Accidental Vagrant

  Systemic design was mentioned recently in the British Design Council’s publication on Medium ( https://medium.com/design-council/challenging-the-brief-tackling-the-climate-crisis-through-design-153da39babc8 ) "An approach that tackles complex problems by considering all the interconnected parts of a system. " Like Horst Rittel’s term ‘wicked problem” — taken in directions quite different from Horst’s original thinking — which is too often mischaracterized, I feel it is important to give an alternative approach to ‘systemic design’ from that proposed by the Design Council. I don’t have a copyright on the term ‘systemic design’ but I do have a long personal history with the idea and the term. I have been developing and applying systemic design ideas over a very long period and want to offer a generable alternative to the ‘problem-focused’ definition of the Council. Systemic design should be considered as ‘design’ and not ‘problem-solving’: The Reconstitution of Sophia-the Wi

  During the process of developing a series of   master classes in systemic designing    (www.haroldgnelson.com/masterclasses) I became aware of a critical issue. Many of the terms I was using, such as ‘learning’ and ‘teaching’, had been hollowed out by the predominance of AI-related terms in public discourse like ‘machine learning’ and ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI). In addition, the dominating hype or shallow understandings of the ideas behind the terms I was using further hampered any meaningful communication with others. Even the term ‘masterclass’ had lost common meaning — much like the term ‘equal’ has lost shared meaning among mathematicians.     Common terms like ‘innovation’, ‘change’, ‘creativity’, ‘agent’, or ‘paradigm shift’ are among a growing list of words that have become mere tags or indicators rather than carriers of useful information in shared discourse. In my  master classes,  for example, key terms like ‘learning’, ‘teaching’, and ‘knowledge’ are central concepts t

  The Spanish Language Edition of The Design Way by Nelson & Stolterman is available: https://lnkd.in/grvA3jVy

  The Spanish Language Edition of The Design Way by Nelson & Stolterman is available: https://lnkd.in/grvA3jVy

  Although not advertised as such, this interview with Ted Gioia is an example of a quintessential ‘master class’. The bonus is that this class is focused on the relationship between AI and creativity including but not limited to, music, literature,     and film et al. He is also a seminal example of how polymaths think and work. Unfortunately he is not yet acquainted with design – particularly systemic design…yet.   Gioia Ted on AI and creativity   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibMd_Jx9daw  

  Watched the whole series from the perspective of a systemic designer. I lost count of the number of times that: “…we didn’t think’, “….we didn’t know’. “…we didn’t connect the dots” etc etc. was mentioned. I think that our leaders and advisors could benefit with some competence in systemic designing. I don't think AI or related algorithms will make things better without increased ability to think more competently about complex, entangled events. It is not about 'artificial' thinking. It is about elevated 'natural' thinking. https://lnkd.in/gaQmV8rH   Watch Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror | Netflix Official Site

  The intersection between the work of the late C J Fearnley (Collaborating for Comprehensivity) and the book by Nelson & Stolterman (The Design Way) is explored in this YouTube video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUt5oBrCPTM

  Systemic Design Association     Systemic DesignMaster Classes announcement #1   https://rsdsymposium.org/systemic-design-master-classes-session-2/   announcement #2 https://mailchi.mp/systemic-design/newsletter-2024-04-16189175?e=516101838d  

  Master Classes in Systemic Designing https://www.haroldgnelson.com/masterclasses   It’s Time for a pivot in how we approach securing improvements in the human condition     These Systemic Design Master Classes offer a general overview of one thread of inquiry that is used in the development of a supportive foundation for stances and approaches to systemic designing.    Familiarity with this thread is intended to be the inception point for future shared exchanges with others who are learning and applying systemic design approaches.     These inquiries are meant to further develop fundamental skills and perspectives acquired — not through argumentation and debate — but rather through conversations and dialogues.    These Inquires are guided in part by the values and beliefs made visible in the prospectus for a proposed Systemic-Design ‘Flight’ School :   https://www.academia.edu/110744521/PROSPECTUS_Systemic_Design_Flight_School   This prospectus is inclusive — not exclusive — of the p

This is an excellent article concerning the crisis with The Humanities that is so prevalent in public discourse nowadays. The author makes the assertion that the crisis is not academic ie with universities. Hopefully this article will begin a longer conversation on the relationships among The Arts and Humanities, Science and Technology and  serious Design—a Systemic conversation. https://open.substack.com/pub/tedgioia/p/the-real-crisis-in-humanities-isnt?r=asq7d&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email   

  In Don Norman's video , he explains why traditional design needs to be nudged towards 'design thinking'. He makes some excellent points and makes a strong case for 'design' as more than mere appearance.  https://lnkd.in/gDpmkvkX However, 'systemic design', is even more essential for improving the human condition than 'design thinking'. 'Systemic design' is not 'design thinking (problem-solving) but they share many of the same aspirations. Don's video is a good start in gaining some understanding in this. Thanks Don. Check my website ( www.haroldgnelson.com ) for additional resources on making design and systems (systemic design) better understood than is the norm.

  Designing Design Character by Melis Senova:   https://pages.thishuman.com/products/design-character-course-pwyc   The importance of the focus of this class on Design Character cannot be overstated. Designers are agents serving the interest of others through their personal actions and  therefor good character counts in design.    As you know an exceptional scientist does not need to be of good character to make great discoveries. Artists do not need to be of good character to create great works of art. They can be miserable human beings without compromising their professional work. Designers on the other hand must be of good character because they have a fiduciary relationship with others who they work with and on behalf of.    The relationship between good designers and those they work on behalf of is a two way relationship. Unlike empathy – a one-way relationship – the service relationships involved in designing are vulnerable to poor character on the part of the designer because t

 

  Roger Martin on planning and strategy   This presentation is an excellent example of disclosing and making transparent terms, concepts and ideas used causally or recklessly in common exchange. Roger Martin (leader in organizational management and education) discusses what ‘planning’ and ‘strategy’ is in contrast and in particular. This is exemplary in how to approach thinking about seminal concepts carefully in social science and social media.    Although his examples are drawn from large scale business organizations the generalizable insights are applicable to a number of domains including professions, governmental agencies, academia and military organizations. Additionally, as a bonus in this presentation, ‘design’ is introduced towards the end at an equally disclosive and transparent level of discourse.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID5gEmrg_F8&t=167s

 Exceptional summary of Acoff's ideas: Time With Russell Ackoff video   Pt 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iomyRCjEHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13YFPmEVIys   pt 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz6Ifs190no https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GftU0PXXSEI   pt 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FqsQX6soeM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FqsQX6soeM&t=50s   pt 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_01hYCGIxA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WefU9Lod82A   pt 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_01hYCGIxA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkHJUcMWyuE   Navy 2 day training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK0ivV1GEoU&list=PLZyIEtn-bglAPKynIQg6SbRDzdt_sAQ5O