Systemic design explained

Systemic design is an interdiscipline[1] that integrates systems thinking and design practices. It is a pluralistic field,[2] [3] with several dialects[4] including systems-oriented design.[5] Influences have included critical systems thinking and second-order cybernetics. In 2021, the Design Council (UK) began advocating for a systemic design approach and embedded it in a revision of their double diamond model.[6]

Systemic design is closely related to sustainability as it aims to create solutions that are not only designed to have a good environmental impact, but are also socially and economically beneficial. In fact, from a systemic design approach, the system to be designed, its context with its relationships and its environment receive synchronous attention.[7] Systemic design's discourse has been developed through Relating Systems Thinking and Design—a series of symposia held annually since 2012.[8]

History

1960 to 1990

Systems thinking in design has a long history with origins in the design methods movement during the 1960s and 1970s, such as the idea of wicked problems developed by Horst Rittel.[9]

The theories about complexity help the management of an entire system, and the suggested design approaches help the planning of different divergent elements. The complexity theories evolved on the basis that living systems continually draw upon external sources of energy and maintain a stable state of low entropy, on the basis of the General Systems Theory by Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1968).[10] Some of the next rationales applied those theories also on artificial systems: complexity models of living systems address also productive models with their organizations and management, where the relationships between parts are more important than the parts themselves.

1990 to 2010

Treating productive organizations as complex adaptive systems allows for new management models that address economical, social and environmental benefits (Pisek and Wilson, 2001.)[11] In that field, cluster theory (Porter, 1990)[12] evolved in more environmentally sensitive theories, like industrial ecology (Frosh and Gallopoulos, 1989)[13] and industrial symbiosis (Chertow, 2000).[14] Design thinking offers a way to creatively and strategically reconfigure a design concept in a situation with systemic integration (Buchanan, 1992).[15]

In 1994, Gunter Pauli and Heitor Gurgulino de Souza founded the research institute Zero Emission Research and Initiatives (ZERI),[16] starting from the idea that progress should embed respect for the environment and natural techniques that will allow production processes to be part of the ecosystem.

Strong interdisciplinary and transdisciplinarity approaches are critical during the design phase (Fuller, 1981)[17] with the increasing involvement of different disciplines, including urban planning, public policy, business management and environmental sciences (Chertow et al., 2004).[18] As an interdiscipline, systemic design joins systems thinking and design methodology to support humanity centred[19] and systems oriented design[20] academe and practice (Bistagnino, 2011;[21] Sevaldson, 2011;[22] Nelson and Stolterman, 2012;[23] Jones, 2014;[24] Toso at al., 2012[25]).

2010 to present

Numerous design projects demonstrate systemic design in their approach, including diverse topics involving food networks,[26] industrial processes and water purification, revitalization of internal areas through art and tourism,[27] circular economy,[28] [29] exhibition and fairs, social inclusion, and marginalization.

Since 2014 several scholarly journals have acknowledged systemic design with special publications, and in 2022, the Systemic Design Association launched “Contexts—The Journal of Systemic Design.” The proceedings repository, Relating Systems Thinking and Design, exceeded 1000 articles in 2023.

Special Publications
Date Publication Title Editors
2014 FORMakademisk[30] Relating Systems Thinking and Design I (Practice Issue) Birger Sevaldson, Alex J. Ryan
2014 FORMakademisk[31] Relating Systems Thinking and Design II (Theory Issue) Peter Jones
2017 FORMakademisk[32] Relating Systems Thinking and Design III Jodi Forlizzi, Birger Sevaldson, Alex Ryan
2018 FORMakademisk[33] Relating Systems Thinking and Design IV Birger Sevaldson
2018 SHE JI Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation[34] The Systemic Turn: Leverage for World Changing Vol 3, Issue 3 Peter Jones
2019 FORMakademisk[35] Relating Systems Thinking and Design V Michael Ulrich Hensel, Defne Sunguroğlu Hensel, Birger Sevaldson
2019 SHE JI Journal of Design, Economics, and InnovationSHE JI Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation[36] Pathways to Systemic Design, Vol 5, Issue 2 Birger Sevaldson, Peter Jones
2020 FORMakademisk[37] Relating Systems Thinking and Design VI Marie Davidova, Ben Sweeting, Birger Sevaldson
2020 Strategic Design Research Journal[38] Special Issue: Relating Systems Thinking and Design. Systemic Design and Co-creation Processes for Territorial Enhancement Silvia Barbero, Amina Pereno
2021 Touchpoint[39] Special Issue: Service Design and Systems Thinking J. Tuomas Harviainen, Josina Vink
2022 Policy Design and Practice[40] Volume 5, Issue 1 Kidjie Saguin, Benjamin Cashore

Relating Systems Thinking and Design (RSD)

Since 2012, host organisations have held an annual symposium dedicated to systemic design, Relating Systems Thinking and Design (RSD). Proceedings are available via the searchable repository on RSDsymposium.org.[41]

RSD Symposia
Year Hosts Theme
RSD12-2023 Entangled in Emergence
RSD11-2022 Possibilities and Practices[42]
RSD10-2021 Playing with Tensions[43]
RSD9-2020 Systemic Design for Well-Being
RSD8-2019 Complex Spaces of Innovation
RSD7-2018 Challenging Complexity
RSD6-2017 Flourishing Together[44]
RSD5-2016 OCAD University and MaRSSystemic Design for Social Complexity
RSD4-2015 Systemic Design Research Network Developing a Systemic Design Research Network
RSD3-2014 Relating Systems Thinking and Design
RSD2-2013 The Systemic Design Movement
RSD1-2012 Seminar: Relating Systems Thinking and Design

Research groups and innovation labs

Academic research groups with a focus on systemic design include:

Academic programmes

Academic programmes in systemic design include:

Notes and References

  1. Sevaldson . Birger . Jones . Peter . An Interdiscipline Emerges: Pathways to Systemic Design . She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation . 1 June 2019 . 5 . 2 . 75–84 . 10.1016/j.sheji.2019.05.002 . 2405-8726. free .
  2. Book: Bistagnino . Luigi . Peruccio . Pier Paolo . Michalos . Alexander C. . Design: An Overview . 2014 . Springer . Dordrecht, the Netherlands . 978-94-007-0754-2 . 1582–1585.
  3. Web site: van der Bijl-Brouwer . Mieke . Systems thinking + design = ? . Medium . 18 August 2023 . 4 November 2023.
  4. Sevaldson . Birger . Redesigning Systems Thinking . FormAkademisk . 21 March 2017 . 10 . 1 . 10.7577/formakademisk.1755. free . 11250/2492499 . free .
  5. Web site: About Systems Oriented Design . Systems Oriented Design . 30 October 2022 . Birger Sevaldson.
  6. Web site: Drew . Cat . Robinson . Cassie . Winhall . Jennie . 2021 . System-shifting design: An emerging practice explored . Design Council & The Point People.
  7. Book: Sevaldson . Birger . Designing Complexity: The methodology and practice of systems oriented design . 2022 . Common Ground Research Networks . 978-0-949313-61-4 . hbk . 10.18848/978-1-86335-262-8/CGP . 256537500 .
  8. RSD | Systemic Design Symposium. Relating Systems Thinking and Design. rsdsymposium.org.
  9. Nelson . Harold . Systemic Design as Born from the Berkeley Bubble Matrix . Contexts—The Systemic Design Journal . 20 December 2022 . 1 . v1001 . 10.58279/v1001. 256717726 .
  10. Book: Bertalanffy . Ludwig von . General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications . 1968 . G. Braziller . 978-0-8076-0453-3 . en.
  11. Plsek . P. E . Wilson . T. . Complexity science: Complexity, leadership, and management in healthcare organisations . BMJ . 29 September 2001 . 323 . 7315 . 746–749 . 10.1136/bmj.323.7315.746 . 11576986 . en . 0959-8138. 1121291 .
  12. Book: Porter . Michael E. . Competitive Advantage of Nations: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance . 1990 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-4516-5149-2 . en.
  13. Gallopoulos . Nicholas E. . Frosch . Robert A. . Strategies for Manufacturing . Scientific American . September 1, 1989 . 3 . 189 . 94–102 . en.
  14. 10.1146/annurev.energy.25.1.313. free. INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS: Literature and Taxonomy. 2000. Chertow. Marian R.. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment. 25. 313–337.
  15. Buchanan, R. (1992) Wicked Problems in Design Thinking, Design Issues, Vol.8 No.2, pp.5-21.
  16. Web site: Home. www.zeri.org. 18 April 2018. 25 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180425075901/http://www.zeri.org/. live.
  17. Fuller R.B. (1981), Critical Path, St. Martin’s Press, New York.
  18. Chertow, M. R., Ashton, W. and Kuppali, R. (2004) The Industrial Symbiosis Research Symposium at Yale: Advancing the Study of Industry and Environment, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven.
  19. Book: Norman . Don . Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity Centered . 2023 . The MIT Press . 978-0262047951 .
  20. Book: Sevaldson . Birger . Designing Complexity : The Methodology and Practice of Systems Oriented Design . 2022 . Common Ground Research Networks . 978-0-949313-61-4 . 5 November 2023.
  21. Bistagnino, L. (2011) Systemic Design: Designing the productive and environmental sustainability, 2nd ed., Slow Food, Bra.
  22. Sevaldson, B. (2011). Gigamapping: Visualization for complexity and systems thinking in design. Proceedings of the Nordic Design Research Conference. Aalto University, Helsinki.
  23. Nelson, H.G. and Stolterman, E. (2012). The design way: Intentional change in an unpredictable world, 2nd ed., MIT Press, Cambridge.
  24. Jones, P.H. (2014) ‘Systemic Design Principles for Complex Social Systems’, in Metcalf, G.S. (Eds.), Social Systems and Design, Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp.91-128.
  25. Toso D., Barbero S., Tamborrini P. (2012) Systemic Design: Beyond Ecodesign. Proceedings of the 18th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference, University of Hull, UK
  26. Book: Fassio . Franco . Tecco . Nadia . Circular Economy for Food Matter, energy and knowledge, in a circle . 2018 . Edizioni Ambiente . 9788866272588 . 5 November 2023.
  27. Book: Peruccio . Pier Paolo . Menzardi . Paola . Vrenna . Maurizio . Sánchez Merina . Javier . Designing for territorial revitalization. A diffused art exhibition to foster northwest Italian inner areas . 2019 . Titulación de Arquitectura Escuela Politécnca Superior Alicante University . Alicante, Spain . 978-84-1302-082-2 . 190–196.
  28. Book: Peruccio . Pier Paolo . Vrenna . Maurizio . Circular economy in rural areas . University of Bacau . Bacau, Romania . English . Chapter 2 . 2021-10-09 . 2021-10-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211009012552/http://multitraces.ub.ro/files/IO/IP1/O1_Chapter_2_Circular_economy_in_rural_areas.pdf . live .
  29. Barbero, S. (2017). Systemic Design as Effective Methodology for the Transition to Circular Economy. In Barbero Silvia (Ed.), “Systemic Design Method Guide for Policymaking: a Circular Europe on the way “. Umberto, Torino, Italy. pp. 83-90. https://hdl.handle.net/11583/2685132
  30. Relating Systems Thinking and Design I . FORMakademisk . 2014 . 7 . 3 . 5 November 2023.
  31. Relating Systems Thinking and Design II . FORMakademisk . 2014 . 7 . 4 . 5 November 2023.
  32. Relating Systems Thinking and Design III . FORMakademisk . 2017 . 10 . 1 . 5 November 2023.
  33. Relating Systems Thinking and Design IV . FORMakademisk . 2018 . 11 . 4 . 5 November 2023.
  34. SHE JI Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation . SHE JI . 2018 . 3 . 3 . 5 November 2023.
  35. Relating Systems Thinking and Design V. FORMakademisk . 2019 . 12 . 3. 5 November 2023.
  36. SHE JI Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation . SHE JI . 2018 . 5 . 2 . 5 November 2023.
  37. Relating Systems Thinking and Design V. FORMakademisk . 2020 . 13 . 2. 5 November 2023.
  38. Special Issue: Relating Systems Thinking and Design. Systemic Design and Co-creation Processes for Territorial Enhancement. Strategic Design Research Journal . 2020 . 13 . 2. 5 November 2023.
  39. The Systems Turn in Service Design . 2021 . 12 . 2. 5 November 2023.
  40. Participatory Policy Design . 2022 . 5 . 1. 5 November 2023.
  41. RSD Repository . Relating Systems Thinking and Design . Systemic Design Association . 3 November 2023.
  42. RSD11 Proceedings . Relating Systems Thinking and Design . March 2023 . RSD11 . 3 November 2023.
  43. RSD10 Proceedings . Relating Systems Thinking and Design . March 2021 . RSD10 . 3 November 2023.
  44. RSD7 Proceedings . Relating Systems Thinking and Design . February 2018 . RSD7 . 3 November 2023.
  45. Web site: Communications, Culture & Technology, Master of Arts . Georgetown University . 3 November 2023.
  46. Web site: About Policy Lab . GOV.UK . Crown . 2 November 2023.
  47. Web site: Radical Methodologies. blogs.brighton.ac.uk.
  48. Systemic Design Repository . Relating Systems Thinking and Design . 22 October 2023 . Systemic Design Association . 2 November 2023 . May . Cheryl .
  49. Web site: Systemic Design Lab. Systemic Design Lab.
  50. Web site: Systemic Design and Sustainability. OsloMet-. storbyuniversitetet. www.oslomet.no.
  51. Web site: SDA About . Systemic Design Association.
  52. Web site: The Oslo School of Architecture and Design. aho.no. 18 April 2018. 11 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180411111559/https://aho.no/en/. live.
  53. Barbero, S. (2016). Opportunities and challenges in teaching Systemic Design. The evolution of the Open Systems master courses at Politecnico di Torino. Proceedings of the 6th International Forum of Design as a Process, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, pp. 57-66.
  54. Peruccio . Pier Paolo . Menzardi . Paola . Vrenna . Maurizio . Transdisciplinary knowledge: A systemic approach to design education . Proceedings of DRS Learn X Design 2019: Insider Knowledge . 2019 . 17–23 . 10.21606/learnxdesign.2019.13064 . 9781912294008 . 214038886 . 2021-09-30 . 2021-09-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210930092131/https://iris.polito.it/handle/11583/2768338#.YVWBQC0RppQ . live . free .
  55. Web site: Strategic Foresight and Innovation (MDes) - OCAD U . 2017-03-27 . 2017-05-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170501132207/http://www.ocadu.ca/academics/graduate-studies/strategic-foresight-and-innovation.htm . live .
  56. Web site: Teaching Systemic Design « Systemic Design. systemic-design.net. 18 April 2018. 19 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180419055218/http://systemic-design.net/rsd2/teaching-systemic-design/#nahar/. live.
  57. Web site: Maîtrise en aménagement, option Design et complexité - Université de Montréal - Guide d'admission . 2019-02-28 . 2021-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210120072422/https://admission.umontreal.ca/programmes/maitrise-en-amenagement-option-design-et-complexite/ . live .

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