Keywords: systemic design, strategic design, design thinking, systems thinking, methodology.
IntroductionThe purpose of this paper is to present a general framework for systemic design, in order to facilitate design applications to business, organisational, governmental, and societal challenges. By making the framework accessible to both public service and citizen designers, it is hoped that small groups can make big changes towards a better world.The first section of this paper briefly introduces the two major interdisciplinary fields that systemic design integrates: systems thinking and design thinking. In the next section, we explain what we mean by systemic design and when it applies. Then, we present a framework for systemic design consisting of three levels: mindset, methodology, and, methods. The mindset of the systemic designer is characterised as a set of values and habits. Next, the logic for a systemic design project is outlined and developed as a flexible methodology for developing deeper understanding and constructing novel interventions. Finally, the uses and abuses of methods are examined. Any systemic design project proceeds at all three levels simultaneously, with the levels mutually reinforcing and reciprocally influencing one another.