Summary
While systems thinking is all hype, a superficial application may jeopardize the value of service design practice. This talk will highlight the hidden dangers of applying systems thinking, with examples of struggles from over a decade of practice experience. To support the ongoing evolution of service design, this talk will share strategies for adopting a systemic approach that amplifies, rather than erodes, the transformative potential of the practice.
Key Insights
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Beware of the trap of the flat map which oversimplifies complex systems.
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Focus on small-scale interventions that truly reflect systemic patterns.
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Avoid the lure of system-level thinking that neglects local nuances.
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Recognize that embracing plurality in systems allows for creativity and adaptation.
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Reconsider the traditional project framework in favor of continuous inquiry and experimentation.
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Crucially reflect on the internal dynamics within teams to avoid perpetuating systems of power.
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Design tools must be critically examined for their embedded assumptions.
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Systems shaping occurs not just at the macro level but through everyday interactions.
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Be aware of the colonial tendencies that may persist even in embodied practices.
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Service design should support diverse ways of shaping systems rather than imposing expertise.
Notable Quotes
"There's a tendency that once we've made this big mega map, we think we've captured it all."
"This view is not anywhere in the system. No one can see all of this."
"We have a tendency to always look outside and say these changes are needed."
"How we are at the small scale reflects the systemic patterns at the large scale."
"Any intervention is always in the small, we can work with our body as a system."
"We're creating a kind of paralysis through hyper complexity."
"Our projects are often boxed in, linear models that hinder deeper systemic exploration."
"We need to support people's many ways of shaping systems."
"We risk imposing one dominant way of designing over others."
"The shaping of systems happens through dialogue and everyday interactions."
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