Space shapes systems, so systems change requires we understand space. In this post, I’m going to use two contexts to illustrate why and how settings affect so much of our lives and why any systems change must account for them if we are to be successful. Take two examples: education, and healthcare. In an educational […]
Design, Systems and The Settings That Influence Us Read More »
Asking if its better to have people work in a physical office together or from home is the wrong question if you’re not willing to look at the work itself. Since COVID-19 forced the world’s office workers home as their base for the better part of 36 months the world of commercial real-estate hasn’t been
Work Design For People and Production Not Places Read More »
You might know what you’re doing, but do you have the means to put that knowledge into practice? Could the way you work be a means to know more about what it is you’re actually doing. And if you try to make a change and there’s no one there to see it or comment or
Changemaking: Got Skills? Read More »
Staying safe is about understanding systems that affect our choices, not just individuals. We need to design systems better if we want real change to take place.
Systems of Influence: The Hidden Forces Shaping What We Do Read More »
In a world awash in content and the resulting complexity that comes when it all intersects the viable options for how to manage it remain few. The Dutch De Stijl art and design movement might offer some lessons on dealing with complexity that we can apply beyond products to creating beautiful, functional, and effective services,
Seeking simplicity among complexity? Go Dutch! Read More »
Reflective practice is the cornerstone of developmental evaluation and organizational learning and yet is one of the least discussed (and poorly supported) aspects of these processes. It’s time to reflect a little on reflection itself. The term reflective practice was popularized by the work of Donald Schön in his book The Reflective Practitioner, although
Reflections said, not done Read More »
If You Build it is documentary about a social innovation project aimed at cultivating design skills with youth to tackle education and social issues in a economically challenged community in North Carolina. The well-intentioned, well-developed story is not unfamiliar to those interested in social innovation, but while inspiring to some these stories mask bigger questions
“If You Build It..”: A Reflection on A Social Innovation Story Read More »
A recent trip to baseball’s legendary Fenway Park provided the ideal example of understanding systems and how they can create public health problems like obesity through structural means. Being aware of these systems, their boundaries, and their activities can help us better find the causes of individual activity by looking at what encourages behaviour not just what people do.
Systems and Design Thinking Go to the Ballpark Read More »
In 2009 Censemaking was launched as a platform to explore issues in complexity and ways we can make sense of it to design for better futures and a sustainable world. After 300 posts it has become evident that there is much more to write as we see ever-new crises from complexity and ever-greater design opportunities
300: Crises in Complexity, Opportunities in Design Read More »
If design is everywhere humans are and shapes our interactions in the built environment, which dictates how we interact with the world around us should it not be considered important enough to be a part of public health? I recently picked up a copy of the architecturally-inspired Arcade Magazine because of its theme on Science,
Design Space in Public Health Read More »
