Chapter Two - Managing Complexity

Abstract

This chapter discusses the management of complexity in design process. Design literature frequently mentions a four-step process taken as individuals gain comprehension. This comprehension could be an understanding of digital–spatial relationships in a complicated system or the awareness of how to achieve a goal. This four-step process attempts to move from data to information to knowledge and, finally, to wisdom (DIKW). An affinity diagram is a visual representation of taxonomy, or the words used in the context of a specific design problem. The first step in creating this diagram is to list all of the elements in the context of a particular problem on discrete note cards. Designers often transcribe entire interviews or contextual inquiry sessions onto individual note cards, creating the affinity elements directly from ethnographic data. The first step toward creating a concept map is the creation of a concept matrix that lists all elements relevant to a particular domain and attempts to identify which items have a direct relationship. These diagrams can be created relatively quickly, prior to implementing complicated systems, and then manipulated to understand the optimum flow of data.