what is systemic design
TRANSCRIPT
Co-FounderDr. Alex Ryan
What is systemic design?
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The Army Planning Cycle
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Systemic Design in the U.S. Army
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The Government Policy Cycle
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Systemic Design in the Government of Alberta
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Example Applications
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Scientific Decision Making
Image from http://www.joe.org/joe/2011october/tt1.php
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How Systemic Design is DifferentTechnical Rationality Systemic Design
Scientific model of decision making Designerly form of reflective practice
Assumes objectives can be clearly defined from the top down
Assumes objectives are ambiguous and contested
Requires statistically significant data, expert analysis, persistent monitoring and consistent evaluation
Requires thick description, stakeholder participation, prototyping in context, and selective retention
Logical, sequential, convergent, repeatable process
Messy, parallel, divergent, recoverable process
Privileges rigour: “Prove it!” Privileges relevance: “Show me!”
Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, AmbiguousData Rich, Technical, Bounded
Best suited for situations that are:
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Systemic Design
Challenge to technical rationality: That better data and more analysis will lead to innovative solutions to our most complex challenges
Value: Generate discontinuous improvement in complex and dynamic situations
Drawing by Yunsun Chung, RSD4
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A Very Brief History of Systemics and Design
Systems Thinking Design Thinking
1G (1950s-1960s)Key Concept
Hard SystemsFeedback
Design MethodsDivergence
2G (1970s-1980s)Key Concept
Soft SystemsWorldview
The Designerly WayReflective Practice
3G (1990s-2000s) Key Concept
Critical SystemsPower
Human-Centred DesignDesign With
There exist both parallels and convergence in the evolution of ST and DT
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Systemics Becomes More Grounded“These considerations lead to the postulate of a new scientific discipline which we call general system theory. It's subject matter is formulation of principles that are valid for “systems” in general, whatever the nature of the component elements and the relations or “forces” between them...”
- Ludwig von Bertalanffy, 1968
“Once we have understood that all our claims are conditioned by boundary judgments, the next step is to realise that this limitation holds just as much for the claims of well-trained experts and decision-makers as for those of ordinary people! The implication is that when it comes to boundary judgments, we basically meet as equals.”
- Werner Ulrich, 2005
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Design Moves Upstream
No Conscious Design
Design as Styling
Form and Function
Design as Problem Solving
Design as Problem Framing
‘Design Maturity Model,’ in Rosa Wu and Jess McMullin, Investing in Design, Ambidextrous, 2006.
Design
Design Thinking
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When Systemics Meet Design
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Systemic Design
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Mashups of ST & DT
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Actant Template by Namahn
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3D Rich Picture by Synthetikos
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Material Systemic Relationships by AHO & Halogen
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Gigamap by Oslo School of Architecture & Design
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Gigamap by OCAD University
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Gigamap Typology by Halogen
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A Field of Possibility
Image from: http://www.slideshare.net/RSD2/intro-lecture-forproceedings
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Discussion
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