Finding New Perspectives through Theme Investigation

Abstract

Many challenges that confront today’s society are complex and dynamic and require new perspectives to arrive at solutions that could not be found before. Finding such new perspectives is part of a process called reframing and one of its key stages is theme investigation. Understanding a problem thoroughly is crucial for creating effective solutions and theme investigation offers insight into human and social themes that underlie complex challenges. This article discusses how to investigate such themes, to deepen our understanding, to find a starting point for reframing and creating innovative solutions. This work explicitly experiments with variation (conceptual, personal, and methodological) as a guiding principle for investigating human themes in real life cases. A process, best practices, instruments and tools for theme investigation are presented and discussed.

Keywords:

• design thinking
• frame innovation
• reframing
• social design
• theme investigation

Acknowledgements

This research at The Hague University of Applied Sciences was supported by the Municipality of The Hague and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. The authors are grateful to the problem owners of the cases and the researchers and stakeholders participating in sessions and field work. The Municipality of The Hague provided lab spaces in several neighbourhoods.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jos P. van Leeuwen

Jos van Leeuwen is Professor of Civic Technology at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and has a background in design, computer science, and architecture. His research interest includes citizen participation, online deliberation, and interactive technology in the urban context. Jos holds a PhD from Eindhoven University of Technology.

Dick Rijken

Dick Rijken is Professor of Information Technology and Society at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, director of STEIM, and member of the supervisory board of Design Academy Eindhoven. His research interests include social design, frame innovation, and experiments with new contexts for sound, music and musicality.

Iefke Bloothoofd

Iefke Bloothoofd is Lecturer of User Experience Design at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and has a background in Industrial Design Engineering. Her research interest is in user research, design vision, and creating meaning. Iefke holds a Master of Science from Delft University of Technology.

Eefje Cobussen

Eefje Cobussen is developmental psychologist, previously affiliated to the faculty of Social Work and Education at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. With a background in youth care and special education, the main focus of her work is the transformation of social environments.