Systemic design

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]

  1. ^ Sevaldson, Birger; Jones, Peter (1 June 2019). "An Interdiscipline Emerges: Pathways to Systemic Design". She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation. 5 (2): 75–84. doi:10.1016/j.sheji.2019.05.002. ISSN 2405-8726.
  2. ^ Bistagnino, Luigi; Peruccio, Pier Paolo (2014). Michalos, Alexander C. (ed.). Design: An Overview. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer. pp. 1582–1585. ISBN 978-94-007-0754-2.
  3. ^ van der Bijl-Brouwer, Mieke (18 August 2023). "Systems thinking + design = ?". Medium. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  4. ^ Sevaldson, Birger (21 March 2017). "Redesigning Systems Thinking". FormAkademisk. 10 (1). doi:10.7577/formakademisk.1755. hdl:11250/2492499.
  5. ^ "About Systems Oriented Design". Systems Oriented Design. Birger Sevaldson. 30 October 2022.
  6. ^ Drew, Cat; Robinson, Cassie; Winhall, Jennie (2021). "System-shifting design: An emerging practice explored" (PDF). Design Council & The Point People.
  7. ^ Sevaldson, Birger (2022). Designing Complexity: The methodology and practice of systems oriented design (hbk ed.). Common Ground Research Networks. doi:10.18848/978-1-86335-262-8/CGP. ISBN 978-0-949313-61-4. S2CID 256537500.
  8. ^ "RSD | Systemic Design Symposium". Relating Systems Thinking and Design – via rsdsymposium.org.