2nd Edition

Solving Critical Design Problems Theory and Practice

By Tania Allen Copyright 2026
272 Pages 169 Color Illustrations
by Routledge

272 Pages 169 Color Illustrations
by Routledge

A mix of design thinking, application and case studies, Solving Critical Design Problems: Theory and Practice is a practical resource book for beginning designers to engage in more critical practice. It explores how design is increasingly used to solve large, complex, modern-day problems that span design disciplines and worldviews. With myriad examples and 16 case studies from various fields... Read more

1. Introduction  Part 1: Design and Morality: Do the Right Thing  2. Making Change, Design as Moral Mediator  3. Narrative Design Thinking  4. Creating Stories Together: Case Studies of Narrative Design Thinking  Part 2: Design And Usability: If A Design Falls in the Forest…  5. Design and Usability: From User to Human to Life Centered Design  6. Experiential and Adaptive Design Thinking: Processes and Methods  7. Design as Dialogue: Case Studies of Experiential Design Thinking  Part 3: Design and Technology  8. Reciprocity and Impact  9. Networked Design Thinking  10. Visualizing the Invisible: Case Studies of Networked Design Thinking  Part 4: Paradigm Shifts: Designing Resilient Systems  11. Paradigm Shifts: Designing Resilient Systems  12. Ecological Design Thinking  13. Creating Resilient Futures: Case Studies Of Ecological Design Thinking  14. Putting It All Together: Design Futures

Biography

Tania Allen is Professor of Design Studies in the Department of Media Arts, Design and Technology at North Carolina State University's College of Design. Her research focuses on critical cartography and data visualization, employing theories from anthropology, action research, and participatory design to "thicken" data visualization by centering the stories and experiences underlying data collection and communication. As co-director of the design research group co-lab, Allen develops methodologies for critical mapping that embrace cartography's analytic power while challenging embedded assumptions. She is author of Solving Critical Design Problems: Theory and Practice (2018, 2026) and co-author of articles on critical cartography in digital humanities and Confederate memorialization. Her current work includes research on the impact of racially restrictive covenants on the current housing crisis in Raleigh and the U.S.