Thinking Modes in Designing
What is design?
Here are some definitions of design from literature.
“A goal directed problem solving activity” (B Archer, 1965)
“A creative activity – it involves bringing into being something new and useful that has not existed before” (J B Reswick, 1965)
“The imaginative jump from present facts to future possibilities” (J K Page,1966)
“Engineering design is problem solving science-based problem solving with social-human awareness” (J R Dixon, 1966)
“Initiation of change in man-made things” (J C Jones, 1970)
Thus, design is essentially problem solving. What is a problem? A problem exists when there is a gap between the existing situation and the desired situation. Problem solving is transforming the existing unsatisfactory situation to a desired, more satisfactory situation.
When we are faced with a tough problem for which we are keen to find creative solutions, our mind, as per psychologists, goes through the following stages: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination and Elaboration.
The preparation stage involves thoroughly familiarizing ourselves with the problem. Importance of this stage is signified by the quote from Alfred Einstein who said, “If I had one hour to solve a difficult problem, I would spend fifty minutes studying it”. If we do not put in sufficient & appropriate effort in the preparation stage, we may end up solving a wrong problem.
If we have put in sufficient effort in the preparation stage and still the solution eludes us, we get frustrated and give up our attempt to solve the problem. But our mind does not give up and gets into the incubation stage, enabling subconscious transformation of data as the lull in conscious problem solving allows other data in memory and fresh data to interact with problem data.
Then, sometime later, when we may not even be thinking about the problem, a key idea pointing to the direction for solving the problem emerges in our mind like a spark or Illumination.
The last stage is Elaboration wherein we work out the implications of Illumination in terms of details.
In product design literature, problem solving methodology comprises of Problem Recognition, Problem Analysis, Synthesis of Alternative Solutions, and Evaluation to choose the best solution.
Creative design problem-solving involves two key thinking modes: Divergent Thinking and Convergent Thinking.
- Convergent Thinking: Convergent thinking consists of abilities like memory and logical reasoning, which enable one to get to the right solution in problems that have one right solution. It is also referred to as logical thinking, critical thinking, vertical thinking, or left-brain thinking.
Convergent thinking includes conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, or evaluating available information for further action. The distinguishing characteristics of convergent thinking are clarity, correctness, consistency, relevance, proper evidence, and, most importantly, no bias. All of us do thinking. However, many times, it is biased/prejudiced and uninformed. But how good the things we design and make depends entirely on the quality of our thinking.
Process Steps for Applying & Enhancing Convergent Thinking:
- Clarify the problem for yourself by verbalizing it, listing its components, thinking of analogies with known situations, and using charts and diagrams.
- Analyse the problem by factoring it into sub-problems, seeking relationship among its components, listing the steps leading from the current situation to a potential solution, symbolically representing components and their relationships, imposing constraints on the problem by making assumptions & by establishing evaluation criteria, selecting by evaluating alternatives, working backwards from an ideal solution to current reality, and building a model to simulate the situation & manipulating its crucial variables to see outcomes.
- Synthesize solutions by putting in one place the various strands of thought concerning a problem and incubating.
- Optimize the solution by its refinement, substitution of its parts by more useful parts, addition of useful components to it, deletion of unnecessary ingredients from it, modification of its elements, alteration of the relations between its components, and formalize the criteria of evaluating the solution.
- Divergent Thinking: Divergent thinking is undertaking a search for solutions that may involve substantial departures from the beaten track. It involves using perspectives that may be uncommon or unusual, often resulting in a variety of solutions, some of which may be quite normal. It is of critical importance to creativity. It is also referred to as creative thinking, lateral thinking, right-brain thinking, or out-of-the-box thinking.
Aspects of Divergent Thinking and Their Improvement:
- Sensitivity: Ability to sense problems, anomalies, issues, feelings, shapes,
sounds, relationships, etc. in situations where these are not too obvious.
Improvement: Practice naive, childlike perception. Cultivate curiosity and good
taste by giving yourself a broad exposure.
- Guessing ability: Ability to guess, despite limited information, the cause(s) of a
situation and the consequence(s) of the situation.
Improvement: Restate the facts of a situation in a more abstract manner. Then
work backwards to causes. Identify the key forces operating upon a situation and
project their outcomes. Practice guessing the possible causes and consequences of
commonplace observations.
- Redefinition ability: Ability to restate problems or situations in fresh ways.
Improvement: Examine the problem as people trained very differently would.
Get people to ask provocative questions. Encourage a debate on the question or
situation. Gather fresh data that could recast the situation. Look for opportunities
in problem situations.
- Fluency: Ability to generate many ideas, solutions, alternatives, designs,
methods, words, etc.
Improvement: Practice listing while making even ordinary decisions of life.
Practice brainstorming, that is, deferring evaluation while piling up alternatives
through associative thinking. Play brainstorming games with family members,
friends. Use brainstorming in work situations.
- Flexibility: Ability to generate a variety of ideas, solutions, alternatives, designs,
methods, etc.
Improvement: Deliberately look for different facets & implications of even
ordinary situations. Identify the many criteria that can be used
in assessing alternatives. For bigger people-related problems, look for cultural,
political, psychological, and economic dimensions of each problem. Look for
alternative methods for accomplishing even ordinary tasks.
- Originality: Ability to generate unique or off-beat but appropriate ideas, solutions,
alternatives, designs, etc.
Improvement: Strengthen fluency. Practice associative thinking. Defer jumping
to obvious solutions of problems. Instead, seek a deeper understanding of a
problem by trying to see if its cues have alternative meanings. Explore their
linkages. Ask what the opposite of the commonplace solution could be. Seek
analogies and see if those make sense for the current problem. Look for
fundamental causes of problems. Play with shifting perspectives, e.g., if you are
planning a garden, ask yourself: What sort of a garden would a flower prefer?
Identify anomalies and paradoxes in the problem situation, and seek examples
that contradict your assumptions. Alter crucial features of a system and then
redesign it.
- Elaboration: Ability to develop fully the potential of an idea or an insight;
development and planning ability.
Improvement: Practice seeing an idea’s associative ramifications and their
linkages. Take common-place ideas and build up networks of associated ideas
and experiences.
Designers need to be equipped with both convergent and divergent thinking abilities. In
terms of mental states of creative problem-solving, convergent thinking ability is of great
importance in Preparation and Elaboration stages, while divergent thinking ability plays a
major role in the incubation and illumination stages. Referring to design methodology,
convergent thinking ability is of great importance in Problem Recognition, Problem
Analysis, and Evaluation of Solutions while divergent thinking ability plays a major role
in Synthesis of Solutions.
Problems/Puzzles: Try solving the following problems/puzzles from design literature to test and hone your divergent and convergent thinking abilities.
- Once two medical doctors were riding down the street when they observed a head-on collision ahead. Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, they ran to the smashed vehicles to render aid. After looking into the car, the first doctor burst into tears saying,
“My wife and child!”
Hearing this, the second doctor pulled out a gun and killed the first doctor.
What is your analysis of the motive of this murder?
Try solving this item in a crossword puzzle published in the New York Times.
- You have to think of an appropriate verbal description for the expression,
0
————–
BA + MS
that would fit into a row of 19 boxes in the puzzle.
- A landscape gardener is given instructions to plant four special trees so that each one is exactly the same distance from each of the others. How would you arrange the trees?
- Raman & Sheela had gone to the railway station to receive their mother. Suddenly Sheela shouted in utter surprise, asking her brother, “Do you see that fellow in the crowd over there?” “It’s Krishnan. I can’t believe it. Let us go and introduce ourselves.”
Raman & Sheela had never met or seen a photograph or portrait of Krishnan, who was not a famous person either. How is this possible?
- Make meaningful sentence(s) using all of the following words.
FLIES FAST TIME YOU
TOO FLY CANNOT THEY
- Take 4 blocks (e.g. books). Arrange them so that
- Each block is touching two others. (For touching, two flat surfaces should be in contact; a corner or an edge does not contact.)
- One block touches one other, one block touches two others, and another block touches three others.
- Each block touches three others.
- Each block touches one other.
- How many different triangles can you get when you cross a huge W with three straight lines? Different triangles mean no side or even portion of a side is common between any pair of triangles.
- How can you bring exactly six liters of water from the river when you have only two containers, a four-liter one and a nine-liter one, to measure water?
- A monk starts walking up a mountain at 6 AM one day and reaches the summit at 6 PM the same day. The next day he starts on his way down from the summit at 6 AM and reaches the bottom at 4 PM. He follows the same narrow path on both days (going up and going down). Is there a spot on the path that the monk passed or occupied on both days at precisely the same time of the day?
- A man and a woman working side by side begin walking so that their right feet hit the ground at the same time. The woman takes three steps for every two steps of the man. How many steps does the man take before their left feet simultaneously reach the ground?
- Twelve identical-appearing marbles marked 1 to 12, all have precisely the same weight – except for one, which is either very slightly heavier or lighter. A highly sensitive balance is available for comparing the weights of individual marbles or of groups of marbles. No other apparatus, instrument, or help is available.
How would you correctly identify the odd marble, and whether it is heavier or
lighter than the others in just three weighings (three uses of the balance)?
- Three cups containing two marbles each are labelled as follows: Red-Blue, Blue-Blue, and Red-Red. All three cups are labelled incorrectly. There are two blue marbles in one cup, two red marbles in a second cup, and a red & a blue marble in a third cup. By pulling out ONE marble and not looking at the other cups’ contents, determine the colour of the marbles in each cup.
- Rearrange all the letters in the following words to get one 15-letter word.
DRY OXTAIL IN REAR
Conclusion
In the world of creative problem-solving, the ability to switch between divergent and convergent thinking isn’t just valuable — it’s essential. From the initial spark of an idea to its refinement and realization, design thinking thrives on this balance. Aspiring designers must learn to explore boldly and analyze critically — building the mental agility to innovate with purpose.
At NTTF, our product design and development course is crafted to instill exactly this capability. Through hands-on learning, case-based methodology, and mentorship from industry professionals, we prepare students for the real-world challenges of modern design. Whether you’re seeking a product design postgraduate path or aiming to specialize through our Product Design Engineering PG Program in Bangalore, NTTF equips you to lead with both creativity and clarity.
Explore your potential where imagination meets engineering — and become a designer who solves, shapes, and leads.
