Systemic Design is a Design Practice which integrates Systems Thinking and Human-Centered Design with the aim of facing the complexity of challenging design projects.

Systems Thinking approach to problem definition leads to Systemic Design, a design process in which designers take into consideration:

  • All parts involved.
  • Interactions between them.
  • Identification of a “North Star”, a future vision where the problem is solved or changed.
  • Identification of a “Near Star”, the next big achievement we need to steward the system to, so we can concretely move towards our North Star.

It’s about designing relationships between the component of the system (people, activities and resources) with the purpose of increasing the value of local entities to produce development and well-being for the individual as well as for the collective.

Systemic Designers generate relationships through interaction with the goal of finding balance and stability towards increasing the quality of the new system built.

Traditional design methods or approaches centered only on user needs or business needs are limited in their impact on the ecosystem. Due to the increase of complexity of society because of acceleration of technological progress, globalization, migration and concern about the sustainability of the environmental, economic and social systems, designers need to adapt their approaches in problem-solving and solution implementation.

Systemic Design Practice is based on a multi-perspective and multi-stakeholder approach where an inclusive dialogue and co-design process leverage a pluralistic solution approach.

The Systemic Design approach is seeking new connections and relations between systems thinking and design-based methods of working.

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