complexity theory

Are we creating path dependencies with our creative technologies that actually limit creativity? Jaron Lanier thinks so and in this post I introduce the concept of dominant design and what it means in terms of technological and social innovation.

complexity education & learning emergence psychology social media social systems systems thinking

Social (non) Sense-making

February 7, 2010 Cameron D. Norman 374 Views chaos theory, communication, complexity, complexity theory, edge of chaos, education, learning, philosophy, psychology, social learning, social media, social networks, systems, teaching

What is true in the world of social media and decision making is a matter of interpretation. However that interpretation, often off-loaded to others in crowdsourcing models, might not work well when strong ties are needed to foster quality decisions.

behaviour change complexity health promotion psychology public health

The Fallacy of New Year’s Resolutions

January 3, 2010December 30, 2019 Cameron D. Norman 625 Views behaviour change, complexity, complexity theory, psychology

New Year’s resolutions don’t work and can sometimes make things worse. Maybe the problem is less about us and the entire thought process that informs why we plan change in such linear ways to begin with.

complexity education & learning public health research social media social systems systems science systems thinking

Storytelling in the Age of Twitter

November 27, 2009May 25, 2012 Cameron D. Norman 288 Views complex adaptive systems, complexity theory, health, innovation, knowledge translation, leadership, narrative inquiry, research methods, social media, storytelling, systems thinking, Twitter

Our tweets and Facebook posts provide us with new ways to tell stories that can be as rich as traditional methods. By viewing these narrative fragments in context, we can learn a lot about our world and the way that we communicate.

complexity design thinking public health science & technology social media social systems

Amazing Stuff: Halloween Edition

October 31, 2009October 31, 2009 Cameron D. Norman 230 Views complexity, complexity theory, design, environment, environmental health, infectious disease, innovation, marketing, meaning, public health, social media, systems science, video

This week’s Halloween edition of Amazing stuff highlights a short video on complexity science (and organizing a children’s party), an unexpected (and amusing) link between environmental health + pornography, a map of illness, marketing and PR for the masses, and figuring out what meaning really means in the world of design.