Gerhard Fischer -icse-3.96 #17 of 55

Integrating Problem Framing and Problem Solving



  • Simon: in oil painting every new spot of pigment laid on the canvas creates some kind of pattern that provides a continuing source of new ideas to the painter. The painting process is a process of cyclical interaction between the painter and canvas in which current goals lead to new applications of paint, while the gradually changing pattern suggests new goals.

  • Rittel:
    • one cannot understand a problem without having a concept of the solution in mind
    • one cannot gather information meaningfully unless one has understood the problem but one cannot understand the problem without information about it

  • concepts derived from these quotes:
  • back-talk of artifacts/situations
  • reflection-in-action
  • incremental development
  • co-evolution between problem and solution