Trick or Treat: Spooky Design
IxDF - Interaction Design Foundation
The Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) is the Global Leader in Online Design Education, with 178,000+ members.
Whether you're tricking or treating, or just spectating, we can all agree that Halloween is full of creativity and design. Those costumes, decorations, treats and scary experiences seem to get more ingenious every year.
So, we decided to celebrate Halloween this year by exploring 'spooky' design issues: using fear to our advantage, solving wicked problems, and tackling Horror Vacui.
Be Afraid! The Role of Fear in Decision Making
Without us realizing it, fear plays a dominant role in our lives. So much so, that several businesses and products have succeeded off the back of it.
In this article we look at some of the fears that affect our decision-making, how businesses and products exploit these to their advantage, and how, as a designer, you can apply this knowledge and create better (and possibly more ethical) products.
What Are Wicked Problems?
Wicked problems are problems with many interdependent factors, making them seem impossible to solve.
They tend to be massive social and cultural issues. For instance, how would you go about solving poverty or climate change?
Solving wicked problems requires a deep understanding of the stakeholders involved, and also an innovative approach like the one provided by design thinking. Learn more about wicked problems in our article.
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How Do We Solve Wicked Problems?
What makes problems particularly wicked is that they are intertwined with one another. If you try to address an element of one problem, you can cause unexpected consequences in another.
Therefore, standard problem-solving techniques aren’t enough.
In our article you’ll gain a deeper insight into wicked problems and the people involved in trying to solve them.
You’ll learn how to reframe the problem entirely to come up with a valuable solution.
Horror Vacui: The Fear of Emptiness
For a long time, horror vacui (the fear of emptiness) was a driving force in design. Even though we've moved in the opposite direction, with simple, minimalist designs being the most desirable, it’s important to understand how you can use horror vacui to enhance your own designs.
Graphic Designer, Copy Writer, Brand Manager, Demand Creator, Strategic Thinker
2yVery insightful.
🚀Senior UX Researcher at BJSS 👩🏫Accessibility & Inclusive Research Specialist, Neurodiversity in the Workplace Champion, Former Special Needs Teacher
2yA “spooktacular” article! Seriously, a great read. The “recycling is a poor solution to the wrong problem” quote really hits the spot with the increasing amount of Wicked problems.