How can interactive aesthetics mediate knowledge exchange between socio-economically diverse stakeholders to yield sustainability, equity, and justice?

Source(s) of funding: University of Michigan

Wicked Solutions Domain logo

Every wicked problem in society has a “wicked solution” (Bennett 2012), that is, a system of design outcomes that we can map affinitively to a grid of two dimensions—top-down or bottom-up and memetic or localized.

Here we visualize a wicked solution theory.

Wicked Solutions Domain

When we plot the existing design outcomes onto the wicked solution grid, we call this process ‘critical mapping’ as we can use the final visualization strategically to determine “leverage points” (Meadows 1999) or places to intervene to shift the system further towards equity and justice.

Critical mapping begins with a literature review of peer-review sources to find existing design outcomes that address the wicked problem to plot onto the wicked solution grid. For instance, let’s critically map the wicked solution to food insecurity. When we conducted a literature review of peer-reviewed sources we found 73 top-down, bottom-up, sustainable food design outcomes that address different phases of the food system from agriculture to waste. When we map them to the wicked solution grid, as shown below, we see clear gaps in the food system in need of bottom-up and top-down innovation and appropriation to yield food security, equity, and justice.

Figure 1 Wicked solution visualization

The Wicked Solution to Food Insecurity

Share wisdom.

Contribute a sustainable food design outcome to the wicked solution to food insecurity and shift the system of food towards greater security, equity, and justice.

Submission form forthcoming Jul 15.

Find wisdom.

Discover a sustainable food design outcome to try in your local context or a leverage point to intervene with social innovation. To do so, refer to our forthcoming book Critical Mapping for Sustainable Food Design, penned by Audrey G. Bennett and Jennifer Vokoun with a forthcoming publication by Taylor and Francis in May 2023.

Terminology

wicked problem: a complex societal issue that exists within an evolving system of hyperlocal, context-specific, cross-cultural, and cross-disciplinary challenges.

wicked solution: a visualization of design outcomes for identifying leverage points that can shift the current state of the wicked problem’s system towards a sustainable future that is just.

leverage point: a place to intervene is a system to adjust it for the better.

Bibliography

Directed by Audrey G. Bennett

  • BAO is a game played in Africa. Here it is used metaphorically to describe collaborative designing remotely. While other researchers have used the virtual design studio concept to represent computer-supported, cooperative work, these human-computer interactions are typically for professional projects (e.g., architects talking to architects). With Baohouse (pronounced Bauhaus), I aim to engage lay communities locally and remotely. It is an immaterial and motile space where I conduct theoretical and applied investigations on how “interactive aesthetics” can engage lay people with socially and environmentally transformative images that can yield cognitive and behavioral changes toward attaining equity and justice.

  • Marguerite Botha, University of Pretoria, South Africa (Children’s Health in SA)

    Fatima Cassim, University of Pretoria, South Africa (Children’s Health in SA)

    Chris Corneal (I Profess)

    Mukkai Krishnamoorthy Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer (Diversifying STEM)

    Alison Eardley, University of Westminster (W-iCAD)

    Ron Eglash, School of Information + Stamps, University of Michigan (Diversifying STEM; Artisanal Robots; HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention; Humanoid Robots; and Life)

    Michael Lachney, Michigan State University (Diversifying STEM)

    Lionel Roberts, School of Information, University of Michigan (Artisanal Robots)

    Jennifer A. Vokoun, Walsh University (Food Security)

  • William Babbitt, Research Associate, Rensselaer (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

  • Adream Blair (GLIDE’10-’12)
    Gloria Gomez (GLIDE’10-’12)
    Muthoni Kimani (GLIDE’12)
    Michele Washington (GLIDE’08-’12)

  • University of Michigan Doctoral Students:

    Kwame Robinson, SI (Artisanal Robots)

    Caitlin Dyche, C&M, LSA (The Just Museum Experience)

    University of Michigan Masters Students:

    Megan Freund, Stamps (Diversifying STEM)

    Kayla Guillory, Stamps (WSDOM)

    Shelbi Lisecki, Stamps (Interactive Aesthetics)

    Stephanie Szemetylo, Stamps (WSDOM)

    Nicholas Lamarca, Stamps (The Just Museum Experience)

    Rensselaer Doctoral Students:

    David Banks (Red Card)

    Brian Callahan (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Michael Lachney (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    John Licato (Red Card)

    Ray Lutzky (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Marie Rarieya (Act Now)

    Dylan Rees (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Rensselaer Masters Students:

    Sarah Diodato (Act Now)

    Angelo Gaetano (Act Now)

    Mark Oppenneer (GLIDE)

  • University of Michigan

    Rohan Agrawal (WSDOM)

    Katie Bailey (WSDOM)

    Tawsif Habib (WSDOM)

    Chloe Hooker (Diversifying STEM)

    Gautham Jayaraj (WSDOM)

    Zahra Makim (WSDOM)

    Michael McCallig(WSDOM)

    Amirul Miah (Diversifying STEM)

    Lara Niemchick (Heritage Algorithms)

    Angela Ponce Solano (WSDOM)

    Aaron VonBargen (WSDOM)

    Daniel Williams (DESIS Lab)

    Rensselaer Laura Antoniello (Social Media Marketing)

    Zac Autio (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Melissa Batalin (GLIDE)Joe Brust (Act Now)

    Jesse Cline (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Mackenzie Clippard (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Joyce Edwards (Act Now)

    Kim Gomboz (GLIDE)

    Andy Lao (Social Media Marketing)

    Ashlee Lindo (GLIDE)

    Rajas Nagpurkar (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Natalie Semczuk (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Laura Sherman (Act Now)

    Kelly Singco (GLIDE)

    Donna Tytko (Act Now)

    Carla Voorhees (Act Now)

  • Marcel Bennett (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Moriah Harling (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Jamie Park (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

    Jonathan Ward (Diversifying STEM, DYF)

    Kimi Wenzel (Diversifying STEM, CS4HS)

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