HUMAN-CENTRED SYSTEMS THINKING
What is Human-Centred Systems Thinking? - It’s a creative approach to problem-solving that begins with empathy for your end-users and ends with innovative solutions tailor-made to meet their needs. Increasingly, designers are taking a systems view to see the broader context in which they’re designing. Systems thinking practitioners, for their part, are discovering the power of design to take action. Together, the two approaches can bridge the gap between understanding and implementation in complex systems.
Where to start?
Combining the analytical tools of systems thinking with the creative methods of human-centered design enables a comprehensive framework for addressing complex challenges.
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This framework guides through nine steps:
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This framework emphasizes iterative learning, enabling a deep understanding of problems, identification of impactful focal points, and the creation of connected, effective, and responsible solutions. With practice and intention, anyone can adopt the mindsets and methods of human-centered systems thinking.
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Define the problem: Frame the challenge with a focused question, aiming for a scope that stimulates diverse solutions.
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Map the system: Visualize the challenge using network, process, or problem maps, fostering collaboration to build alignment.
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Interview stakeholders: Gather diverse perspectives to enrich understanding, incorporating emotional narratives to add depth.
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Surface insights: Uncover deep needs within the system, refining understanding to inform impactful solutions.
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Reframe the problem: Explore various frames to expand solution spaces, potentially leading to more meaningful interventions.
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Look for leverage points: Identify areas for impactful intervention within the system, considering spheres of influence and current dynamics.
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Brainstorm and select ideas: Generate numerous ideas, evaluating them based on potential impact and feasibility.
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Prototype and test solutions: Develop quick prototypes to understand system responses, identifying faulty assumptions and mitigating risks.
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Gather and reflect on feedback: Synthesize feedback to refine solutions, fostering iterative improvement and adaptation.
Three ways to map a system...
There are various ways to visually represent a system, such as maps, graphs, diagrams, and computer models. II'll delve into three types of maps, each offering a unique perspective on the system, aiding in understanding complex scenarios. These maps can complement and enhance one another, providing a more holistic view.​
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Network Map: This visualisation tool illuminates the intricate interconnections within a complex network. By examining relationships between stakeholders and their interactions, you gain insights into decision-making power, influence dynamics, and exchanges of value or information. Referred to by various names like ecosystem maps or stakeholder maps, they all serve a similar function of revealing how components and individuals within a system are linked.
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Process Map: Offering insight into the interdependencies of a complex process, this map synthesizes stakeholder journeys to pinpoint critical process moments. It identifies actors, steps, handoffs, and barriers, offering a comprehensive view of the challenge. Contrary to journey maps in service design, process maps encompass the journeys of multiple stakeholders, offering a broader perspective on interconnected service systems.
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Problem Map: This tool delves into the root causes of a complex problem, employing the Iceberg Model to uncover layers within the system. By examining patterns of behavior, underlying structures, and driving mindsets, you gain a deeper understanding of the problem's complexities. If your challenge involves multiple stakeholders and persistent issues, a problem map can illuminate opportunities for redesign.
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Each map type serves to deepen your comprehension of the system's dynamics, offering avenues for redesign and improvement. As you engage with these mapping tools, remember to adapt and customize them to suit your specific context and objectives.
Network mapping...
Network mapping is a powerful method for visualizing the intricate connections within a system, particularly evident in complex human systems like organisations, where these connections primarily involve individuals.
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In the process of network mapping, the aim is to discern the stakeholders within the system, understand the relationships between them, and observe how they interact. Here are five essential steps to effectively map a network:
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Frame the system: Define the boundaries of the network, ensuring clarity amidst its fluidity. For instance, let's consider the scenario of a public high school.
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Identify key stakeholders: Compile a comprehensive list of stakeholders, considering both direct interactions and indirect influences. Categorise them and employ differentiating visual cues for clarity.
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Select a lens: Choose a perspective to analyse the network's complexity. Common lenses include alignment, communication, power, influence, and value.
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Draw connections: Organise stakeholders around a focal point, depicting direct and indirect interactions. Utilise the chosen lens to illustrate connections, emphasising various relationships and exchanges.
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Study your map: Step back and analyse the network map. Reflect on its insights and raise questions for further investigation. Consider aspects like value distribution, power dynamics, and influential stakeholders.
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Mapping a school network, for instance, reveals exchanges of value and identifies key players' roles. Each map is unique, allowing for varying levels of detail and design elements. Imperfection is expected, as the map serves as a starting point for ongoing exploration and refinement.
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Engage stakeholders in the mapping process to gain diverse perspectives and uncover gaps in understanding. A network map serves as a catalyst for discussions on redesign opportunities and informs further investigation into system dynamics.
Process mapping...
Navigating a complex process can be daunting when numerous individuals contribute, yet no single person comprehends the entirety.
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To align on a solution amidst diverse perceptions, visualising the system becomes paramount. Process mapping offers clarity by delineating all steps and stakeholders involved in an activity, akin to capturing a snapshot of the current state. Only when everyone shares this perspective, akin to standing together on a balcony, can alignment on a solution emerge.
Here are five steps to effectively map a process:
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Define the process: Select the process to visualise, acknowledging its interconnectedness within the broader system. Flexible boundaries delineate the start and end points. For the high school example, to humanise student services, examine the journey from enrolment to graduation.
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Identify stakeholders: Brainstorm and interview key stakeholders involved in the process. Gather insights on their perspectives and journeys. again, for our example, interview students, staff, and administrators to understand common barriers, crafting individual process maps for each stakeholder.
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Define critical moments: Analyse individual process maps to identify pivotal moments where stakeholders interact or encounter gaps. In the example, crucial moments such as onboarding and registration were pinpointed, illuminating the fragmented optimisation efforts of stakeholders.
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Reflect on the map: Pause to analyse the process map's initial iteration. Reflect on insights and consider the system's current state. This reflection lays the groundwork for identifying leverage points, where small changes can yield significant impacts.
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Co-create with stakeholders: Engage stakeholders in crafting the process map collaboratively, leveraging diverse perspectives to deepen understanding. This inclusive approach fosters a comprehensive view of the system, empowering stakeholders to envision impactful design interventions.
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For our example, this would help stakeholders to immerse themselves in the student experience, shedding light on unseen barriers and igniting discussions on design levers for improvement. By co-creating process maps with stakeholders, organisations harness the collective wisdom needed to pinpoint impactful areas for intervention.
– Source: Walk through student onboarding map: Human-centered Systems Thinking IDEO-U
Problem mapping...
When tackling complex issues, it's common to focus solely on the visible symptoms, akin to addressing just the tip of an iceberg. However, this approach often results in solutions that merely scratch the surface, failing to address the underlying root causes.
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As humans, we're wired to solve problems swiftly, often rushing to implement solutions without fully grasping the entire problem landscape. This tendency is especially pronounced in complex systems, where actions taken may alleviate symptoms temporarily but fail to address deeper structural issues. Consequently, recurring issues persist despite our best efforts to resolve them, or even exacerbate the situation further.
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So, how do we delve into the root cause of systemic issues? Analogous to adjusting a camera lens, we need to zoom out to examine all layers of the problem and then delve beneath the surface to explore the myriad factors at play. One effective approach is to map the problem using the iceberg model framework, inspired by the pioneering work of anthropologist Edward T. Hall.
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The iceberg model aids in uncovering patterns of behaviour, identifying structural influences, and surfacing underlying mindsets within a system.
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Identifying Behaviour Patterns: Behaviours represent the visible aspects of the system and are easily observable. By analyzing recurring patterns over time, we can discern underlying trends, moving beyond reactive responses to proactive investigation.
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Uncovering Structural Influences: Beneath behaviours lie the structural components of the system that shape these behaviours. These structures encompass organisational policies, procedures, and norms that govern how individuals interact within the system. By examining structural elements, we can discern why certain events occur and how they influence behaviour.
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Surfacing Underlying Mindsets: At the deepest level of the system lie the underlying mindsets—beliefs, values, and assumptions—that dictate behaviour. Although intangible, these mindsets profoundly influence individual actions and organizational culture. By making these implicit beliefs explicit, we can challenge and reshape them to foster meaningful change.
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To illustrate, consider the scenario of a consistently tardy female frontline worker. At the behavioral level, her punctuality issues manifest prominently, particularly during summer months. Delving deeper, at the structural level, her employer's rigid policies fail to accommodate childcare complexities, while at the mindset level, there exists a deep-rooted skepticism toward flexible schedules, driven by ingrained beliefs about productivity and career priorities.
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To effect meaningful change, interventions must address these underlying mindsets alongside restructuring policies and procedures, thereby fostering a culture conducive to employee well-being and productivity. While changing mindsets and behaviors may not occur overnight, experimenting with redesigned structures represents a tangible step toward lasting transformation.