I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out
A mindset for navigating ambiguous situations
🕰️ Est. reading time: 2 minutes
Sometimes we just aren’t strong enough to thrive in ambiguous situations.
We might be complaining about an unclear design brief or a lack of a clear problem.
We quickly become obsessed with a solution.
We reverse engineer a solution to fit a problem.
We hold an idea like a treasure chest, worrying we won’t find something better than our first thought.
The d.school’s creative director, Scott Doorley, says, “Not only do we love to grab the first treasure we find, we’d even like to lug our own treasure chest, drop it in the water, and pretend we found it there.”1
We aren’t uncomfortable with ambiguity. We strive for clarity as quickly as possible, rather than dancing around ambiguous situations, and see it as a resource that catalyzes our solution-finding process.
“If you’re creating something new to the world, you will definitely have to wrestle with ambiguity at some point. Engaging ambiguity isn’t a choice; it’s inherent in the process of getting to any great outcome.”
~ Small, Andrea; Schmutte, Kelly; Stanford d.school
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I realized that embracing ambiguity is more than just having knowledge; it’s a muscle that needs training and a mindset that needs cultivating—to feel comfortable with the uncomfortable and say, 'I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.'
You will do everything you need to do: switching your lens, zooming out and zooming in, adjusting your frame of the problems. You move forward, then backward.
These push-and-pull situations—the tension between clarity and uncertainty—can honestly suck, but they are where opportunities take shape.
“Design thrives on tensions. If you let conflicting ideas coexist, you create fertile ground for opportunity.”
~ Small, Andrea; Schmutte, Kelly; Stanford d.school
At the heart of it all, the phrase 'I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out' reflects an attitude that propels you forward in ambiguous situations.
‘I don’t know’ is not ignorance; it’s a nurturing of humility. It keeps you grounded, reminding you that you don’t know everything, even after many years of experience in your field. You believe there will always be better answers out there, and the only way to find them is by staying curious and humble enough to learn and research.
'But… I’ll figure it out' reflects the confidence that drives you to relentlessly seek a better answer.
So what do you say to ambiguous situations, next time?
“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”
I hope this inspires you in how you approach ambiguity.
For deeper insights about this topic, I recommend checking out Navigating Ambiguity: Creating Opportunity in a World of Unknowns by Stanford d.school.
Your Design Buddy,
Thomas
Reflection Prompts
Think about a time when you felt uncomfortable with ambiguity. What would you do differently now?
What habits could help you become more comfortable with the ‘I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out’ approach?
Feel free to take a moment and reflect—I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments if you’re up for sharing.
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Navigating Ambiguity: Creating Opportunity in a World of Unknowns (Stanford d.school Library) (p. 45).
Ambiguity scares me, I like to know, I like a plan. But I admit, with my mind starting to fail I get a lot more 'I don't know's' flying around, but so far I'm figuring things out. The relief of figuring it out is what keeps me going. That and doing plenty of puzzles to keep the mind active.