You defined your task and the technology you will work with. Now we have to understand it. Designers will become students. They will listen to lectures, read papers, have flashbacks to their last physics class, and ask many questions. Technology experts will become teachers. They will share their knowledge and thoughts, explain specific details and answer all questions. Grasping a topic can be a challenge but is essential, especially if you want to understand all factors that influence it:
“An important principle for us is to resist this urge to simplify and the question: „What does this mean in the end?“ relatively well. There just is this complexity and this uncertainty. It is often linked to: “This is a lot of everything.” “Now, what does it mean?” “Things sort of contradict each other.” That is something you must endure for as long as possible and understand as a mindset for the project. […] At that point, you do not know where the front, back, and up or down are.” (11)
To better visualize the process, I will give examples from my run, where I worked with solar technology that recuperates energy from artificial light.
11 Gemmer, P., 2.2.2022, Interview, Translation by Emrich M.