In planning and policy, a wicked problem is a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. It refers to an idea or problem that cannot be fixed, where there is no single solution to the problem; and "wicked" denotes resistance to resolution, rather than evil. Another definition is "a problem whose social complexity means that it has no determinable stopping point". Moreover, because of complex interdependencies, the effort to solve one aspect of a wicked problem may reveal or create other problems.

First, it packages new information within the oldest, and most effective, technology of communication. The use of narrative dates back to humans’ earliest days around a fire in a cave (while Powerpoint is only 30 years old), so it is not surprising that our brains are literally wired to take in story. Studies from fields extending from cognitive science and psychology to national security research finding that such “synthetic experiences” are actually even more powerful influencers than even the most “canonical academic sources” on not just public understanding but policymaker actions.

It is particularly useful for complex or new concepts. Understanding a new trend or technology is tough enough. It is all the more difficult when it is something that the targeted audience has no deep background or current frame of reference for it. In such situations, we can be aided by guides in a sense, imagined characters who can lead us into simulated versions of our world. We can then “experience” what the research is actually telling us, as well as “feel” out its effects.