“Wicked Problems”
via Swedish Morphological Society
“If you work in an organisation that deals with long-term social, commercial or organisational policy planning, then you’ve got wicked problems. You may not call them by this name, but you know what they are. They are those complex, ever changing societal and organisational planning problems that you haven’t been able to treat with much success, because they won’t keep still. They’re messy, devious, and reactive, i.e. they fight back when you try to deal them.”
Introduction
In 1973, Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber, both urban planners at the University of Berkley in California, wrote an article forPolicy Sciences with the astounding title “Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning”. In this landmark article, the authors observed that there is a whole realm of social planning problems that cannot be successfully treated with traditional linear, analytical (systems-engineering-like) approaches. They called these wicked problems, in contrast to tame problems.
(A year later, in his book “Redesigning the Future”, Russell Ackoff (1974) essentially put forward the same concept — although in less detail — which he called a “social mess” or “unstructured reality”.)
more here
Image from What is “Design thinking for wicked problems?”
Conflict Kitchen is a take-out restaurant that only serves cuisine from countries with which the United States government is in conflict. Please help us to realize the next stage of the project, “Bolani Pazi”, an Afghan take-out restaurant.
It is easy to forget that behind all of the government conflicts there are people and a culture. When this personal connection is lost, things become dangerous.
It is easy to forget that behind all of the government conflicts there are people and a culture. When this personal connection is lost, things become dangerous. Conflict Kitchen creates a public forum and space for discussions that might not normally take place, mediated by food.
Conflict Kitchen also programs public events to more directly connect everyday Americans with everyday people from the country of focus. For example, Kubideh Kitchen brought together members of the public for a live Skype meal between Tehran and Pittsburgh, during which groups in both countries shared the same meal on a virtually connected table: an inter-continental dinner party.
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“SocialDesignSite.com is a non-profit organisation that aims to foster a discourse on social design through our international online platform and the organization of and participation in projects, exhibitions, conferences, lectures, etc.”
Printervention: Printing for the Public
EXHIBITION AND PUBLIC ART PROJECT RAISING AWARENESS OF SOCIAL ISSUES OF OUR DAY
CHICAGO TOURISM CENTER GALLERY,
72 E. RANDOLPH ST.
APRIL 16 – MAY 4
Features Workshops and Mobile Silkscreen Printing Cart for Distributing Art on Streets and in Parks
WHO: Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Office of Tourism
WHAT: Printervention: Printing for the Public, an exhibition and public art project inspired by cultural programs created through FDR’s New Deal and The Works Progress Administration. Printervention underscores the necessity for public support of artists and raises awareness of the social and political issues of our day. In addition to an exhibition of over 70 posters and prints, Printervention, will feature a mobile silkscreen printing cart for distributing works in the parks and streets of Chicago.
Printervention is a part of Version Festival 2010, an annual arts festival in Chicago that brings together hundreds of artist, musicians and educators from around the world. In addition to the exhibition, Printerventionists will present workshops, demonstrations and collaborations at the Gallery.
Printervention is organized by Emily Clayton, Chris Roberson and Ed Marszewski of the Public Media Institute. For more information. visit www.explorechicago.org or call 312.744.6630.
WHERE: Chicago Tourism Center Gallery, 72 E. Randolph Street
WHEN: April 16 – May 4
Friday, April 16, opening reception, 5-7 pm
April 26 – 30, 1 pm – 4 pm, artist workshops and demonstrations
HOURS: Chicago Tourism Center Gallery hours are Monday to Thursday, 8 am – 7 pm;
Friday, 8 am to 6 pm; Saturday, 9 am -6 pm; and Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm.
via Delicious Design League
Core 77’s Allan Chochinov showcases some really interesting socially driven graphic design work here from his SVA grads at a lecture at IDxA conference Interaction 10 in Savannah, GA…
MIT Student Designs All-Terrain Wheelchair for the Poor
Matt McCambridge, a designer for Whirlwind Wheelchair International, designed the all-terrain wheelchair you see above to address the needs stated below by the MIT News Office:
by Morgan Bettex, MIT News Office
“The U.N. Development Programme estimates that less than 1 percent of the need for wheelchairs in developing countries is met by local production, partly because small workshops can’t exploit economies of scale to be profitable. Moreover, the wheelchairs that are available aren’t designed for people who must push themselves over rough roads and muddy walking paths often encountered in the Third World. As a result, millions of people must rely on others to carry them or be stranded inside their homes.”
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/amos-wheelchair-0218.html
Check out my other design blog where my friend, Brandy, and I post things we are working on and things we like. 
