Literally, being “systems-aware” means being cognisant of systems. Systems-aware design is being aware of systems as you design. 

Thinking in systems is counter-cultural and, in many ways, counter-intuitive.

But, once you think things in systems, it becomes a natural and powerful way to approach problems and opportunities. 

In this blog we explore why systems approaches are not widely spread in practice, why it’s increasingly useful to think in systems, and how to start becoming systems aware.

Why doesn’t everyone do it?

Decartes, a seminal figure in western philosophy, is responsible for much of the way we think, learn and research (the rational approach to mathematics and science). 

The fundamental principles of Decartes work are so deeply ingrained that we are largely unaware of them. This includes ideas such as breaking a problem down into its simplest parts and the notion that we must first explore the simple before we delve into the complex. 

These ideas led to separation of the sciences: physics, chemistry, and biology. Study, across all levels of education, is  structured around distinctly separate subjects. 

This is at odds with the reality of the world we live in. Our world is multi-dimensional: physical, biological, chemical, spiritual, emotional, creative, social, political, economic, and now virtual, all at once. 

In a basic sense, being systems-aware is recognising that we are part of a web of inseparable systems all operating simultaneously and functioning interdependently.

Why does being systems-aware matter?

There are at least three reasons why it is crucial that we think in systems: the increasing complexity around us; the existential crisis we face and; the drive for better innovation performance.

Firstly, Products, services, innovations and, their interaction with the world are becoming increasingly complex. One useful way to think about complexity it to consider it as a function of the number of parts in a system multiplied by the number of connections between the parts.

Where there are interactions between parts, behaviours emerge. 

Think of a bike – in isolation the components don’t do much but, as soon as the parts are brought together in a specific way the function of gyroscopic motion (i.e., being able to cycle) becomes a reality. 

Cycling a bike represents positive emergent behaviour, but often emergent behaviours can be undesirable - the sway of the millennium bridge, the excluding effect of biased AI, the cost and time over run of the Scottish parliament building - all results of poorly considered system behaviours and all avoidable.

Left unchecked, emergent behaviours can be come systemic. As systems become more complex emergent behaviours become increasingly difficult to predict.

Thinking in systems helps us anticipate and manage both positive and negative emergent behaviours. 

Secondly, very few people would contest that we are facing some pretty major existential challenges as a planet. 

A climate emergency has been declared and the limited supply of critical raw materials, despite them being core to many of the technologies we rely on, is an increasing concern. Huge chasms of systemic disparity still exist in our society:  

These challenges can be considered the systemic effect of the pursuit of innovation that has not traditionally been systems aware. 

To stand any chance of overcoming the climate change, systematic bias or resource limitations, thinking that considers emergent behaviours and the bigger picture is key. 

Thirdly, regardless of any environmental crisis or increasing complexity, being systems-aware and employing systems approaches provides an efficient and effective way to design and innovate. 

Being systems-aware encourages fresh perspectives and helps us identify things that might not have been obvious using other contemporary approaches to design. It also reduces re-work and development lead times and improves the efficacy and performance of innovation over the long term. 

The more complex the problem, the greater the need for a systems aware approach. 

How can we systems-aware?

The first step and perhaps the most challenging part of becoming systems-aware is acknowledgment that there is a different way to think about design, innovation, education, and life in general.

There are lots of things you could do – read books about systems thinking, watch seminars on systems thinking or take a course. 

One thing that can bring immediate effects is to start to map out and model systems of interest. Models and maps are key to design in general (often referred to as prototypes in traditional design disciplines) but they are foundational to understanding systems. 

Often people draw diagrams with boxes and lines. Lots of attention is given to labelling the boxes and the lines are often left blank. Rather than detailing what goes on in the boxes, systems modelling methods would encourage you to think about what the lines represent and what happens at the point the lines interface with the boxes.

 Systems design tools and techniques can help you do this.

Being systems aware is increasingly important but it’s also a discipline that takes time to master and a continuous progression. Coaching and feedback can help.