Optimizing design
problem shooting through collaboration
Organization structures typically operate on a theory of change that relies on vertically structured decision-making. Even within a healthy democratic framework, where discussion and participation are encouraged, resources and leadership generally flow downward. The Dredge Research Collaborative (DRC)1, which presented at the Baumer Lecture Series this year, offers a rare exception to this model. In the DRC's case, horizontal relationships across multiple entities are necessary to address the complex ecosystem of sediment.
Framing questions
Engineering school curricula predominantly disseminate knowledge through problem sets, breaking down questions into known and unknown variables, which are then processed through algebraic (and sometimes calculus-based) equations. This approach forms the bedrock of their solution-oriented pedagogy. Despite its widespread use, the rationale behind this educational model is rarely questioned. However, DRC founder Rob Holmes, in his influential piece “The Problem with Solutions,”2 critiques some of the shortcomings of solutionism. Given its current track record, solutionism has led Holmes and others to seek alternatives beyond the conventional tools and methods that have traditionally been offered.
Specialty hybridization
“Not to be confused with multi- or interdisciplinary practices, transdisciplinary design fuses varied approaches into a new whole, which may be project-specific and particular to a single situation.”
Holmes acknowledges the satisfying nature of problem-solving, but he cautions against "the recurring temptation to see through the prism of known solutions." To avoid this, he argues, we must consider how each design context is shaped by its unique cultural, political, socioeconomic, and geographic circumstances. In order to move beyond solutionism, transdisciplinary collaboration becomes essential. Such collaboration enables a deeper and broader exploration of overlapping subjects, not only within a single context but as a pathway toward developing new methods. While the return on investment for this hybridization may not always be immediately apparent and can be time-consuming, the relationships forged through collaboration offer invaluable opportunities. These partnerships allow professionals to engage with a higher level of awareness, navigating the complex dynamics around them with greater insight.
Never walk alone
The DRC has carved out a niche in dredging, but in doing so, the process of exploring the ecosystem of sediment has brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds. While other fields often continue to silo their knowledge and data, a subtle message from the Baumer Lecture on Wednesday seemed to encourage the audience to take the unbeaten path. Perhaps the underlying wisdom behind this notion is that a process is not always immediately clear, and having an additional set of eyes—trained in different areas of expertise—can help identify gaps that might otherwise go unnoticed.
https://dredgeresearchcollaborative.org/
“In landscape solutionism, this pathology manifests in three interlocking ways. First, solutionists ignore the many aspects of landscapes that are ecologically or socially important but are not problems. Second, when they find something that looks like a problem, they reach for known solutions, which may not fit the context. (When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.) And third, they avoid engaging with unsolvable problems, or, worse, mis-categorize them as solvable, producing cascades of unintended consequences.” https://placesjournal.org/article/the-problem-with-solutions/