Procedure to obtain and organise creative solutions: Water Shortage case
DS 66-2: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Design Creativity (ICDC 2010)
Year: 2010
Editor: Taura, T and Nagai, Y
Author: Lloveras, Joaquim
Section: Short Presentation C
Abstract
In this paper, a general problem is understood as one affecting many people and with a complex solution, for example water shortage. This paper presents the problem of limited water resources in a housing development located in an “average” climate zone in Spain (specific problem), and water shortage is the general problem. The procedure here proposed begins by abstracting a specific problem to a general problem. Several independent solutions are listed and analyzed by confronting them with conditions of place, time and circumstances defined in the specific problem in order to prioritise possible solutions. Imaginative solutions can also be provided to investigate new areas of solution. Once a solution is chosen, the process is repeated twice to find sub-solutions and sub-sub-solutions, respectively, the latter being more technically concrete. This process is especially appropriate to initial conceptual phase of engineering design, when creativity is needed.
Keywords: general problem, lists of solutions, stage analysis, water shortage