The Evolution of “Co-evolution” (Part I): Problem Solving, Problem Finding, and Their Interaction in Design and Other Creative Practices
Nathan Crilly
Abstract
One of the most influential descriptions of design activity emphasizes how problems and solutions “co-evolve.” This concept has somehow escaped critical review and cross-disciplinary comparison, resulting in a fragmented approach to the subject. Reviewing the published literature on design co-evolution reveals that the term is used to refer to a range of distinct concepts, and the study of co-evolution has generated a number of elaborations and alternatives. Reviewing the broader literature in design and other disciplines further reveals that discussions of design co-evolution are disconnected from the history of relevant concepts in design research, and disconnected from a range of relevant concepts in other disciplines that describe creative work. Here I examine what the different concepts of design co-evolution are, how they have been modified and what they are related to. This leads to questioning the distinction between problems and solutions, defining them in relative terms, and drawing a connection between design co-evolution and design fixation.