Practising problem-solving

Problem-solving—in particular solving ill-defined or ‘wicked’ problems—is a skill that can be learned.

An ill-defined problem is one that, unlike a mathematical or scientific problem, has no easy or “correct” answer. Solutions that have worked in the past are unlikely to be effective for other ill-defined problems, which means you need to be creative.

Here is another exercise that lets you practise both problem-solving and using Tarot cards for inspiration.

Draw a card. Looking at the image carefully, pretend that the card illustrates a problem. See if you can come up with at least five different problems.

Now we need to solve the problems. Draw a card for each problem you identified. Pretend each card contains a solution in code. How can you use the card to help solve the problem?