Heuristics

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Heuristics cover a lot of ground in a single appellation. They’re both a reference to the trial and error method cherished in the Design Thinking approach and a reference to mental models. Needless to say Heuristics are a very beautiful flower species in our digital garden.

A heuristic (/hjʊˈrɪstɪk/; from Ancient Greek εὑρίσκω (heurískō) 'to find, discover'), or heuristic technique, is any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate, short-term goal or approximation.

Where finding an optimal solution is impossible or impractical, heuristic methods can be used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution. Heuristics can be mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making a decision.[1][2]

Examples that employ heuristics include using trial and error, a rule of thumb or an educated guess.