Most of science and much of thinking claims to be based on the 'analysis' approach.

With analysis we seek to understand what is going on in the situation or system.

If there is a fault in the system we seek to understand the basis for this malfunction. It took medicine an astonishingly long time to realise that peptic ulcers were actually due to an infection (with helicobacter pylori) rather than an excess of acid in the stomach. Until that time treatment was with ant-acids - to counteract the supposed excess of acid. Or there were special diets - to prevent the release of acid. Or you could lose some or all your stomach in the Billroth operations.

There was an attempt to understand the situation but the understanding was false. So the interventions were also false. Today you just take antibiotics for one week instead of ant-acids for years - or losing some or all your stomach.

In general, however, the analysis approach is very useful. Most of our successes and advances in science and technology have come from the analysis approach. Seek to understand the situation and then intervene on the basis of that understanding.

It is obvious that the analysis approach is particularly useful in problem solving. You analyse the situation and detect the cause of the problem. You are now in a position to solve that problem.

There is a problem in starting your car. Your analytic mind scans through possibilities. It could be the electric system. It could be the fuel supply. It could be the carburetor. You analyse the situation carefully and even perform some tests. In the end you find that one of the battery leads has become disconnected. You connect the lead and away you go. While analysis is excellent at problem solving it is not much use at designing the way forward. The engineer who can instantly diagnose what is wrong with the car engine may not be much use at designing a new and better engine.

You can analyse the past but you have to design the future.

Fixing problems is not the same as designing a way forward.

Judgment And Design
The Classification Approach
The GG3
The Analysis Approach
The Design Approach
Perception
Teaching Creativity
Argument
Summary