Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have encountered a common notion that 'design is problem solving,' suggesting that design thinking can be applied to address real-world challenges. However, this perspective presents an overly simplistic version of actual design practice. A closer examination of real-world design practices reveals that they are intricate and chaotic. Part of design involves navigating these complexities and defining the problem. Therefore, I have come to understand that design is not just about problem-solving but also about problem framing and handling co-evolution of the problem-solution landscape.

Another keyword that grabs my attention is the use of ‘empathy’. How litely we use this word to say that we have forged empathetic connection to the users. However, people rarely talk about how to build empathy. I have come to realize that humility is core receipie to build empathy. It not only helps me to care about users problems but also help my in my design practice where I'm negotating with various stakeholders including my deisgn and dfevelopment team. It reminds me and keeps me that I may not know everything and I have to trust my co-workers and my teammates in some cases.

Recognizing that organic methods in design are also a form of design knowledge, I understand that it's not always easy to provide clear reasoning for every decision we make. As designers, we often acquire subconscious insights in complex situations, drawing from our experiences and reflections. Looking back, I can identify moments when I lacked "proper reasoning" for certain decisions, yet I acted on intuition, which I now recognize as design judgment. This concept of design judgment has been extensively explored in the literature of design practice by scholars like Donald Schön, Kees Dorst, and Erik Stolterman.