I’ve heard it said some of the things I design (or suggest, or offer) are an answer in search of a problem. 

That the problem in hand, thanks Richard, hasn’t found its answer (the answer. A kind-of-near-enough-close-enough-for-jazz answer) just yet. 

You (well, I) sort of thought you knew what the problem was - and so sort-of thought you had the answer for - turns out not to be what everyone was searching for. And by that time, usually, blessed if anyone can remember where they left the little focker. The net result is everyone spends weeks (months) hunting problem and answer down. No wonder so much work gets left in archived desktop folders.

Anyway, the reason for cogitating on all this loss (and lost things), praise be if an article on NPR popped up (ah! There you are!) on six techniques (had to be a listicle…) on how to hunt for lost stuff. And on our collective-behalves, here’s what I learned from a few of them. 

The first is to “identify what makes your missing object stand out in its environment.” I suddenly realised I knew this, except I call it ‘look for the red (or colour of your reference point)’. Try it. It does wonders for making stuff jump out of the noise.

The next, look to the scenario - it might spotlight a behaviour around the thing. Making a mental location-map or maps where you used the thing might help you spot what you’re looking for.

Or try breaking out of your routine. Possibly look in places where you’d not exactly not expect to find the thing.

And if all else fails, do a grid search. Which, yes, is that systematic thing I know I should have done but dismissed as who’s got the time to search properly. Come on. Apparently investigators call this tenacity. Frankly I lack the patience. 

Now, more importantly, how does any of this find a fit with where we started of, for design-based searching solutions? 

Well, none exactly. Except that for the one thing that you can’t ever apply when the matter at had is at its most pressing - distraction.

The lesson (should you need or want one) is that the best cure for finding the answer is distraction. 

You’ll always find exactly what you’re not looking for.