The Evolution of “Co-evolution” (Part I): Problem Solving, Problem Finding, and Their Interaction in Design and Other Creative Practices

Nathan Crilly

doi:10.1016/j.sheji.2021.07.003

Abstract

One of the most influential descriptions of design activity emphasizes how problems and solutions “co-evolve.” This concept has somehow escaped critical review and cross-disciplinary comparison, resulting in a fragmented approach to the subject. Reviewing the published literature on design co-evolution reveals that the term is used to refer to a range of distinct concepts, and the study of co-evolution has generated a number of elaborations and alternatives. Reviewing the broader literature in design and other disciplines further reveals that discussions of design co-evolution are disconnected from the history of relevant concepts in design research, and disconnected from a range of relevant concepts in other disciplines that describe creative work. Here I examine what the different concepts of design co-evolution are, how they have been modified and what they are related to. This leads to questioning the distinction between problems and solutions, defining them in relative terms, and drawing a connection between design co-evolution and design fixation.

Highlights

For the last thirty years, design creativity has often been described as a process of problem-solution “co-evolution.” On this account, rather than just solving a problem, design involves developing both an understanding of the problem and the possible solutions until a good match is found
Reviewing the broader literature in design and other disciplines further reveals that discussions of design co-evolution are disconnected from the history of relevant concepts in design research, and disconnected from a range of relevant concepts in other disciplines that describe creative work
Compared to well-structured problems, Maher described design problems as presenting the additional challenge that “design requirements are neither consistent nor complete, they have to be considered as a dynamic set of knowledge that can be updated or revised.”3 Maher’s proposal was to develop an algorithm that would permit design exploration through “the co-evolution of designs and design requirements.”4 This proposal was later illustrated with a diagrammatic representation of the co-evolution model, which has subsequently been widely reproduced and modified (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

For the last thirty years, design creativity has often been described as a process of problem-solution “co-evolution.” On this account, rather than just solving a problem, design involves developing both an understanding of the problem and the possible solutions until a good match is found.

Results

Conclusion