This article aims to frame the role of Systemic Design (SD) as an alternative design model for the future of design for sustainability, by defining and assessing a structured process to execute Holistic Diagnosis (HD), an innovative context framework. Taking as its background a deep understanding of the design for sustainability and systems thinking concepts that frame SD as a field where HD is rooted, multiple case-study analyses were performed. HD demonstrates its ability to overcome the design boundaries in different fields such as industrial production, local communities, and policy-making, thereby providing a more in-depth understanding of complex environments with an iterative process: assess, research, collect, visualize, and interpret. This framework is a relevant tool for designers to address problem framing in complex scenarios to obtain future sustainable solutions with an innovative and transdisciplinary approach, thereby promoting a horizontal dialogue among all involved components.

In the 19th century, new discoveries permitted to pass from the Cartesian mechanism to a holistic view of life. In the educational field movements as Constructivist Learning and Holistic Education have represented an important contribution to this change of paradigm. In this scenario Systemic Design was born: it aims to imitate Nature in anthropic activities. The educational model used to teach this discipline should follow the holistic approach in order to raise awareness in new generations of conscious and responsible citizens for a sustainable future. Indeed, it is not possible to use a linear model like the current one. The case study used to sustain this thesis is the academic lab 'Open Systems' of the MSc Systemic Design of Politecnico di Torino, composed of four courses that work together (Design, Economy, Engineering, Humanities). The lab is questioning its model aligning it with the specific characteristics of an open living system.

The Systemic Design approach provides a methodology to define complex territorial network of companies with reduced environmental impact. This method defines a way of analysis to

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Systemic Design (SD) has demonstrated over the years the ability to create eco-opportunities for innovation in the manufacturing sector. Despite SD projects high value, the implementation of these complex projects is difficult, although this can boost local economies preventing waste creation to reach a sustainable local development. This research investigates the relationship between design, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability, questioning how best support emerging businesses created by SD, and reflecting on the incubation services that are needed to develop eco-opportunities. To sustain this thesis is analysed a project for the textile industry developed by master students in SD under the framework of RETRACE European project for Piedmont Region (Italy), the area on which the SD research group is reflecting with policymakers. The result is the definition of guidelines to ease SD projects implementation and design a new Systemic Incubator for local eco-entrepreneurship, highlighting the strategic role of systemic design.