Design Discomfort

Does uncomfortable uncertainty help to effectively practice methods of design thinking?

Introduction

Human centric design is a methodology to ensure we design solutions, products, or services with the human at the core. Key aspects here are the shared space for collaboration and making the outcome desirable for users, feasible for developers, and viable for stakeholders. Design thinking is the method in which people outside of the design practice itself use similar mental rhythms as designers, such as converging and divergent thinking. I experienced it as a cognitive dance, moving between broad activities like exploration and ideation, and more focused practices like defining and testing.

We often feel uncomfortable when faced with the uncertainty dealing with entirely new situation or tasked with the creation of a new solution. Though discomfort is a key step towards effectively practicing human-centered design. Reflecting on our UNICEF research project, in which we were tasked to address an ambiguous challenge without a clear solution or path in mind, in which the topic of discomfort and uncertainty came up countless of times. This motivated me to enquire how uncertainty might even positively impact design processes.

The sources of uncertainty

Looking at the source of uncertainty leads me to the analyzing the human centric design methodology itself. Design thinking lives and breathes in our minds. Attempting to fit a complex, multi-layered reality into a structured framework reveals greater complexity. We need to accept that countless other perspectives exist, making it possible to keep an open mind. Ideas on pluriversal design involve not trying to own the stories of others, allowing for stories to be open and not translatable (McEntee, 5). It’s an effort to bring the inherently uncertain ideas, stories and perspective to light. 

In a study with 16 designers at 6 design companies across the US, found that in non-routine situations, 46,3% (n = 54) account the social context as the source of their uncertainty, 46,3% to the task itself, and only 7,4% to their own individual ability or behavior. (Daalhuizen, Badke-Schaab, Batill. 2009)

Psychological Processes and the Benefits of Discomfort

When faced with uncertainty, individuals are more likely to engage in exploratory behaviors and challenge existing assumptions, which could lead to novel and innovative ideas. This cognitive process can help with the generation of a wider range of ideas and perspectives, ultimately contributing to creativity and the potential for new discoveries. 

However, from a psychological perspective, extreme uncertainty triggers cognitive dissonance—a state of mental discomfort that occurs when individuals are confronted with ideas that challenge their existing beliefs or assumptions. This often leads to anxiety or risk aversion, causing individuals to retreat to familiar solutions.

Taking this into account, excessive uncertainty can have a negative impact on design thinking and creativity. It can induce feelings of overwhelm and a sense of paralysis, impeding progress. Individuals exposed to high levels of uncertainty often experience increased stress, anxiety, and decreased motivation, all of which can negatively impact performance and creativity. Without a clear sense of direction and goals, uncertainty can also make it difficult to prioritize tasks and allocate time effectively. Dealing with uncertainty can be emotionally taxing, leading to stress, anxiety, and burnout.

Balancing Uncertainty for Creativity

Creating trust and opening up during sessions helped our team find a space where vulnerability was shared, reducing fear of failure, enhancing empathy, and allowing us to navigate uncertainty. Amabile and Sternberg (2005) suggest that discomfort stimulates divergent thinking, a key process for innovation, aligning with the idea that moderate discomfort encourages designers to explore novel solutions. On the other hand, positive emotions, such as joy and amusement, also boost creativity. Isen, Daubman, and Nowicki observed that "…positive affect, induced by a comedy film or a small gift, can facilitate creative responding” (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1128).

Design educator Patricia Kovic states, “Creativity in its most primal, unwieldy, and disruptive form is a valuable tool for interdisciplinary teams addressing wicked problems. However, proxy creativity—a safer, less disruptive form—may seem more comfortable but is ultimately a poor substitute.” This highlights how some individuals may prefer safer versions of creativity due to discomfort with uncertainty.

Conclusion

Design thinking provides us with an opportunity to share newly formed ideas, embrace risk, which are all key aspects of practicing human centric design. The biggest danger when relying on these methods is staying in the comfort zone, which can lead to 'proxy creativity'—a safe but ultimately less impactful approach that lacks originality. How might we, as designers, push ourselves and our teams to not only find comfort in discomfort but also leverage it for unfolding our potential and creating feasible, viable and desirable outcomes? We shall embrace uncertainty by creating social environments of trust, involve the stakeholders and communicate any discomfort openly.

Bibliography

• Asimov, Isaac. Isaac Asimov's Advice for Being Creative (Hint: Don't Brainstorm)." Cal Newport, 2023.

• Arturo Escobar. Encountering Development THE MAKING AND UNMAKING OF THE THIRD WORLD, 1995

• Brown, T. Change by Design: How Design Thinking Creates New Alternatives for Business and Society. 2009

• McEntee, Kate. An Abundance of Tools: Attention and Care with Theory. Pivot 2021. OCAD University, July 22-23, 2021. (Page 5).

• Patricia Kovic. I Hate Creativity, 2021. Otis College of Art and Design (Page 99)

• Silvia, P. J. Adapted from the meta-analysis. The neural correlates of creativity. Psychological Bulletin, 2009 (Page 135, 331-350)

• T. M., & Sternberg, R., Adapted from Amabile. Creativity in context: From individual potential to organizational realization, 2005

• Daalhuizen, Badke-Schaab, Batill. Dealing uncertainty in design practice: issues for designer-centered methodology, 2009 (Page 9-151)