Systemic design: where systems thinking meets design
Joannes Vabdermeulen - Namahn

About the talk:
In this talk Joannes will present design tools and techniques that help understand and tackle so-called wicked (i.e. intractable) problems, using systems thinking. Systems thinking helps to better understand complex phenomena by looking at the whole rather than at its individual parts. Systems thinking stands in contrast with analytical thinking: you solve problems by going deeper, by looking at the greater whole of a system and focusing on the relations between its elements, rather than looking at individual problems in a linear way via simple cause-and-effect explanations. Systemic design is an emerging discipline that integrates systems thinking and human-centred design with the aim of solving complex problems through design. Namahn has designed a methodology with tools and techniques to be used by designers in co-creating mode with users and stakeholders in the system. You can apply the systemic design methods in different situations: to understand how large organisations function and design for the enterprise (e.g. when you are trying to revamp a large intranet), but also to solve social problems and issues (e.g. unemployment with disadvantaged youth or mobility in large cities). So basically whenever there is complexity and conflict (of interest) in your project, systemic design can help.

About Namahn and Joannes:
Namahn is a human-centered design consultancy based in Brussels, Belgium. Considered a pioneer in human-centered design in Belgium, Namahn is primarily active in the fields of service design and safety-critical design.
namahn.com

Joannes studied Archaeology and Oriental Linguistics at K.U.Leuven. In 1987, he founded Namahn as a one-person consultancy and built it into a practice of 20 people, housed in an astonishingly spacious and unique location in the center of Brussels. Most recently, Joannes realised a longstanding ambition to run Namahn as a partnership, enabling him to focus on business development, while regularly lecturing at product design schools and contributing thought leadership as a conference speaker. His passions outside work include economics, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, yoga and family travel.
http://namahn.com/about/joannes-vandermeulen/