Summary
Many designers are recognizing the limitations of the design thinking process and acknowledge the need for systems thinking. In this talk, the audience will learn key concepts of systems thinking, as well as prompts that help them get started on their systems thinking journey. Sheryl will share frameworks that designers can take action with in order to incorporate systems thinking in their day-to-day decision-making.
Key Insights
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Systems thinking expands beyond user-centered design to consider broader system impacts.
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User-centered design can overlook potential harm, e.g., infinite scroll optimizing ease but harming user mental health.
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Understanding systemic forces is crucial in design, exemplified by the failure of the XO laptop initiative.
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Today's problems often stem from past solutions, emphasizing the need to analyze root causes and interconnectedness.
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Engaging diverse stakeholders ensures that solutions address real-world complexities and lived experiences.
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Visualizing systems through models like iceberg diagrams can clarify underlying issues and impacts.
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Designers must recognize their positionality and biases within the systems they operate.
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Effective design requires multiple interventions across different levels, acknowledging multi-finality in outcomes.
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Empathy in design should focus on understanding stakeholder dynamics rather than reducing complex systems to simple components.
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Forward-thinking solutions should consider societal impacts, including issues related to equity and systemic biases.
Notable Quotes
"Design thinking often falls short when designing at scale."
"Optimizing for ease of use does not necessarily mean it's best for users or humanity."
"Today's problems come from yesterday's solutions."
"Making the invisible visible helps reveal systemic disparities."
"People who understand the problem best are set up to do the best work."
"Stakeholders include representatives of the purposeful parts of the system."
"The idealized future is a statement of the system the planners would create if they were free to create any system they wanted."
"Systems are more than the sum of their parts and can demonstrate adaptive behaviors."
"We can work to create a more equitable world by disrupting the status quo, not merely serving it."
"Freedom dreaming is essential to envision a system free from today's oppression."
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