CONCEPT
Problem Setting
Schon's distinction for the cognitive operation that precedes problem solving — the work of figuring out what problem you are actually facing, which no theory covers and which AI cannot perform for you.
Problem setting is the hinge on which Schon's entire framework turns, and the hinge on which the AI revolution turns with it. Technical rationality teaches problem solving: given a defined problem, apply the appropriate technique. But real professional practice rarely arrives with problems pre-defined. The architect's client cannot articulate what she wants but will recognize it when she sees it. The therapist's patient presents symptoms that fit no diagnostic category. The manager walks into a crisis no case study anticipated. In each situation, the first job is not to solve the problem but to set it — to determine what the problem actually is, which categories apply, and what would count as a resolution. Problem setting is where judgment lives, where values enter, and where no machine can substitute for the practitioner. It is also what professional schools are worst at teaching.
In The You On AI Field Guide
The distinction between problem setting and problem solving sounds semantic until you look