a wine press.1 And Archimedes discovered how to measure the volume of the king’s crown when he sunk into a nice, hot bath (through the displacement of water).1 Activities such as reading, conversing or exercising help our minds let go of the same fruitless frontal attack to find, seemingly by chance but really through an analogous situation, a solution through a lateral way of thinking about the problem.
Play with re-framing the problem
Einstein was known for addressing theoretical problems with a playful imagination. His Theory of Relativity began with a thought experiment that led him to intuitively question the ad hoc assumptions of others. By recombining the question in other frameworks he literally re-framed the question to make more sense, and changed our paradigm of physics, and our view of time, forever.
Accepted patterns of thought have a stamp of authority that often stops new thinking, and new ways of doing things. If you find yourself at a dead end with the old way of thinking, consider re-framing the problem.
Step Three: Move Forward
Systematically search for the solution
Many times we can narrow down our search for a solution to one very specific missing piece. But finding that missing piece may still involve a tedious search. Edison had to experiment with hundreds of materials to find the perfect one for a light bulb filament. When we have established the proper context, asked the right questions, and are certain of the specific need then the greatest need is persistence and time. And…
Flexibility
When the ‘eureka’ moment doesn’t come, or when things turn out differently than planned, we still have to move forward. Action can become a great asset for discovery. Having the will to use what we have creatively will get us through many problems. When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone he was trying to invent a hearing aid. And, of course, the 3M Post-it Note came about with a glue that was not as strong as was desired.
Inspiration is never guaranteed. Answers to problems often seem to come by chance, but the reality is that most breakthroughs come neither by sheer chance nor a steady reasoning process but somewhere in between.1 When inspired solutions do come they will not only lessen time wasted spinning your wheels, but will also change your whole way of seeing the problem. You will gain new enthusiasm about what you are doing, confidence in your decisions, and ability to communicate clearly the principles behind your decisions.
- Perkins, David N., Archimedes' bathtub : the Art and Logic of Breakthrough Thinking (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, London, 2000)
- Gelb, Michael J., Discover Your Genius: How to Think Like History’s Ten Most Revolutionary Minds (Harper Collins Publishers Inc., New York, 2002)
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