The document provides guidance for designers working on interdisciplinary challenges. It discusses that designers address problems by challenging problem definitions and working simultaneously to develop solutions and understand problems. The design process is iterative, exploring divergent and convergent thinking. Main focus is on understanding user needs. Interdisciplinary teamwork is difficult due to different backgrounds, but can be improved through patience, listening, and proactive contributions. The document advises designers to embrace being outside their comfort zone and enjoy the process.

1. Survival kit
U-CrAc: interdisciplinary challenges

2. U-CrAc = a design process

3. What to expect?
How does the designer address problems?
What characterizes the design process?
What is the value/main focus in design?
What are the tacit rules of design?
What characterizes interdisciplinary team work?
A pieces of advice

4. How does the designer
address problems?

5. Problems/assignments
Wicked or ill-defined problems
Search for the underlying problem
Search for an understanding of the problem in a
larger context

6. Problems/assignments
 They might not start to solve the problem, but to
challenge the definition of the problem
 They postpone decisions
 They work with developing a solution and
understanding the problem simultaneously.

7. Problems/assignments
How may non-designers experience this
Frustrating – becuase the problem does not get
solved as fast as possible
As time consuming and unnessesary

8. Problems/assignments
Why do they do this?
Because they more concerned about designing the
right thing than designing it right!

9. What characterizes
the design process?

10. The design process
Iterative
Divergent og Convergent
’thinking outside the box’

11. The design process
 If a solution does not work – you return to start
(with the new learning you gained)
 You do no stop at the first solution – you create
many alternatives and evaluate these
 You work with forced analogies
what if an astronaut is going to use this?

12. The design process
How might none-designers experience this?
As one step forward and two steps backward
As unnecessary search for new ideas
As strange or maybe too childish

13. The design process
Why are they doing this?
• To make sure the whole solution-space have
been explored before selecting a solution,
• Because the search for new and alternative
solutions that lies outside the ‘normal’/known
realm of logic.

14. What is the value/
main focus in design?

15. People

16. People/users
 The users needs are the most important
 other relevant issues such as economy and
‘workability’ may be ignored or postponed until
later in the development process

17. People/users
How may non-designers experience this?
As very limited focus
As no sense of reality

18. People/users
Why do they do it
Because they are the users advocate in the
development process

19. What are the
tacit rules of design?

20. The tacit rules
Bad ideas die by themselves – so do not kill a
potentially good idea just because you might
think it is stupid
Idea generation and idea evaluation must be
separated
You are the users advocate
Stop discussing – start testing! (prototype)

21. What characterizes
interdisciplinary team work?

22. It is really
hard!

23. Interdisciplinary teamwork
Why is it hard
You have different knowledge, experiences and
opinions
You ‘speak’ different languages
It is easy to feel outside/misunderstood

24. Interdisciplinary teamwork
What to do then
Accept it is hard
Be patient with your teammates
Listen more – speak less
Be proactive rather than reactive (contribute)

25. A piece of advice
• Be a co-designer
• Do your best and take care
of your team
• Accept that not everything
is within your ‘comfort-
zone’

26. Enjoy the
ride!