"WHAT IS SYSTEMS DESIGN THINKING?

"

...and why s

Dafyd Rawlings RA, LEED-AP: BDC

WE ARE FACING MANY CHALLENGES

FIVE MAIN CATEGORIES:

POPULATION
CLIMATE
WATER
AGRICULTURE
ENERGY

ALL FACTORS
HAVE TO DUE WITH STRAIN
ON THE ECOLOGICAL
CARRYING CAPACITY

CHALLENGES
Fossil Fuel Depletion - Peak Oil

CHALLENGES
Continuing War Over Oil

CHALLENGES
Inefficient Energy Usage

CHALLENGES
Climate Change: Drought

CHALLENGES
Climate Change: Growing Demand for Dwindling Water Supplies

CHALLENGES
Climate Change: Sea Level Rise

CHALLENGES
Uninhabitable Areas

http://www.therefugeeproject.org

CHALLENGES
Mass Migration

CHALLENGES
War and Violence

CHALLENGES
Disease
Cholera
Influenza
Malaria
SARS
Smallpox
Tuberculosis
Obesity
Cancer
Yellow Fever
Ebola
Hepatitis
HIV
Polio
Dengue
Japanese Encephalitis
Leishmaniasis
Measles
Meningitis
Typhoid

CHALLENGES
Epidemics

CHALLENGES
LONG RANGE FORECASTS
IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]
advises eliminating fossil fuels by 2100
Report from Univ. of Maryland & Univ. of Minnesota
Using NASA data algorithms
Predicts radical change to globe in next 20 years
Naomi Klein
reducing our greenhouse emissions is our best chance
to simultaneously reduce gaping inequalities,
re-imagine our broken democracies,
and rebuild our gutted local economies

THAT WAS THE BAD NEWS.

THE GOOD NEWS IS...
We can:
increase powers of observation
find answers to pressing world problems
honor relationships
create systems that are efficient, ecological and economical
produce life-supporting dynamics
facilitate harmony
realize that humanity is part of a system rather than the master of it
understand that a culture of holistic design thinking does not destroy

geography
expectations
ceremony
& ritual

biology

elements

politics

SOCIOCULTURAL
ASPECTS

budgets
ECONOMIC /
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS

PHYSICAL /
MATERIAL
WORLD

thought
process
PSYCHOLOGICAL /
EMOTIONAL
FEELINGS

YOU
the
DESIGNER

feelings

SPIRITUAL /
PHILOSOPHICAL
BELIEFS

priorities
The Commons

practice

religion

outlook
on life

behavior

COMPARISON OF INDUSTRIAL & SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS

INDUSTRIAL
ENERGY BASE

Non-renewable

MATERIAL FLOW

Linear

NATURAL ASSETS

Consumption

ORGANIZATION

Centralized

SCALE

Large

MOVEMENT

Fast

FEEDBACK

Positive

FOCUS

Center

ACTIVITY

Episodic Change

THINKING

Reductionist

GENDER

Masculine

Renewab

DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Observe and Interact: Patterns, Mindful Design
Catch and Store Energy and Materials
Design from Patterns to Details, Elements & Functions
Use Small and Slow Solutions

Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services

Recycle Energy and Produce no Waste
Accelerate Succession & Use and Value Diversity
Use Edges & Value the Marginal

Obtain a Yield
Apply Self-Regulation, Accept Feedback
Integrate Rather than Segregate Yields Can Be Unlimited
Creatively Respond to Change

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 1
FUNCTION: Observe and Interact: Patterns, Mindful Design

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 2
FUNCTION: Catch and Store Energy and Materials

Natural Capital
Small-scale: diverse, small, dispersed, easily-used, lower value
Cultural Energy: government, education, economy
Descent Strategies: outside contributions, knowledge systems, local,
pre-existing culture, accepting evolution, mindful technology
Asset Building

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 3
FUNCTION: Design from Patterns to Details, Elements & Functions

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 3
FUNCTION: Design from Patterns to Details, Elements & Functions

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 3
FUNCTION: Design from Patterns to Details, Elements & Functions

CHARACTERISTICS: breed, color, tolerances, specific behavior

NEEDS:
shelter
grit
dust
water
air
food
other chickens

PRODUCTS/
BEHAVIORS:
eggs
meat
feathers
manure
methane
CO2
scratching
foraging
flying
fighting
noises

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 3
FUNCTION: Design from Patterns to Details, Elements & Functions

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 4
FUNCTION: Use Small and Slow Solutions

FERTILIZER
SNAIL PATROL
FEEDING

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 5
SYSTEMS: Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services
Oxygen
Food
Fuel
Building materials
Mulch
Shade

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 6
SYSTEMS: Recycle Energy and Produce no Waste

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 7
SYSTEMS: Accelerate Succession & Use and Value Diversity

UBSTITUTE ELEMENTS
THAT WILL
FOSTER
SUCCESSION

RAISE
PRODUCTIVITY
FICIALLY AND TEMPORARILY

USE WHAT
YOU ALREADY
HAVE

INTRODUCE ELEMEN
THAT WILL
SURVIVE

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 7
SYSTEMS: Accelerate Succession & Use and Value Diversity

THINKING STYLESs

NATIONALITY
CULTUREs

LANGUAGES

SKILLSs

ETHNICITYs

GENDERs

RELIGIONs
PERSPECTIVEs
EXPERIENCESs

SEXUAL
ORIENTATIONs

AGEs

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 8
SYSTEMS: Use Edges & Value the Marginal

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 8
SYSTEMS: Use Edges & Value the Marginal

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 9
ATTITUDES: Obtain a Yield

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 10
ATTITUDES: Apply Self-Regulation
Accept Feedback

Mistakes = Tools for Learning

Evaluate Trials
Tri-partite Altruism
Energy Hierarchies

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 11
ATTITUDES: Integrate Rather Than Segregate Yields Can Be Unlimited
Relationships

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 11
ATTITUDES: Integrate Rather Than Segregate Yields Can Be Unlimited
Community: local structures, cross-fertilization, minimal dependency on
technology, incrementalism, intentional, shared commons
Imagination: only limit to a system

DESIGN PRINCIPLE 12
ATTITUDES: Creatively Respond to Change
Constraints
Turn Problems into Solutions
Pulse
Chaos
Evolution
Emergence

The Butterfly Effect

Unpredictability
Order / Disorder
Turbulence
Feedback
Fractals

SO WHAT?
x

THERE IS NO OTHER REASON

TO KNOW AND THINK ABOUT SYSTEMATIC DESIGN
THAN TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.

Do you agree? Why or why not?

 Observe, Interact, Patterns, Mindfulness

Apply Self-Regulation
Value the Margin
Integrate Rather Than Segregate

 Observe, Interact, Patterns, Mindfulness

Apply Self-Regulation
Value the Margin
Integrate Rather Than Segregate

Observe, Interact, Patterns, Mindfulness

Apply Self-Regulation
Value the Margin
Integrate Rather Than Segregate

Observe, Interact, Patterns, Mindfulness

Catch and Store Energy
Use Small and Slow Solutions
Value the Margin

 Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services

Obtain a Yield
Creatively Respond to Change

 Catch and Store Energy and Materials

Recycle Energy and Materials
Creatively Respond to Change

 Use Small and Slow Solutions

Recycle Energy

Catch and Store Energy and Materials

Use Small and Slow Solutions
Value the Margin

 Mindful Design
Elements and Functions
Value Resources
Recycle Energy

 Use Small and Slow Solutions

Use and Value Diversity

Catch and Store Energy

Use Small and Slow Solutions
Recycle Energy & Produce No Waste

 Catch and Store Energy

Use Small and Slow Solutions
Value the Margin

Accelerate Succession
Integrate Rather Than
Segregate

 Observe, Interact, Patterns, Mindfulness

Catch and Store Energy
Use Small and Slow Solutions

 Observe & Interact

Catch and Store Energy
Use Small and Slow S
Recycle Ene
Valu

 Catch and Store Energy

Design from Pattern to Details
Use Small and Slow Solutions
Value the Margin

 Observe, Interact, Mindfulness

Accelerate Succession
Value Diversity
Obtain a Yield

SO, WHATS NEXT?

THERE IS
AN INCREASING NEED
FOR AN EXPANDED SENSE
OF THE SOCIAL OBLIGATION
TO THE WORLD

DESIGN AS...
...A SKILL FOR GOOD
PERHAPS AS AN

ACTIVIST

ACTIVITY?

DESIGN FOR SOCIAL NEEDS

DESIGN

FOR ECONOMIC NEEDS

DESIGN

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS

DESIGN

TO ALLOW FOR PARTICIPATION

DESIGN

FOR THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC

DESIGN

FOR OUR CHILDREN'S BENEFIT

DESIGN

FOR OUR HEALTH

DESIGN

FOR SMALL BUSINESS

DESIGN FOR PEOPLE WHO GROW

OUR FOOD

DESIGN

FOR CLEAN WATER TRANSPORTATION

DESIGN

FOR EMPOWERMENT

DESIGN

FOR REFRIGERATION

DESIGN

FOR BEAUTY

DESIGN

FOR TRANSIENT WORKER HOUSING

DESIGN

USING ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS

DESIGN

FOR THE HOMELESS

DESIGN

USING SALVAGED MATERIALS

DESIGN

USING RECYCLED MATERIALS

TRANSFORMATIVE

DESIGN

DESIGN

THAT REIMAGINES

AND...

PLAYFUL

DESIGN

HOW CAN DESIGN APPLY TO OUR CONTEXTS?

IN GENERAL, THREE WAYS:
DESIGN MUST BECOME PROACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE
- new ways of thinking that create new solutions
A MOVEMENT CAN CONSOLIDATE BEHIND A SET OF PRINCIPLES
- a new conception of how we view the system
ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES WITH A VARIETY OF MODALITIES
FACILIATES DIVERSE REALMS
- contemporary issues require new ways to live, work, recreate and move

HOW IS ALL THIS THE FUTURE OF DESIGN?

ARCHITECTURE AND OTHER FIELDS OF DESIGN
NEED TO BECOME MORE RELEVANT
AS THE SERVICES WE OFFER CLIENTS
PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE
IN THE ISSUES OF TODAY.

THIS IS THE FUTURE OF DESIGN.

WHAT'S NEXT
IS UP TO YOU.