Systemic Design
Systemic design works by recognizing recurring patterns in a system and finding points where positive cycles can be strengthened or negative ones weakened, as illustrated by the large-scale planning behind Borobudur. It is recommended, alongside related toolkits, for wicked problems that resist a single definitive solution.
The book ties Systemic Design to recognizing recursive patterns and intervention points: 'Understanding recursive patterns is key to Systemic Design, identifying points of intervention to either amplify positive cycles... or dampen negative ones.' It reads Borobudur retrospectively as 'a sophisticated, large-scale example of Systemic Design in action... a conscious, systematic approach involving intricate planning, immense resource management, and the seamless integration of diverse skills.' For wicked commissions, it holds that 'Methodologies like Transition Design, Systemic Design toolkits and specifically the Symbiotic Design Framework are more appropriate for navigating the complexities presented by wicked commissions, aiming for long-term societal transitions and systemic understanding rather than single, definitive solutions,' and, in the Procedures Component, that addressing wicked problems 'often requires moving beyond linear processes towards more iterative, adaptive, and systemic methodologies like participatory action research, systemic design mapping, and transition design frameworks.'
Related in Community
Entries this one is tied to through the book.
Disciplines
- Systemic Design · the same subject in the book: Systemic Design
Examples
- "Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System" (essay by Donella Meadows) · both placed under Leverage Points
- Bauhaus · discussed together in section 044
- Borobudur, Indonesia · discussed together in section 044
- Cradle to Cradle (book by William McDonough and Michael Braungart) · discussed together in section 127
- Fab Lab Insular, Puerto Williams · discussed together in section 116
- Lifehack Initiative, New Zealand · discussed together in section 116
- Rare Earth Materials Industry and Child Labor · discussed together in section 116
- Sense-Making Methodology (Brenda Dervin) · discussed together in section 116
Methods
- Iterative Design · both placed under Recursive Events
Books and references
- Cradle to Cradle (book by William McDonough and Michael Braungart) · discussed together in section 127
- Design Methods 1: 200 ways to apply design thinking · discussed together in section 127
In the Framework
- Leverage Points · concept
- Procedures Component
- Wicked · variable
- Wicked Problems · problem type
In the book
- Chapter 2, section 018 · The Temporal Paradox and Event Types
- Chapter 5, section 044 · Borobudur: An Ancient Systemic Masterpiece
- Chapter 11, section 116 · Variables influencing the Commission Component
- Chapter 13, section 127 · Operative (How?)
Mentioned in
Methods