Designers often tell me that they would like to learn more about systems thinking and systemic design, but that they are not sure where to start. Here are some suggestions for accessible readings and viewings:
- One of my recent blog posts on Medium in which I explain what systemic design is and how it is different from systems design. https://medium.com/@miekevanderbijl/systems-thinking-design-72209d534c4c
- Great explanation of Russ Ackoff about systems and systems thinking: If Russ Ackoff had given a TED talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqEeIG8aPPk
- Critique from Ackoff about systems thinking: Ackoff, Russell L. “Transforming the Systems Movement”: _ http://ackoffcenter.blogs.com/ackoff_center_weblog/2004/05/transforming_th.html.
- Video on systems thinking and system dynamics http://donellameadows.org/a-visual-approach-to-leverage-points/
- Famous essay by the late Donella Meadows about ‘Leverage points’: http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/
- Website created by Birger Sevaldson for their systems oriented design program with many systems mapping & systemic design techniques: http://www.systemsorienteddesign.net
- The systemic design toolkit developed by Namahn in collaboration with Peter Jones and Alex Ryan https://www.systemicdesigntoolkit.org
- Cynefin framework which explains the difference between simple, complicated, complex and chaotic contexts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7oz366X0-8
- Article with more details about the Cynefin framework: Snowden, David J., and Mary E. Boone. “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making.” Harvard Business Review 85, no. 11 (December 2007 2007): 68-76.
- Open access special issue in She Ji – the journal of design, economics and innovation, with articles about systemic design, including one of my own https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/vol/3/issue/3