diversity Archives

The Internet holds promise of connecting people together in diverse celebration of knowledge. This dream hasn’t been realized and may not be unless we transform our technological networking tools with our psycho-social tools.

design systems thinking

Complexity is to Difference as Simplicity is to…?

May 24, 2010May 25, 2012 Cameron D. Norman 783 Views complexity, design, designer, diversity, John Maeda, simplicity

In John Maeda’s 5th Law of Simplicity, he states that simplicity and complexity need each other. While true, the challenge that more complexity adds is evident in that there is simply more complexity. Another look at the relationship between simplicity and complexity.

education & learning psychology

Social Sense-making

February 4, 2010May 25, 2012 Cameron D. Norman 496 Views diversity, education, innovation, leadership, learning, social, teaching, university

We learn more from teaching than being taught and from interacting than working alone. So why are our sense-making approaches always posed towards individual learning? This post argues for the need to bring the social back into play.

health systems thinking

Cohesion vs. Diversity

September 2, 2009September 3, 2009 Cameron D. Norman 532 Views chaos theory, cities, community, diversity, edge of chaos, food systems, health, public health, social cohesion, social determinants of health, systems thinking, Toronto, urbanism

Systems function well at the ‘edge of chaos’. In social systems that means balancing diversity with cohesion, but there are aspects to both that are troubling and may be highly incompatible. Can we have both or do we have to sacrifice one for the other?