Design Theory: Circle of Concern v Influence v Control
Design Theory: Circle of Concern v Influence v Control
Method to help designers develop better problem statements for more user centered designs.
Figuring out the correct problem statement is one of the most crucial parts of a product or/and a design. Without a well-structured and well-defined problem statement, it is difficult to explain what you want to convey and what exactly you want to solve. Moreover, when you are dealing with stakeholders it’ll be very difficult to explain what you are trying to achieve, furthermore without a proper problem statement you won’t be able to communicate or delegate with your team members on what is to be achieved. A good problem statement is human-centered and user-focused, the user and their needs should be at the center of focus. There should also be room for innovation and creative freedom, as during the design process you tend to find something which you might have overlooked previously. The designer need not address too many user needs in one problem statement, prioritizing a few is the key.
One of the major challenges designers face is to narrow down to problems from a bag full of issues and then focus on finding solutions for them. At first, addressing too many user needs seems like the right thing to do but as we all know there is no such thing as a perfect design, focusing on the most important user needs is the correct way to move forward. Now there are other ways to define a problem, one of which is ‘Circle of Concern-Influence-Control’ (The Circles), it’s a theory/practice used by people to look closely within themselves and become more proactive.
Definition
Circle of Concern: This circle includes all the problems/worries we have in the world. (Ex: Pollution)
Circle of Influence: This circle includes the worries which we can affect directly or indirectly. (Ex: Public Transport is electrical and free)
Circle of Control: The circle in which we have worries which we have complete control over. These are the worries which we can affect without an outside influence. (Ex: I’ll start using public transport)
‘The Circles’ helped me narrow down the problems in the world and helped me figure out worries which are in my control and how I can affect/fix them. This theory can also be used in the design world to condense down to the most important user needs and make them the point of focus in the problem statement.
I was given an internship assignment recently, where I felt this theory could help me figure out the most important user needs;
Problem statement: Design a solution for a futuristic city-wide traffic monitoring and management system.
Monitoring and managing traffic is one goliath of a task especially in India where the vehicle and population density is very high. The traffic police department of various cities have ways to deal with traffic, urban/metro cities are facing increasing traffic problems daily, this is causing financial, and health problems to the citizens living in the city.
As managing and monitoring traffic is an umbrella term and includes multiple users’ needs so narrowing it was very important.
Defining the user:
The system will be used by two primary users:
Administrator
The city traffic police are specialized units that are responsible to monitor and manage the traffic of the city. The admin here will be our primary user, who will use the system to monitor and manage traffic.
Traveler
On-road travelers with an internet connection also fall under our target users, as they can use the system to find alternative routes and make a better decisions.
The Circles theory fits perfectly here as there is multiple user need that need solution however, we need to figure out the ones from which our users will benefit users the most and also the one which is in our control.
Circle of Concern: The wide range of worries we might have about the topic.
- Broken traffic signals
- Lack of automation
- Waiting at toll plazas
- Potholes and open manholes
- Road accidents
- Unethical driving
- Unavailability of parking spots
- Queuing on road
- Lack of road discipline
- Inadequate public transport
- Unauthorized parking
- Increase in ETA
- High Emissions
These are most of the concerns the user has related to traffic.
Circle of Influence: The worries which we can do something about- directly or indirectly.
- Traffic Volume
- Time consuming plazas
- Insufficient Infrastructure
- Emission
- Public Transport
- Rule Violation
- Inefficient Traffic Management
These are the problems that can be solved with the help of government intervention and public involvement.
Circle of Control: Represents the worries/problems which we can change through our direct involvement.
- E-payments
- Parking only in authorized parking spots
- Use public transport
- Alternative Routes
- Informed Driver
These are the worries which can be solved through user intervention and by user involvement.
The circle of control helps me narrow down the problems which need to be prioritized and which can be solved with the help of a system. The user needs I should be designing should fall under the circle of control and the administrator user need are a mixture of the circle of influence and circle of control.
Hence my problem statement should focus on a designing a system which focuses on solving user need such as
- Online Challan/Ticket payments
- Making Public Transport a desired accessible experience
- Alternative Routes (Shorter Route)
- Giving travelers information that can help them make better decisions.
- Improve the overall driving experience
‘The Circles’ can be applied in multiple problem statements and could be used as a method to narrow down on the user needs where designers could focus on. The method might not work every time for all scenarios however, it’ll surely bring a level of clarity to the situation. This helped me narrow down user needs for my task and define my problem statement, I hope it helps you too.
Please let me know if you agree or disagree with the method, would love to know if you follow something similar or something completely different. I would love to learn from you, Cheers!
